What is the difference between a bee sting and a wasp sting? Bee, wasp and bumblebee - differences and interesting facts

Most people learned the difference between a wasp and a bee in school. For some, this “secret” was revealed to acquaintances, friends or relatives. At the same time, there are people who still have a rather poor understanding of this issue. Interest in how a wasp differs from a bee is sharply awakened if a person is stung by one of these insects. Let's finally figure out which of these “flyers” produces delicious honey, and which behaves like a military aggressor, constantly attacking and causing pain.

Appearance

The first difference between a wasp and a bee is appearance. In flight, of course, it is quite difficult to take a closer look at the flyer, but if you freeze motionless for a minute and wait until the insect lands to rest, then determining its type will not be so difficult. Pay attention to the photo of a bee and a wasp.

The latter belongs to the suborder Stalk-bellied, its body is elongated, has a noticeable and bright color, does not contain villi, i.e. it is smooth. In area chest it seems to be tied with a corset, which is where the well-known phrase “wasp waist” comes from. The bee looks a little different. According to the classification, it belongs to the order Hymenoptera, which, in turn, belongs to the superfamily Apoidea. Its body has a round shape and is covered with small fibers on top. The color of a bee is not as bright as a wasp. And if you look closely, you can see yellow-black stripes on the body.

Bite

The second difference between a wasp and a bee is the peculiarities of the use of the sting: bees can use it only once in their life, as a last resort. After this insect bites, its sting remains in the victim’s body, and the bee itself dies. Another thing is the wasp, which never leaves its weapon and can attack several times in a row. All this affects the motivation for the bite, which would be worth learning about in more detail. A bee stings only when it feels a real threat and danger to its life or the hive. The wasp has an annoying and aggressive character and can attack for the most trivial reason.

Type of life activity

The third difference between these flyers is that, thanks to bees, we always have the opportunity to enjoy the most delicious, healthy and beautiful product from flower nectar. Who among us doesn't like honey? Such people probably don’t exist at all. In addition, do not forget about wax and propolis, which are raw materials for the manufacture of various medicines. Unlike the hard-working bee, the idle wasp does nothing useful for humans. This insect lives in a hive built from various waste and debris, and feeds on whatever it gets. Wasps are very unpretentious to food and consume everything: nectar, jam forgotten on the table, and watermelon... If you come across some unpretentious midge on the road, it will also come into use. In contrast, the bee is a true vegan, and this is another sign that helps determine how a wasp differs from a bee.

We now hope that from now on it will not be so difficult to figure out who exactly is flying in front of you. In any case, it is better not to disturb bees and wasps again, since their bites can bring not only pain, but also serious consequences, especially when there is an allergy.

• An airfield is a device used by beekeepers when shaking out bees. Helps bees enter the hive from the ground
• Bribe - the amount of honey brought by bees in 1 day
• Foundation is a thin plate of wax inserted into a frame by the beekeeper to make it easier for bees to build honeycombs. "Foundation" of future sushi
• Smoker - a device used to pacify bees with smoke
• Zabrus - honey mixed with wax comb caps, subject to further processing
• Winter club is the state of a bee colony during winter, when the bees do not sleep, but are in a less mobile state, huddled together, maintaining vitality and warmth.
• A deck (also known as a beehive) is a hive used in ancient times to keep bees. It is a hollow tree trunk
• The magazine is the body of the hive, which is placed on top. Bees fill it exclusively with honey.
• Honey extractor is a device for pumping out honey. Thanks to centrifugal force, honey is pumped out of the honeycombs
• Honey harvest is the period when bees collect honey. It can be main, supporting, etc. The main one is when the bees bring the most bribe (honey)
• Spray - nectar that bees put into honeycombs, fermented and dried to turn it into honey
• Nucleus is a small hive that serves to contain a certain number of bees and a young queen until she is fertilized. Used for propagation of families and in mother breeding
• Pollen - a collection of pollen collected by a bee on its hind legs
• Signet is a method of covering honeycombs by bees. It varies among different breeds, it can be wet and dry depending on whether the honey touches the wax caps or not.
• PZhVM - a waste product of the wax moth
• A bee colony is a structural unit of bee society. Honey bees live only in families. Colony includes worker bees, drones and only one queen
• Pollen is a collection of pollen grains from seed plants
• Pollen collector (pollen collector) - a device for collecting pollen from honey bees
• Rocking - slang. The period when the beekeeper pumps out honey from the frames
• Printout - removing wax caps from honeycomb cells to extract honey in centrifuges-honey extractors
• Brood - eggs, open or covered with wax caps of the larvae of worker bees and drones
• PP - dividing grid, serves to limit the movement of the uterus through the housings and magazines
• Sushi - a frame with lined honeycombs. The name comes from the fact that the frames are usually dried indoors after transferring honey.
• A drone is a male insect whose vital task is to fertilize a young uterus
• SCM - silent queen change - the natural replacement of an old queen by a new one by bees, occurring without swarming,
• Street - the distance between 2 frames. The concept is used when buying and selling frame bee packages or hives, when indicating how many streets are occupied by bees. There are always 1 fewer frames in a package than streets

