You’re out in your yard doing a little gardening or maybe taking a walk in the park or hiking a trail and you get stung. Was it a wasp or a bee that took offense at your being in their territory, or did you intrude into their private space? Either way, inquiring minds want to know.
About Bees
The most noticeable feature you can use to differentiate bees and wasps is their body structure. Bees have a thick waist while wasps have a much thinner, constricted waist.
Some bee species live in large well-ordered communities, some are solitary travelers, while others live in small communes without any organized system. Their main job is feeding on plant nectar and pollination. Bees don’t usually sting unless provoked or if their nest is threatened. Their stinger and its attached sac are planted inside the stung area where it releases venom until the sac is empty.
There are several types of bees found in the USA:
- Carpenter Bee
- Bumble Bee
- Halictid (Sweat) Bee
- Ground Bee
About Wasps
Unlike bees, wasps are notorious for repeatedly stinging victims without any provocation, which for some can be life-threatening. Below is a short list of the more than 100,000 wasp species.
- Yellow Jackets
- Hornets
- Paper Wasps
- Bald-Faced Hornet
- Cicada Killer Wasp
When stinging pests take a bite out of you, it’s time to call in the professionals at Allison Pest Control.