In the initial contact, if they reach skin and sting at all, it is just a shallow pop with the tip of the stinger that will smart, but briefly. Only if they become tangled in your hair or if you swat them, will they deliver a serious, deep sting. Wasps' stingers are smooth, lacking the barbs that limit a honeybee to a single sting, and they can sting several times in one pass if severely irritated. After being buzzed once or twice, the barn animals all learn to walk several paces out from the barn walls, so as not to trigger an attack. We humans should do the same.
Few bears wear Panama hats.
You can't deter them easily or eliminate them without poisons. Killing them, while possible with long-distance aerosol spray cans, will result in more bugs in the garden. If any bug bites or stings have left a larger than usual welt or made a nearby joint stiff, or if a sting makes you light headed, flushed or induces a rapid heart rate, take an antihistamine such as Dristan, and see a physician immediately. A next bite could be real trouble. A quick skin test can tell if you are overly sensitive.