Someone Wrote A Funny Guide About Bees And Wasps And You Might Learn Something New
Most of us have been there, sitting in a park or on our porch, enjoying the beautiful summer day and a refreshing cold drink, when suddenly an unidentified flying insect approaches. Is it a bee? Is it a wasp? We’re just not sure!
Probably confused by the same notion, one internet user put together an “infographic” to help everyone out identifying these stinging insects. “A Comprehensive Guide to Yellow Stripey Things” identifies eight different types of bees and wasps and describes them in the best way. Scroll down below to see the guide yourself and tell us what you think!
More info: Reddit
Carpenter Bee
These guys are big fans of wood, especially unfinished or weathered wood like fences, porches, etc. where they dig tunnels to make nests, thus their name. Rarely living in social nests, these bees are solitary creatures. Carpenter bees are not aggressive or dangerous, especially male bees, as they don’t have a stinger. Having short mouthparts, these bees are especially important in pollinating shallow flowers which are rarely pollinated by other insects.
Honeybee
The domestic honeybee is the textbook bee that (hopefully) every person could identify. Distinguished by production and storage of honey, this bee has been domesticated and used for the production of honey and pollination of crops for centuries. As they’re excellent pollinators, they frequent fields and wouldn’t shy away from a flower on top of your windowsill. However, while one or two visiting bees might not seem like a problem, finding a hive on your property can be quite a scare. This might prompt a person to call the pest control, but it’s essential to keep the hive alive, as they’re a vital part to the ecosystem, so it’s best to ring up a beekeeper for assistance.
Bumblebee
The fat fluffy friends of the bee world, bumblebees are here to pollinate your crops and flowers. Social creatures who build nests and form colonies with a single queen. These soft ‘flying pandas’ are non-aggressive and won’t sting unless protecting their hive, in which case you better run fast as their stings have no barbs, like honeybees’, which means they can sting repeatedly!
As the number of bumblebees has dropped drastically in North America, Europe and Asia, there have been many projects started as conservation effort.
Hoverfly
Hoverflies may look like a type of wasps, but it’s only a guise as they don’t possess a stinger to cause any harm. They use the disguise to try trick predators into thinking that they can fight back, just like bees and wasps could.
Other than being living bee cosplayers, hoverflies just pollinate flowers and do what’s in their name – hover around.
Paper Wasp
These bad boys are the architects behind those grey (or brown!) papery nests that somewhat resemble a tuft of cotton candy. Unlike their sisters, hornets or yellowjackets, paper wasps are generally non-aggressive and will only sting if provoked, especially when defending their nest. And while wasps generally have a bad reputation due to aggression and painful stings, paper wasps are actually considered beneficial as they pollinate and eat various garden pests, making them especially important in biocontrol.
Yellow Jacket
Another one of the textbook insects, the yellow jacket is what the common people know as the wasp. It is sometimes mistaken for a bee, due to their similar size and coloring, however that could be one’s big mistake as yellowjackets are aggressive and won’t shy away from stinging.
As mean as they seem, yellowjackets also feed on various pest insects making these flying needles beneficial to farming.
Cicada Killer
These are large, scary-looking wasps that live a solitary life. Although they look especially fierce, cicada killers are a non-aggressive and only attack when handled roughly. Male wasps don’t have a stinger, just as the carpenter bees.
These wasps got their name from their dominant prey, cicadas. As they help control the cicada population and preserve trees on which cicadas feed, cicada killers work as a biocontrol.
Dirt Dauber
Also known as mud dauber, dirt dauber is a type of wasp that looks very different from most commonly known wasps, as well as any other insect in the list so far. Their name comes from the way they nest, as female wasps mold mud with their mandibles to make a living space for themselves. They prey on various spiders, although some types of dirt daubers are known to keep spiders in their nests to help them guard their home.
What to do if you’ve been stung?
While it’s all fun and games enjoying a day outside, things can get serious pretty quick if you get to meet a bee’s or wasp’s wrath in the form of a stinger. According to National Health Service, bee stings can be identified by a red swollen lump developing on the skin that is painful, or sometimes itchy. NHS’s advice on what to do if you’re stung:
- Remove the sting if it’s still in the skin.