People don't often think about the difference between a bee and a wasp. It seems that stinging insects have virtually no differences, if you do not take into account the characteristic color of each species.

Upon closer examination of the issue, it turns out that wasps and bees have much less in common than it seems at first glance. Find out a lot of interesting facts about the life, characteristics of reproduction, nutrition and bites of amazing creatures.

general information

Bees belong to the order Hymenoptera, wasps are a more vague concept: the general name for several species of stinging insects from the suborder Stalumoptera, with the exception of ants and bees.

Bees:

• there are 520 genera;
• distributed on all continents, with the exception of Antarctica;
• there is a long proboscis, with which workers take out flower pollen and drink sweet nectar;
• two pairs of wings, of which the hind ones are shorter;
• insect sizes – minimum – 2.1 mm (dwarf bee), maximum – 39 mm (Megachile pluto species from Indonesia);
• antennae help to navigate in space;
• highly social insects form a swarm. There is a queen, at some stages of development - drones and worker bees;
• adult individuals can live independently or have a semi-social organization with a certain division of labor;
• worker bees collect honey all day long; honeycombs for storing the valuable product are built from their own enzymes;
• in apiaries, workers live in special wooden boxes or beehives. In one house at peak summer season up to 40,000 individuals live.

Types of bees:

• honey;
• Chinese wax;
• alfalfa leaf-cutter bee and others.

How to choose and how to use it? Look at the rating of toxic drugs and recipes for folk remedies.

On a note:

• Without bees, pollination of many plant species is impossible. Useful Creatures- the most significant group of pollinators in various ecosystems. Farmers often collaborate with beekeepers, agreeing to place apiaries in certain places, closer to farmland;
• the tiny creature is much more important to the balance of nature than it seems. People are so accustomed to being in the vicinity of swarms of bees that it seems that nothing threatens the tiny workers. But poor ecology, the appearance of killer bees, the use of potent poisons in fields and gardens provoke a decline in populations in different parts of the planet;
• If bees die, humanity faces a bleak future: it will be difficult to grow crops if natural pollinators disappear. Transferring pollen from male flowers to female flowers on a large scale is a tedious task and not always effective. Farmers from the USA, China, and some European countries were convinced of this after the death of some bees several years ago. Farmers had to hire pollinator workers to grow the traditional volume of crops;
• under the influence of viruses, signals mobile communications, pesticides, polluted air, the colonies are destroyed, the workers cannot find their way to their home, and the new swarm does not want to populate the abandoned hive. Beekeepers have even held demonstrations to demand that governments take action to prevent the decline of beneficial insect populations.

Interesting fact! There are 21,000 species of bees in total! In Europe, zoologists have identified 1965 species of beneficial insects, almost 400 species are endemic.

Benefits and harms

It is often said that wasps were created by the devil, and bees by God. The reason for this expression will become clear if we compare the way of life and the way of eating.

Bees:

• useful individuals produce such a valuable product as honey;
• Another positive property is that insects pollinate 80% of the plants on the planet;
• workers sting a person only when protecting the hive; allergic reactions are possible after a bite.

The characteristic differences are clearly visible if you look at photographs of two different Hymenoptera insects. There are several details that make it possible to clearly distinguish both types of stinging creatures.

Food

Looking at the table, it’s easy to figure out why toiling honey plants are considered beneficial insects, while wasps are nothing but trouble.

