Fear of Wasps (Vespophobia): Symptoms, Causes & How to Overcome It
Contents
Can You Overcome a Fear of Wasps?
A fear of wasps (Vespophobia) can feel overwhelming, especially during spring and summer when wasps are most active. If you avoid eating outside, outdoor events and spending time in gardens because you’re scared of wasps or bees, you’re not alone. Wasp phobia is highly treatable and there are practical measures you can take to feel more confident, relaxed and calm outdoors.
What is Fear of Wasps or Bees Called?
Fear of wasps is called vespophobia (or sometimes spheksophobia). Fear of bees is called apiphobia or melissophobia.
Fear of bees, wasps or hornets can trigger intense anxiety, fear and panic. Some people avoid outdoor events, gardens and even opening windows in the summer months. This phobia can feel exhausting and overwhelming. Just hearing the sound of buzzing can be a trigger for some people.
A phobia of wasps, bees or hornets is not just about the fear of being stung, it is the fear of the phobic response which can bring about powerful anxiety symptoms and panic. You can find out more about phobias in our full A – Z list of phobias here.
What is the Difference Between a Fear and a Phobia?
Fear is a normal response to danger and it is natural to be a little cautious of stinging insects. Wasps, hornets and bees can sting, so a certain amount of caution or wariness is sensible and natural.
A phobia however, is a much stronger and more exaggerated fear response, that feels out of proportion to the actual danger or risk. People with a phobia may experience intense anxiety and panic attacks just from being near a bee or wasp, or just from hearing the buzzing of one nearby. These feelings can even happen just from seeing a picture of one. This is why there are no triggering images in this article.
If fear of bees or wasps is affecting your everyday life, causing avoidance and making you dread certain situations, events or occasions, it may be more than an ordinary fear. Read on to find out why these responses happen and how to manage them.
Why Do Some People Develop a Fear of Wasps?
There is a natural evolutionary fear in all of us because the bee, wasp or hornet can sting us. With an extreme fear or a phobia though, the reaction becomes more intense and exaggerated. A non-phobic person might avoid them or wave a wasp away, someone with a phobia may have a panic attack, may be terrified of being stung and may not be able to hide their terror.
The phobia reaction often develops over time, building with each interaction or experience involving a wasp, bee or hornet. A bad experience as a child, a parent who perhaps demonstrated fear of wasps or a cumulation of experiences can cause this natural wariness to develop into a difficult phobia.
Fear of bees and wasps may also occur along with other phobias or anxieties. Once the fear response gets established, each encounter tends to reinforce the anxiety reaction, making it feel stronger.
There are ways you can treat phobias and change your reactions. Many people are able to overcome their phobia symptoms significantly. Techniques such as relaxation methods, breathing techniques, CBT or hypnosis can help you to change the fearful response.
Should I Be Scared of Wasps?
Most of the time wasps are not aggressive. If they feel threatened or if their nest is disturbed then they can become agitated and more likely to sting. While wasp stings can be painful, the risk to most people is relatively low unless they have an allergy to stings.
Most people with a phobia of wasps feel the danger is much greater than it really is and this anxiety and fear amplifies the perceived threat. Once you accept and believe the fact that wasps are not actively trying to sting you, it can help you feel less afraid and help you overcome the fear.
Symptoms of Bee or Wasp Phobia
It can be difficult to live with a bee or wasp phobia especially during warmer months when insects are more active. Depending on what part of the world you live in, it might be a year-round problem. Or you may be lucky enough to have winters where you barely think about them at all because you just don’t see them around. Some people feel constantly on alert when wasps and bees are active. They may become hypervigilant and be looking for them, especially when spending time outside.
Many people with wasp phobia immediately move or run away from wasps. You might find that if one gets in your home it is almost impossible to let it out of the window because it is difficult to get close enough to them.
They seem unpredictable, the sound of the buzzing can trigger feelings of panic. Some people repeatedly check their home or garden for nests, and some keep windows closed even on hot summer days just to reduce the chance of insects getting inside.
Common Symptoms of Wasp Phobia:
- Rapid heartbeat
- Panic attacks
- Shaking
- Sweating
- Shortness of breath
- Feeling dizzy or lightheaded
- Hypervigilance
- Running away
- Avoiding gardens
- Avoiding outdoor eating & picnics
- Avoiding parks
- Keeping windows closed in the summer
What is Vespophobia?
Vespophobia is the medical term for fear of wasps and hornets. This term comes from the Latin word vespa, meaning wasp. People with vespophobia may experience intense anxiety, panic and avoidance around wasps and hornets. Unlike a normal cautiousness around wasps, a phobia can lead to severe anxious reactions and even panic attacks. People with a phobia of wasps and hornets may be significantly more stressed and anxious during summer months, they may be able to see and hear wasps from quite long distances as they have become hypervigilant to the sight and sound of them.
Fear of Hornets
Fear of hornets usually happens along with a fear of wasps because they are quite similar insects. If you have a phobia of hornets you may experience panic, anxiety and avoidance very similar to people with wasp phobia. To help overcome or improve the anxious response, take the same approach to overcoming hornet phobia as you would for wasp phobia such as CBT and self hypnosis.
The Good News for Wasp Phobics
Even if you are absolutely terrified of wasps or have had this phobia for years, perhaps for as long as you can remember, phobias are one of the most treatable anxiety issues around. You can learn to reduce or completely overcome your fear using gradual desensitization, relaxation techniques, hypnosis or CBT.