- Wash the affected area with soap and water.
- Apply a cold compress (such as a flannel or cloth cooled with cold water) or an ice pack to any swelling for at least 10 minutes.
- Raise or elevate the affected area if possible, as this can help reduce swelling.
- Avoid scratching the area, to reduce the risk of infection.
- Avoid traditional home remedies, such as vinegar and bicarbonate of soda, as they’re unlikely to help.
Most people recover quickly after being stung, however, some suffer more severe reactions than just swelling. This could be a sign of an allergy or other illness. In such cases people should seek medical attention, especially if the symptoms are getting worse, it becomes difficult to breathe, swelling occurs in mouth, face or throat area, one feels nauseous or starts vomiting, feels faint or loses consciousness.
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Share on FacebookWe had alot of bumblebees this year thanks to the nice weather. They are super adorable! IMG_201807...03be90.jpg
I love watching them. They really are 'flying pandas'.
Load More Replies...That's correct about Yellow Jackets. I think their Klingon name translates to A**hole.
YES. I took care of a wasp nest in my backyard, and, as terrifying as it was, it felt GOOD to be rid of these airraid machines. I know they have their uses (they eat other harmful insects, like mosquitoes, I believe), but that doesn't mean I should accept their living on my lot. No thanks.
Load More Replies...Bees only motto - Mind your own business! And we will make the world beautiful!
Honey bees: Devoted to home and family, hard workers, mind their own business, take little and give back so much. Admirable creatures.
Load More Replies...Oh damn... I remembered having to break open mud dauber nests for a painting job. SO MANY DEAD SPIDERS.
This is very North-American, and that's cool. But look towards Japan (because Godzilla), and you'll find that whatever flying b**ches we may have here, none rivals the Japanese Giant Hornet. Look it up, and tremble.
well damn..... that's what that one pokemon's based on I guess 😟
Load More Replies...Forgot about the “bald-faced Hornet”. Got stung by one repeated while running Cross Country. They are super aggressive, very territorial, can sting multiple times, have a black body with white strips (also called the black & white wasp). Sting hurts like hell for a day and a half (usually). Wings make a very loud buzzing noise (which basically means run).
I got stung by a yellow jacket, first time ever stung by an insect in my life! I was walking in the sun and using an umbrella for protection. I went to use the bathroom so I closed my umbrella, when I opened it, the yellow jacket stung me. I think it was on top of my umbrella and when I closed it, it got trapped and was very upset once I opened it. I will never forget how it felt, it was literllay like someone using a needle on my hand. Worst pain ever!! I thought I had taken all the stinger out, but somehow a bit of it remained on my hand. A week later my hand got really swollen because my body was trying to take it out. For something so small, it caused a lot of pain and a scary moment there since the doctor thought it was an infection that might have spread!!!
Guys . . . come on. Don't try to pet bees. Leave them all alone. This article gives the false impression that some of these insects won't sting you if they have the ability to, or that it is OK to try to interact with them, or that you can safely try to remove their nests, like if you come across a dirt dauber nest just because they are not hugely aggressive. Just don't. Have a professional do it, or at least treat any stinging insect as though it could really harm you. Use safety precautions and wear safety gear. And that "So fat it should not be able to fly" is a stupid unscientific myth that needs to quit being passed around. I love bees and wasps and the like. They are vastly important- calling them cute pandas or a******s is silly and effects how people perceive and treat these vitally important parts of our ecosystem, so can't we just try to respect them all?
literally right after I read this, a fly flew towards me, and it scared the living daylight out of me
You are right, bumblebees are only slightly bigger than honey bees, also as mentioned in the post (information would be even more misleading as so much of it is incorrect) it’s only because they are fluffy that makes them look so much bigger, most bees and wasps are not yellow and black, I can only think of the Italian honey bee that is mostly yellow, the rest are mostly red, brown or black, solitary bees come in many colours too, in Europe we have the red mason bee while North America and Canada have the blue mason bee, honey bees are one of the few bees that can only sting once, wasps (yellow jackets) are the exception in the wasp world by being able to sting multiple times, most wasps can only sting the once, male bees can’t sting, their only purpose is to mate with the Queen and they die afterwards as their wedding tackle is blown off during ejaculation 😳 honey bees are in trouble because North American beekeepers use bees for pollination, this means bees live on a monoculture diet
Load More Replies...We've only been in our home for 3 years and this is the first summer our backyard has really filled in. All the flowers have attracted so many bees, butterflies and also a gorgeous hummingbird who buzzes by a couple of times a day. So fun to watch!