Behavior in stressful situations

Features of each type of stinging insect

Despite the varying degrees of pain, a sting by one of the species of Hymenoptera insects has many similar signs. There are also differences.

Every person should know what to do in case of wasps. Ignorance of first aid rules and illiterate actions often cause harm to health. The situation is especially dangerous for allergy sufferers, small children, expectant mothers, and weakened people.

Characteristic signs of stinging insect bites:

• swelling of the affected area;
• redness;
• soreness;
• deterioration of general condition.

With increased sensitivity of the body, a person reacts more actively to the action of the poison, the reaction is more severe:

• swelling intensifies, the tissues of the larynx, tongue, and facial area swell;
• breathing is difficult, allergy sufferers may experience asthma attacks;
• rapid heartbeat;
• redness affects not only the bite area, but also spreads to neighboring tissues;
• body temperature rises or the victim breaks out in cold sweat;
• anxiety appears, the person becomes nervous.

Check out the review of the best ones, and also find out what is not recommended to put in a mousetrap.

Read the page for useful tips on how to deal with weevils in cereals and prevent the proliferation of harmful bugs.

In case of severe intoxication, anaphylactic reactions are added:

• loss of consciousness;
• hemorrhages in the conjunctiva;
• the skin turns pale;
• the pulse is weakly palpable or exceeds 100 beats per minute;
• blood pressure is low or very high;
• it is difficult to breathe, the victim wheezes;
• tachycardia develops;
• there is pain in the abdominal cavity and chest area;
• the bite area and neighboring areas are very itchy;
• Nausea and dizziness appear.

When you need a doctor's help

Call to " ambulance» is a mandatory measure in the following cases:

• a person was attacked by a swarm of bees or many wasps;
• obvious signs of intoxication of the body develop, anaphylactic reactions are noticeable;
• a person suffers from allergies, he has been bitten by stinging insects before, but there are no antihistamines at hand;
• the bite occurred on the tongue, face or eyes;
• pregnant woman injured Small child, health quickly deteriorates.

First aid:

• take the victim away from the place where the wasps or bees bitten, sit him down, unfasten his collar and belt;
• carefully remove the sting using tweezers moistened with alcohol or cologne;
• wipe the affected area cold water, alcohol, any disinfectant solution;
• If you are bitten by a stinging insect far from home, rinse the wound with water and apply Blank sheet dandelion or plantain;
• apply a cold compress for 10–15 minutes to relieve pain and reduce swelling;
• Apply a topical insect bite repellent. The best option: Fenistil-gel, Rescue balm, Psilo-balm. Folk remedies: aloe juice, gruel from parsley leaves;
• give an allergy pill. This measure is mandatory if a person is registered with an allergist or has been stung by striped “aggressors” before. Effective drugs: Suprastinex, Cetrin, Erius, Fexofenadine, Claritin;
• Give unsweetened tea, bottled water, still mineral water. It is important to wash the cells and quickly remove toxins from the body.

Wrong actions

Some people do not know how to behave when attacked by stinging creatures and try to get the sting using strange methods. This approach can cause a lot of harm.

What not to do about bees and wasps:

• squeeze out a sting or venom;
• burn the bite area with a cigarette;
• rub the painful area;
• smoke;
• drink alcohol;
• move actively;
• be in the sun.

It is not advisable to lie down best option– half-sitting position. With this approach, the load on the heart is lower; in case of nausea or vomiting, the head will not fall back, and the person will not choke.

Now it’s easy to figure out how to distinguish a bee from a wasp, which of the stinging insects brings more benefits to humans and ecosystems. Information about bites and first aid rules will be useful to everyone.

More useful tips about what to do if you are stung by a bee or wasp in the following video:

How to distinguish a bee from a wasp

Good day. Sometimes it’s interesting to watch various funny situations from the outside.

I remember how one girl near me saw a wasp and began to run away from it with loud cries for help. She thought it was a bee, and their sting was deadly.

The nuance of the situation is that at first glance it is not so easy to determine exact view insects flying around you. Want to know how to tell a bee from a wasp? What are the main differences between them? Now I’ll go over everything in detail important points in the article below.

