European honey bees are an invasive species in a lot of places. They're actually part of the problem because they are imported for our use and crowd out the native bees.

This is also not at all comprehensive. There are many thousands of species of wasps and native bees. Not to mention all the yellow stripy flies that mimic wasps.

Yellow jackets are generalist predators. As long as they aren't making a nest somewhere real close to where you want to be, they are good at killing a whole lot of pests.

Yeah, those wasps are assholes, just not quite as much of assholes as yellow jackets. Weirdly enough, I've been stung by everything on this list that is capable of doing so including bumble bees. Bees hate me and I hate them, but I still refrain from killing them because we need them around.

Wasps are pollinators too 🥺

Astonishing how often I see someone start swatting at a paper wasp when it gets curious.

The fuck? It's like a dog smelling you, but that dog has a stinger. You don't swat at the fucking thing. You chill out and act real casual. Maybe pretend you didn't even notice it. What wasp? I didn't see any wasps. Now check my back so we can get our asses inside.

Yes. Thank you. When I was a bee keeper I learned some about the things. Do honey bees have various issues and struggles ... Sure. Are the large varieties of native wild bees soooo much more fucked - yep. Yes they are.

Yay came here for this. I was all excited to start a couple of beehives in my back yard. Then I discovered their lineage and what they're doing to the native bees. Instead I realized I am hosting tons of huge ass bumblebees in my yard, and I'll just let them be(e). Maybe get some of those bee houses for solitary bees instead.

I remember watching a video from a physicist who failed her pilot's license exam because she explained that and the modern theories of how airplane flight works instead of the old wingspan, weight, speed, and air density over the wings model.

Needless to say, she took the test again, gave the answer they wanted, and the video was about her building a plane out of wood about a month after she finished the launch of her Mach 2.1 capable model rocket.

Bumblebees are pretty gentle, and whereas I used to be extremely scared of bees (and especially bumblebees because of their size), I find them adorable to observe up-close now that I've gotten over my fear.

However, the question I would ask regarding petting is: why? When I pet a household dog or a cat, it's ideally because I think it comforts them, and at worst (if they're mildly annoyed and I don't realize), it's never going to harm them.

For the bee, though, it's probably strictly uncomfortable for them to have a being 50,000 times their size come up and start putting pressure on them. (Bumblebees can distinguish noxious stimuli, but they do still respond somewhat to regular tactile stimulation; see p.3.)

Their wings and legs are fragile, and it's not like they can't be accidentally provoked into stinging you. If they're just minding their own business, it's really best to leave them alone, because at best you're annoying/not comforting them, and at worst you're physically harming them.

TL;DR: Bumblebees are really cool, but just treat them like you'd treat other wild animals that don't want to be touched; that you can get so close to them and watch is already a blessing.

You can (very, very carefully!) pet the top of their thorax when they're not flying, such as when preoccupied with feeding at a flower, although as TheTechnician27 outlined, it's probably not good for them. Better is if you can find one that's struggling to fly (semi-common this time of year, when things are still warming up) and then you can warm the little guy in your hands if they're cold or chauffeur them from flower to flower if they're hungry. Often this will help them regain the strength to keep flying, but sometimes they never do; I assume in these cases they're dying, but at least I gave them some hospice care. It's very strange to deposit a struggling bee on a flower, watch it feed, and then see it wiggle its little feet in the air like it's calling the magic carpet back for another lift.

Definitely, I boop them all the time in the spring when they are swarming the flowers.

My most recent run in with these fuckers involved one building a nest in the BED OF MY TRUCK and then stinging me after I drove to work and got out. Bastards. I respect most insects but wasps get the death spray without question.

They are all over the place here. They are Satan incarnate and will sting the shit out of you for any or no reason.

I love how this is formatted like a poem

If you ever have chilly spring/fall mornings, you can often find one perched on a flower "sleeping in". (Really their metabolisms just slow way down in the cold, and they're waiting for the sun to hit.) You can get some tiny pets in for sure. It's nice.

be gentle though, they're just little guys

One landed on the hand of my sister and wasn't bothered by her petting it.
But this is highly anecdotal.

Don't ever "catch" a bumblebee between your hands. It will sting/bite (idk what they do, someone said they bite but I'm not sure) and that hurts like hell! Did that one time as a kid thinking they can't do anything and regretted it really quickly!