This summer I had the worst bee / wasp experience ever, a red wasp stung my little dog as I held him in my arms I thought, I had gotten far enough away from it but didn't. I didn't know it but a few days later I noticed a knot the size of a dime on his neck, I won't go into details but it was horrible! I had to clean it and repack the area several times, that was after warm salt water compresses to aid healing. It was just horrible, he is now very scared of any flying insect. I remove him from any place with anything flying..
I'm extremely scared of wasps and other stinging bugs. So when I see or even think I see a wasp I run away, often screaming. I really can't stay and analyze the situation and the species of the bug
Same here! And my tactic worked for 25 years until a hornet flew in my car window and stung me in the face before I could jump out of the car!
Load More Replies...We had alot of bumblebees this year thanks to the nice weather. They are super adorable! IMG_20180714_195502-5b980e303be90.jpg
I don't mind the Bumble bees as we see quite a few in my parents' garden. There are a few Honey bees about but I saw 3 Bumble bees on clover a couple of weeks ago. Very calm and they are 'flying pandas' as described. Found one exhausted in the dry weather on the hot road. Using a leaf I put it on a piece of clover and it was happy, it didn't start flying around, just got feeding. It's possible to watch them if they're on flowers by being quiet and calm. They will work away contentedly without any problems. Occasionally one may fly around your head, but if you don't panic or swat at it, it gets its bearings and will fly off.
Yellow Jackets are more aggressive. If your home is infested with yellow jackets, wraps then you can call for beehive removal Long Island team for the extermination of your wasp, bee, or hornet problem today. As the experts can help with the extermination of all these pests from your property with the exception of the honey bee.
After seeing the bumblebee called a "flying panda," I impulsively petted one in my garden. It didn't even react. No longer afraid of bumblebees.
Last year I saw 6 hornets circling my tomato plant. Upon closer observation, I noticed they were after a Tomato Horn Worm. They would head towards him and he'd swing his head while another one was behind him. They managed to kill him, chop him up into smaller pieces and fly him to their home, up and over neighbor Nick's house and beyond. I don't mind them in my yard as long as they do NOT build a nest.
These insects have nothing on the african Siafu, aka Driver ant. They clear forests, when they move in everything else moves out.
You forgot Hornets!! Mean as f**k and you will be sick if they sting you.
* "...as they’re a vital part to the ecosystem..." Well, every insect is a vital part of ecosystem.
I love the bees!!! I didn't know you could pet bumble bees. Now, we have to save them--they are dying because of pesticides that should be banned. If the bees die, so will we
The mud dauber one is a flagrant lie! Those things are jerks! And they hurt like f*****g hell!
Another fix for stings? Baking soda and water mixed...or my grandmother would put fresh tomato leaves on the wound, which usually made it feel better.
Paper Wasp-*will only attack if provoked.* Breathing their air is more than enough to provoke them!
At about 5 years old wasps built their nest in the overhead bars of my swingset. After a couple of swings they came out to fight me. I got stung on the upper lip. My lip swelled to the size of a keilbasa. I still remember the pain!
I had a yellow jacket nest under my deck and they would come out and attack my puppy anytime he went near it. They're evil
Not gonna lie...I really don't care about the difference between these bugs. All my eyes see are stingers on their butts.
Yellow Jackets suck. Got stung by a couple when I accidentally disturbed a nest. Chased me across the yard, one little bast*rd was stinging my shoelace. Two stings on my legs hurt for days, could barely sleep.
Basically, bees we do need have cute little fur coat around their little necks. that is how you can recognise them. Oh, and also cute little bums too.
Carpenter bees do bite and damn does that hurt, mud daubers build nest on walls they like garages and they aren't mean tho, leaves you alone
Hoverfly seems like a person that trying to fit in into majority without knowing that they are beautiful as it is...