Entomophobia and Related Insect Phobias
Some people have this phobia along with Entomophobia, where they fear insects of all or most kinds. Entomophobia is beyond the scope of this article but if you click here you can go to the “Cleaveland Clinic” website to read more about it You can also find out more about this and many other phobias in our full A – Z of phobias.
How to Stay Calm Around Wasps
To overcome your phobia you would need to gradually change the automatic reactions you experience when you see one. You can learn to react more calmly and feel more in control around wasps.
When it is safe to do so, try to stay where you are rather than running away. Slow your breathing and remember that wasps are not really interested in you. Remaining relaxed and in control can become the new normal for you with repeated calm reactions, as gradually learn the new reaction until it happens automatically.
Lower Your Anxiety Level
Phobia responses are often worse if you are already anxious. If you have anxiety and want to find out ways to recover from it, read our article on how to overcome anxiety.
How to Get Over Fear of Wasps
How do you get over a bee, hornet or wasp phobia? Start by applying some of the techniques in this article. If you find you are unable to overcome the fear, therapies such as CBT, exposure therapy and self hypnosis may help.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT can help people gradually learn to change the way they think and respond to bees, hornets and wasps. It can help you learn calming strategies and challenge fearful thoughts and reactions to the phobia.
Exposure therapy is often used with CBT and involves facing your fear in small manageable steps. You might begin with looking at pictures of them and progressing from there. Eventually you learn to react calmly and with less fear.
Can Hypnotherapy or Hypnosis Help Wasp Phobia?
Hypnotherapy or self hypnosis can help reduce the automatic fear response you have linked to bees, hornets or wasps. The aim with hypnosis is to help your mind respond more calmly and rationally in situations that would normally trigger panic and anxiety.
Hypnotherapy can help phobias by changing automatic habit responses and behavioral patterns. The hypnosis may include a calm, easy visualization of a wasp nearby with you feeling completely calm and in control. Repeatedly practicing visualizations like this while, in a deeply relaxed hypnotic state, can help change your responses in real life situations when you see a wasp.
In hypnosis, desensitization and CBT methods are often incorporated into the process. Alongside the relaxing, calming experience of hypnosis, these techniques help to teach the subconscious mind a new way of reacting when you see a wasp, bee or hornet.
With practice, this can help reduce panic and allow you to feel much more relaxed and in control.
Overcome Fear of Bees, Hornets & Wasps Hypnosis
If your fear of wasps affects everyday life, you may be interested in our Overcome Fear of Bees & Wasps Hypnosis. This hypnosis can be helpful in reducing your fear responses, it combines hypnotic suggestions, post-hypnotic suggestions, CBT techniques and gradual desensitization to help you develop calmer responses. This audio is created by Rachael Eccles, an experienced clinical hypnotherapist. You can find out more about Rachael here.
FAQ
What is a fear of wasps called?
Fear of wasps is commonly called vespophobia. Sometimes it is called spheksophobia, but vespophobia is more widely recognized as the correct name for fear of wasps. This phobia can cause intense anxiety or panic when the phobic person hears or sees a wasp.
Why am I scared of wasps?
A fear of wasps may develop as a result of a frightening experience as a child or younger person. For some people it may also be a learned reaction from seeing a parent or other family member demonstrating a fear of wasps. In many cases there is no specific cause, and the phobia develops through a collection of experiences and feelings of panic when a wasp is nearby.
How do I stop being scared of wasps?
To overcome fear of wasps, the most effective way is to gradually try to change the way your mind and body responds to wasps. You may find hypnosis helps, especially one focused on overcoming fear of wasps. Using a hypnosis audio can help you to learn to relax more easily and react more calmly when near wasps. The more occasions you experience where a wasp is nearby and you did not overreact, the more your confidence will grow. As you build a collection of positive experiences where you coped better than before, you are effectively learning a new response.
Can wasp phobia be cured?
Yes. Many people overcome a fear of wasps by using self hypnosis, CBT and desensitization methods. We incorporate all of these in our Overcome Wasps & Bee Phobia hypnosis audio which you can find here.
Is fear of wasps common?
A fear or phobia of wasps and bees is very common, and for some people it develops into a severe phobia that affects daily life. Although many people dislike wasps, a real phobia causes intense panic and distress, much more than an ordinary fear. The good news is it is a highly treatable phobia, and the phobia responses can be changed to controlled calm responses.
What is Spheksophobia?
Spheksophobia is another name sometimes used for a fear of wasps. However, the term vespophobia is more commonly used when defining a phobia of wasps or hornets.
Can Hypnosis help fear of wasps
Many people find hypnosis helpful for reducing anxiety and fear that comes with wasp phobia. Hypnosis aims to change automatic fear responses and help you stay calm and in control when you encounter a wasp. This hypnosis works best when you simultaneously try to stay calmer when a wasp is nearby so that you learn the new response in real life. You can find the Overcome Fear of Wasps Hypnosis here, and be less fearful around wasps, bees and hornets.
Explore More Anxiety & Phobia Resources
Many fears and phobias are linked to anxiety. Explore my Anxiety Hypnosis Downloads & Guided Meditations to discover recordings, articles and free resources covering anxiety, panic attacks, phobias and related concerns. Or alternatively visit the Anxiety Hub for all anxiety and phobia related resources.
A – Z List of Phobias
Find out more on our full A-Z list of phobias with their Greek names, we currently have over 640 listed.