What Kind of Wasp Are You?

In the islands we have a lot of insects. Among them are wasps. Two kinds of wasps are variations on a theme. Some call them Yellow Jackets or Jack Spaniards. Down here they are also called Friday and Monday wasps. Except for size they look the same and they make the same kind of paper nest. They are sleek and built for speed. They are yellow and black.

Friday wasps are smaller than the Monday wasps. They don’t dive-bomb or attack unless they feel threatened and the threat usually has to do with the actual disturbance of the nest. When its larva, its babies, its home and family is in obvious danger of being destroyed or harmed, the Friday wasp will attack, and like all wasps which have repeating stingers, they will zap you as often as it takes to get you away from its nest. Once the danger has gone away, the Friday wasp quickly settles down.

If a wasp can be docile, the Friday wasp is that. One can pass by a nest and not be buzzed. One can even accidentally disturb a nest and not be attacked. There may be a moment or two of excited buzzing around, a fluttering flurry of activity. But Fridays seem to evaluate a situation and quickly determine if the threat to their nest is real or not. If the threat is not real they settle down and continue to go about their waspy business as if nothing had happened.

After all, they are Friday wasps. They know the week-end is coming. It’s time to relax and enjoy life.

On the other hand, Monday wasps are pissed because it’s Monday. The party is over and they have to go to work. Monday wasps are ornery, unpredictable and tend to be bullies. It takes very little to provoke them. Walking ten feet away from their nest can cause them to get nervous enough to dive-bomb. And they will dive-bomb at your head. If they are particularly nervous or upset they will attack and, unlike a Friday which only stings to chase the threat away, Mondays will follow you and continue to sting you, even when you have left their nest far behind.


This is a nest of Monday wasps. I took the picture early in the morning so they were still sleepy. Since they hadn’t had their coffee yet I can only assume they momentarily forgot it was Monday for them. I’m glad the flash didn’t upset them.

So I ask the question, what kind of wasp are you? No doubt most of us would like to be thought of as a Fridays and can readily point a finger at someone who is a Monday.

And what about groups of people or nations? I can think of several I could label as Friday or Monday wasps. What about you?