Difference between bee and wasp

There is a legend that wasps were created by the devil, and bees by God. Following the legend, it is thanks to the blessing that bees guard human health, supplying such important and necessary components of many medicines as honey, wax, propolis.

Wasps, at a minimum, are classified as useless creatures, and at maximum, as pests.

And yet, the similarity of these two insects leads to confusion, which we have to sort out.

Appearance

If you ask a child who is in front of him, a wasp or a bee, he will most likely get confused. But adults are often unable to distinguish between a bee and a wasp. And, nevertheless, these insects have many external differences.

Bees belong to the order Hymenoptera of the superfamily Apoidea. They look in the following way: the body is somewhat rounded, covered with villi. Bee, like many similar insects, has yellow-black stripes on the body, muted in color.

Wasps do not have a strict scientific definition; they include those from the suborder Stalk-bellied, which cannot be classified as bees or ants. Wasps have a long body, which is constricted in the chest area. The body of wasps is smooth, without villi. The wasp's coloring is similar to that of a bee - the same stripes, but only bright and noticeable.

Life activity

Bees are hard workers by nature. They are ready to work endlessly for the good of the hive. By collecting nectar from flowers, bees produce many useful products that are used in pharmaceuticals and human nutrition. Bees build honeycombs from the wax they produce.

Wasps are not capable of producing any useful product; they make their hives from a variety of waste.

The food of wasps is quite varied. They will not disdain either fruits or nectar. The diet of wasps also includes delicacies, which include flies and other small insects.

Behavior

When threatened, bees sting, but only if they are attacked first. In this way they protect the hive. After the bee stings, it dies, leaving the stinger in the body of the opponent.

There is a certain hierarchy in the bee family, the highest level of which is occupied by the queen bee. It is her well-being that the worker bees take care of. In winter, all conditions are created for her to live comfortably.

The wasp is a rather aggressive insect. Her characteristic features are importunity and the ability to sting at any moment. In this case, the wasp does not die.

In addition to the sting, the wasp uses the jaw apparatus to defend against enemies, which, in principle, is uncharacteristic for insects of its family. The queen aspen spends the winter alone; she has no helpers or guards. Alone, she lays larvae and builds a nest.

conclusions

• The bee has a more rounded body. The cover has villi, the color is muted. The wasp, on the contrary, has a smooth, elongated body and bright colors.
• Bees produce useful products: wax, honey, propolis. Wasps do not produce any useful products.
• Bees are not the first to attack; wasps are predators by nature; they are capable of stinging for no apparent reason.
• Once a bee stings, it dies. Wasps are capable of stinging repeatedly, and in addition they bite using the jaw apparatus.
• Bees feed exclusively on pollen, while wasps have a more varied diet.

The queen bee is surrounded by care from other members of the family, while the queen bee is forced to take care of herself on her own.

source: https://thedifference.ru/otlichiya-pchely-ot-osy/

What is the difference between a wasp and a bee?

Many have heard the legend about the creation of bees by God, and wasps by the devil. This division is based on the fact that bees create honey, taking care of human health, and wasps collect garbage from the trash heap and carry a lot of diseases. So what is the difference between a wasp and a bee?

Externally, these insects are very similar. The most interesting thing is that a child can easily confuse these “buzzers”. But in fact, these insects belong to different orders and differ significantly in habits and habitat.

Bees belong to the order Hymenoptera, but wasps are difficult to place in a specific group. Therefore, they were classified as stalked bellies, which are not related to ants and bees. Bees drink dew, and their evil “girlfriends” quench their thirst with anything.

Differences in insect color

Insects have differences in color. There are dark and bright stripes on the toiler’s abdomen, but their contours are blurred. The “devilish creature” has distinct stripes, yellow and black. The bee's body is covered with villi, the wasp, in turn, is completely bald.

The worker's abdomen has a round shape and resembles a belly. The wasp's body is divided into two parts in the chest area. Bottom part thin and oblong in shape.

Habitat and life activities

Bees are classified as workers. From morning to night they collect nectar and build honeycombs. The most interesting thing is that the storage facilities for collected honey are also made by bees from their own enzymes. The glands on the paws produce a kind of honey glue that connects pieces of wax, so the mass resembles a construction mixture.

• garbage from landfills;
• small insects;
• carrion of birds and animals;
• fresh and rotten fruits and vegetables.

