We see them flying around us and always try to dodge them to avoid their bites. Wasps and bees are two insects that, in appearance, may look like countenances, especially because of their buzzing and the color of their body, but in reality, they are very different both in their behavior, in their attitude and in their life cycle. So that you know what is the difference between wasp and bee keep reading this article because we are going to discover them by indicating the behavior of each of this species as well as other remarkable aspects that are worth knowing.
Bees
Before talking about the differences between wasps and bees, let’s talk specifically about each of these animals to understand them in depth. Bees are antiholes, hymenopteran insects belonging to the avoid family.
The bees are responsible for collecting the pollen of the flowers and their nectar, so they can store it in the hives; Honey bees are the ones that have the ability to create honey themselves. The reason why they can collect all these substances is thanks to the intrinsic characteristics of their body since, in their legs, they are like baskets that allow them to store the pollen they collect.
There are different types of bees but, most, they are usually light brown with black stripes and, in the distance, this brown can be similar to a yellowish tone, which is why they can be confused with wasps.
At the level of social behavior, bees are very sociable animals that live in very large hives that are usually built in trees. Within this society we find that the estates are very well defined and, as with ants, the queen bee is responsible for managing the work carried out by the workers within the hive.
They are very peaceful animals that will not attack you (sting) unless they feel threatened. In addition, bees die if they sting you because they have the stinger stuck in your body and they are unable to live without that part of their body. So, they won’t bite you just for the sake of it, but they will only do it when they really feel in danger.
Wasps
On the other hand, we find wasps, insects that, unlike bees, are predators, that is, they attack to eat and survive. But, in addition, these animals do not produce honey and usually live in honeycombs, not in hives, since the objective of these places is simply to be sheltered and have a place to live and reproduce, but not to create honey.
Due to their predatory character, wasps are more aggressive and, for this reason, have a thinner, stylized and larger body. The color of its body usually moves on warm scales such as yellow, light brown, amber and, always, combined with black stripes.
Their behavior among them is not as sociable as in the case of bees because they have to survive and hunt different insects to be able to feed, for this reason, they are surlier and have a greater instinct of competitiveness and survival among them. When you are stung, wasps do not die or run out of sting.
In this article we tell you what to do if you are stung by a wasp so that you know the first aid that you should follow.
Key differences between bees and wasps
So, once studied both insects to enter fully into the differences between wasps and bees to summarize and compare all the information we have collected.
- On the one hand, we have that wasps are bigger than bees. In addition, the first ones do not have hair and the bees do.
- Bees are responsible for producing honey, while wasps are not.
- The place where bees live with hives that they build themselves, while wasps live in honeycombs where they also reside.
- Wasps are more aggressive animals because they are predators, that is, they have to feed on insects to survive; Bees are much more sociable and, in the hives, they have well defined the range of each one (the queen and the workers).
- At the time of the sting, the bee loses its stinger (which stays in your body) and, therefore, dies; Wasps do not die after stinging you.
- Wasps hibernate, so in cold weather we do not usually see them in the environment; On the other hand, the bees do not do it and continue to collect honey throughout the year.
Anyway, the one that stings you, the truth is that the stingers produce intense pain and inflammation that must be treated. If this is your case, we recommend you read our home remedies for wasp and bee stings to relieve discomfort.
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