Think about the last time you were stung by a wasp or a bee. You might not remember exactly where you were, or who you were with, but you definitely remember the way you felt; angry. As you felt that sting, you were most likely in excruciating pain, and the last thing you felt is an appreciation for bees and their benefits to the environment. After reading the following, you may actually feel a little less sting and a surprising amount of appreciation for them.
How to Tell the Difference Between a Wasp and a Normal Bee
There are a few ways to tell the difference between a bee and a wasp without having to let them sting you.
- Bees are hairy whereas wasps are smooth-skinned.
- When provoked, bees can become aggressive whereas wasps are naturally aggressive.
- Wasps look like bees that have been turned into super soldiers.
- Wasps have narrow waists, have four wings and are brightly colored with black and yellow patterns.
- Bees can be black, yellow, brown, or orange. They can be one solid color or have striations in their color patterns.
A bee can only sting once then it dies and a wasp can sting multiple times and still live. A wasp cannot produce honey and a bee can. On the surface, wasps do not seem to be beneficial to its community and the environment but they have enough bite to annoy and be a nuisance to everyone that comes in contact with one.
Why We Shouldn’t Write Off Wasps so Quickly
- Wasps prey on other insects and help keep those pesky insect populations under control.
- Researchers at the University of Florence recently discovered they carry yeast cells in their guts. Yeast is an essential ingredient in bread, beer, and wine. Wasps feed on late-season grapes and other naturally grown food that contain yeast, then early in the next growing season, they replenish these types of foods with these yeast cells. So the next time you are throwing back a cold one after a long day of work, give a little toast to these annoying, yellow and black critters.
- Believe it or not, while they don’t manufacture honey like bees, wasps still do pollinate plants.
Where We Come In
Now, of course, the costs of being overrun with wasps outweigh the benefits and that is where we come in. If you have a wasp infestation we will come and terminate that infestation for you. If they build their nest a little too close to your house and where your children play in your yard, and you don’t feel comfortable dealing with them yourself, we will come out, issue some pest control for you and bust some wasp heads.
Call us at (801) 982-7378. We’d love to help!