As you can see, wasps eat a very varied diet, unlike bees. Due to their constant presence in landfills, a lot of pathogens of various diseases live on the legs of these insects. Accordingly, after a bite, infection or the addition of a bacterial infection is possible. You can distinguish insects from the picture.

How are they different in stressful situations?

The workers take care of their queen and constantly protect the hive. But they never attack first in case of danger. Only if you decide to get into their home, then get ready for an attack.

Attention!

They immediately relay the attack to their sisters. Wasps are very annoying and aggressive insects. They can sting at any time, whether you attack them or not.

This is why it is recommended not to move if a wasp is flying near you. She will quickly respond to your movements and brushing off her bite. After a bite, she does not die, since her sting is long and shaped like a spear. The toilers always leave their sting in the body of the enemy and die. The bumblebee is also very similar to the bee, but its poison is less dangerous.

How to distinguish insects?

Take a close look at the coloring and the presence of fluff on the body. The wasp has no hairs, and its abdomen is long and thin. It is slightly longer than a bee, but thinner. Look at your surroundings. If there is an apiary nearby, then most likely this is a worker returning from honey collection to the hive. If there is a garbage dump nearby, then annoying insect- this is a wasp.

How to deal with wasps?

It is better to start the fight in winter. It is best to destroy their nest. During the daytime and in summer, insects are very aggressive and can cause you a lot of trouble.

Therefore, do not try to knock down the nest with a stick. If you want to get rid of wasps in the summer, use pesticides. At night, introduce the substance into the hive. Don't forget about safety precautions.

As you can see, the differences between wasps and bees are not only in appearance, but also in behavior, habitat and character.

source: http://medovoemesto.ru/poleznoe/chem-otlichaetsya-osa-ot-pchely.html

How are bees different from wasps and bumblebees? What does a bee look like?

First of all, insects differ in appearance and color. Bumblebees and bees have colors that are less bright, softer, and not conspicuous, while wasps and hornets have provocative colors, showing that they are not to be trifled with.

Insect profile doesn't show them actual sizes. The real ratio is:

Let's take a closer look at the insects. The bumblebee is a plump, fluffy, flying and buzzing insect that doesn’t bother anyone.

A bee is a small, unobtrusive, discreet and very useful insect for humans, very hairy.

The wasp is beautiful, bright and annoying, especially loves watermelons and attention, smooth-skinned.

The Hornet is a bloody yellow killer giant that everyone is in awe of.

Let's take a closer look at each insect and as we will see, each of them has its own face:

Insects differ in the way they feed. Bees and bumblebees feed only on nectar and pollen of flowering plants, for which they are equipped with a long proboscis for pumping nectar from plants and numerous hairs on their body.

Wasps and hornets are omnivorous insect predators with an important ecological role. They can feed on nectar, berries, vegetables, and other insects. Adult wasps visit places where sap comes out on the trunks of tree species (in particular, elm and aspen), and the inflorescences of various plants - thistle (Cirsium sp.), parsnip (Pastinaca sativa L.).

Wasps are often classified as pests Agriculture: wasps on grapes. However, in urban areas the food spectrum expands significantly - here wasps visit markets with open trays (berries and fruits), points selling kvass, food waste, consume jam, etc.

To feed their young, working wasps actively catch various small insects, including bees, but mainly caterpillars of small lepidoptera (Lepidoptera), various dipterans (Diptera), in particular, eristalis flies (Eristalis tenax L.), green carrion flies (Lucilia sp.).

In urban conditions, as in the extraction of carbohydrates, the range of protein sources expands - wasps do not disdain meat products (in particular, boiled sausage, decommissioned meat, etc.).

Hornets are predators and feed on various insects: gadflies, bees, flies, horseflies... They also like to feast on tree sap, flower nectar, fruits and berries.

In the fall, when many insects die, hornets raid bee hives. The honey bee becomes their main source of food at this time. A hornet can eat up to 30 bees in a day.

It is worth noting, however, that the danger of hornets and wasps for bees is greatly exaggerated. Wasps and hornets are cleaners, they eat the weakest bees, but in addition, they clean nature from where big pests: flies, butterflies, etc.