"So fat it should not be able to fly" haha they're not fat they just have big exoskeletons lol
Oh. Wow. Yellowjackets look pretty neat. I think i wll stay inside for the rest of eternity if thats okay with humanity. ;)
We have a cicada problem in my backyard! I welcome ALL the cicada killers to my home! lol
We had alot of bumblebees this year thanks to the nice weather. They are super adorable! IMG_201807...03be90.jpg
I love watching them. They really are 'flying pandas'.
Load More Replies...That's correct about Yellow Jackets. I think their Klingon name translates to A**hole.
YES. I took care of a wasp nest in my backyard, and, as terrifying as it was, it felt GOOD to be rid of these airraid machines. I know they have their uses (they eat other harmful insects, like mosquitoes, I believe), but that doesn't mean I should accept their living on my lot. No thanks.
Load More Replies...Bees only motto - Mind your own business! And we will make the world beautiful!
Honey bees: Devoted to home and family, hard workers, mind their own business, take little and give back so much. Admirable creatures.
Load More Replies...Oh damn... I remembered having to break open mud dauber nests for a painting job. SO MANY DEAD SPIDERS.
This is very North-American, and that's cool. But look towards Japan (because Godzilla), and you'll find that whatever flying b**ches we may have here, none rivals the Japanese Giant Hornet. Look it up, and tremble.
well damn..... that's what that one pokemon's based on I guess 😟
Load More Replies...Forgot about the “bald-faced Hornet”. Got stung by one repeated while running Cross Country. They are super aggressive, very territorial, can sting multiple times, have a black body with white strips (also called the black & white wasp). Sting hurts like hell for a day and a half (usually). Wings make a very loud buzzing noise (which basically means run).
I got stung by a yellow jacket, first time ever stung by an insect in my life! I was walking in the sun and using an umbrella for protection. I went to use the bathroom so I closed my umbrella, when I opened it, the yellow jacket stung me. I think it was on top of my umbrella and when I closed it, it got trapped and was very upset once I opened it. I will never forget how it felt, it was literllay like someone using a needle on my hand. Worst pain ever!! I thought I had taken all the stinger out, but somehow a bit of it remained on my hand. A week later my hand got really swollen because my body was trying to take it out. For something so small, it caused a lot of pain and a scary moment there since the doctor thought it was an infection that might have spread!!!
Guys . . . come on. Don't try to pet bees. Leave them all alone. This article gives the false impression that some of these insects won't sting you if they have the ability to, or that it is OK to try to interact with them, or that you can safely try to remove their nests, like if you come across a dirt dauber nest just because they are not hugely aggressive. Just don't. Have a professional do it, or at least treat any stinging insect as though it could really harm you. Use safety precautions and wear safety gear. And that "So fat it should not be able to fly" is a stupid unscientific myth that needs to quit being passed around. I love bees and wasps and the like. They are vastly important- calling them cute pandas or a******s is silly and effects how people perceive and treat these vitally important parts of our ecosystem, so can't we just try to respect them all?
literally right after I read this, a fly flew towards me, and it scared the living daylight out of me
You are right, bumblebees are only slightly bigger than honey bees, also as mentioned in the post (information would be even more misleading as so much of it is incorrect) it’s only because they are fluffy that makes them look so much bigger, most bees and wasps are not yellow and black, I can only think of the Italian honey bee that is mostly yellow, the rest are mostly red, brown or black, solitary bees come in many colours too, in Europe we have the red mason bee while North America and Canada have the blue mason bee, honey bees are one of the few bees that can only sting once, wasps (yellow jackets) are the exception in the wasp world by being able to sting multiple times, most wasps can only sting the once, male bees can’t sting, their only purpose is to mate with the Queen and they die afterwards as their wedding tackle is blown off during ejaculation 😳 honey bees are in trouble because North American beekeepers use bees for pollination, this means bees live on a monoculture diet
Load More Replies...We've only been in our home for 3 years and this is the first summer our backyard has really filled in. All the flowers have attracted so many bees, butterflies and also a gorgeous hummingbird who buzzes by a couple of times a day. So fun to watch!
