Manhacks have low hp, so you just need to hit, not worry about how much damage, so make sure you have low torso encumbrance and a weapon with a high hit bonus (this makes the biggest difference at the beginning). Or yes, throw stuff at it, but having high dex helps a lot with that.
Wasps and bees are probably worse, except that they are usually pretty easy to distract (since zombies are common) and don’t attack from quite as far away.