The difference between bees and wasps

Wasp nest

W asps and honey bees can be mistaken for each other because both insects give painful stings.

While honey bees can attack when provoked, wasps are more aggressive predators. Identifying the difference between honey bees and wasps is important to administer proper treatment of wounds and appropriate pest control.

Wasp

Bee

Wasps and honey bees are both members of the Hymenoptera order of insects.However, their bodies are different. Honey bees measure around 2.54 cm long. Some have entirely black bodies, while others are black or brown with orange or yellow striations.

Honey bees are hairy, while wasps usually have smooth and shiny skin. Wasps are narrow-waisted, have four wings and may be brightly coloured, with black and yellow patterns.Wasps and bees also differ in lifestyle and habits.

Honey bee colonies have over 75,000, while wasps’ colonies tend to have less than 10,000. Queen wasps build a nest for their colony, while worker honey bees create and maintain hives.

Unlike most wasps that hibernate during the winter season and build a new nest the following autumn, honey bees do not hibernate, as they live on food reserves and heat accumulated by thousands of workers.

Wasp species cannot produce honey, but all species of honey bees produce and store sizeable amounts of honey in their hives.While honey bees can sting only once and die after attacking, a single wasp stings multiple times.

- Internet