This summer I had the worst bee / wasp experience ever, a red wasp stung my little dog as I held him in my arms I thought, I had gotten far enough away from it but didn't. I didn't know it but a few days later I noticed a knot the size of a dime on his neck, I won't go into details but it was horrible! I had to clean it and repack the area several times, that was after warm salt water compresses to aid healing. It was just horrible, he is now very scared of any flying insect. I remove him from any place with anything flying..
I'm extremely scared of wasps and other stinging bugs. So when I see or even think I see a wasp I run away, often screaming. I really can't stay and analyze the situation and the species of the bug
Same here! And my tactic worked for 25 years until a hornet flew in my car window and stung me in the face before I could jump out of the car!
Load More Replies...We had alot of bumblebees this year thanks to the nice weather. They are super adorable! IMG_20180714_195502-5b980e303be90.jpg
I don't mind the Bumble bees as we see quite a few in my parents' garden. There are a few Honey bees about but I saw 3 Bumble bees on clover a couple of weeks ago. Very calm and they are 'flying pandas' as described. Found one exhausted in the dry weather on the hot road. Using a leaf I put it on a piece of clover and it was happy, it didn't start flying around, just got feeding. It's possible to watch them if they're on flowers by being quiet and calm. They will work away contentedly without any problems. Occasionally one may fly around your head, but if you don't panic or swat at it, it gets its bearings and will fly off.
Yellow Jackets are more aggressive. If your home is infested with yellow jackets, wraps then you can call for beehive removal Long Island team for the extermination of your wasp, bee, or hornet problem today. As the experts can help with the extermination of all these pests from your property with the exception of the honey bee.
After seeing the bumblebee called a "flying panda," I impulsively petted one in my garden. It didn't even react. No longer afraid of bumblebees.
Last year I saw 6 hornets circling my tomato plant. Upon closer observation, I noticed they were after a Tomato Horn Worm. They would head towards him and he'd swing his head while another one was behind him. They managed to kill him, chop him up into smaller pieces and fly him to their home, up and over neighbor Nick's house and beyond. I don't mind them in my yard as long as they do NOT build a nest.
These insects have nothing on the african Siafu, aka Driver ant. They clear forests, when they move in everything else moves out.
You forgot Hornets!! Mean as f**k and you will be sick if they sting you.
* "...as they’re a vital part to the ecosystem..." Well, every insect is a vital part of ecosystem.
I love the bees!!! I didn't know you could pet bumble bees. Now, we have to save them--they are dying because of pesticides that should be banned. If the bees die, so will we
The mud dauber one is a flagrant lie! Those things are jerks! And they hurt like f*****g hell!
Another fix for stings? Baking soda and water mixed...or my grandmother would put fresh tomato leaves on the wound, which usually made it feel better.
Paper Wasp-*will only attack if provoked.* Breathing their air is more than enough to provoke them!
At about 5 years old wasps built their nest in the overhead bars of my swingset. After a couple of swings they came out to fight me. I got stung on the upper lip. My lip swelled to the size of a keilbasa. I still remember the pain!
I had a yellow jacket nest under my deck and they would come out and attack my puppy anytime he went near it. They're evil
Not gonna lie...I really don't care about the difference between these bugs. All my eyes see are stingers on their butts.
Yellow Jackets suck. Got stung by a couple when I accidentally disturbed a nest. Chased me across the yard, one little bast*rd was stinging my shoelace. Two stings on my legs hurt for days, could barely sleep.
Basically, bees we do need have cute little fur coat around their little necks. that is how you can recognise them. Oh, and also cute little bums too.
Carpenter bees do bite and damn does that hurt, mud daubers build nest on walls they like garages and they aren't mean tho, leaves you alone
Hoverfly seems like a person that trying to fit in into majority without knowing that they are beautiful as it is...
"So fat it should not be able to fly" haha they're not fat they just have big exoskeletons lol
Oh. Wow. Yellowjackets look pretty neat. I think i wll stay inside for the rest of eternity if thats okay with humanity. ;)
We have a cicada problem in my backyard! I welcome ALL the cicada killers to my home! lol
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