All insects differ in their method of defense/attack. Bumblebees, bees, wasps and hornets have a formidable weapon - a sting. However, not everyone is willing to use it. Thus, in bumblebees, females and working bumblebees have a sting, but they very rarely use it.

Although the bumblebee's sting is almost smooth and it can use it repeatedly.

Many sources indicate that bees, unlike wasps, have a serrated sting. This is not entirely true.

In the process of evolution, wasps and hornets have developed a more advanced weapon - the sting of a predator, which is also equipped with serrations, but these serrations are smaller than those of bees, and most importantly, there is no peculiar knot at the tip of the sting, which allows wasps and hornets to sting repeatedly. Comparison of wasp sting and honey bee below:

Insects differ in the structure of other organs and general anatomy, but this is too big topic and not very popular to be considered on the pages of this blog.

You can find out what kind of insect from those presented lives near your house without even seeing this insect. Just look at his nest.

source: http://isentsov.blogspot.com/2014/10/beeshornetsbumbles.html

How to distinguish a bee from a wasp?

Bees and wasps are very similar insects, so it is important to know how to tell a wasp from a bee. Bees are Hymenoptera, but wasps are not scientific classification. Externally, bees have a rounded body with a striped color. As a rule, the stripes are black and muted yellow, brownish.

In wasps, the body is elongated and pointed, and the stripes are much brighter. Also, bees have hairy bodies, but wasps do not. The main difference between a bee and a wasp is that the latter do not carry honey.

Attention!

There is an opinion that bees beneficial insects, since they carry honey, and wasps are pests that can only sting. In fact, this is not so; each insect has its own useful functions.

Wasps, for example, exterminate truly harmful insects; the wasps feed their future offspring with them. Both wasps and bees can sting. True, bees can not be found so often in the city, as they live near flower fields.

By the way, about 80% of all plants are pollinated exclusively thanks to bees. A bee can sting only once in its life, since there is a hook at the tip of its sting, due to which it cannot remove the sting from the victim’s body.

Wasps can sting many times, and they also bite with their jaws.

The semantics of the names of varieties of wasps and bees is quite fascinating. For example, social wasps are called that way because they live in a whole society, with their own charter and hierarchy. These wasps are also called paper wasps, since they build their houses from paper.

The amazing thing is that wasps produce paper themselves. With their strong jaws, wasps gnaw wood, chew it, dilute it with saliva and get paper.

The honey bee is called this way for obvious reasons. There are also mason bees that build their homes from real cement.

Bees rarely fly into human habitation, as they feed exclusively on pollen. Wasps are attracted to human food: honey, fruits, juices and even meat, which they bring to the larvae.

It is very important to know how to distinguish a bee from other insects, since bee venom contains an acid that can be neutralized with an alkali, for example, by soaping the sting site.

Wasp venom contains alkali, and it must be neutralized with an acid, for example, vinegar. Bee venom is even useful, as it can treat diseases of the nervous and circulatory systems. It also increases hemoglobin levels in the body.

Although the bites of these insects are quite painful, they rarely cause complications or problems. The only exception may be an allergy to the components of bee and wasp venoms.

Bees rarely bite just like that, but wasps can attack first, since they are predators by nature. In addition to honey and poison, bees produce useful and necessary for a person wax. Wasps destroy insect pests, for example, flies. That is why these insects should be protected.

source: http://www.8lap.ru/section/pchyely/kak-otlichit-pchelu-ot-osy/

Honey bee and common wasp

Arthropod insects, bees and wasps, have their own characteristics related to their body structure and habitat. How is the hierarchy structured in a bee or aspen family, how long do insects live, what factors influence life expectancy, what is their sting for?

General information about insects

The first mention of bees was recorded 15 thousand years ago, and reports of the uniqueness and mystery of communication between insects go back to the 17th century. In those days, the fact was established that the transmission of information and the language of bees lies in dances, distinguished by special movements, flight speed and buzzing force.

The difference between a bee and a wasp can be determined visually by appearance. The bee's color is muted and its body is covered with hairs. The wasp has a smooth and long body, constricted in the chest area. The color of the wasp is bright, with noticeable yellow and black stripes.

Among wasps, there are equally solitary and collective species. Therefore, biologists consider the wasp the most convenient object for studying the way of life of animals and the transition from solitary existence to colonial, and then to social interaction with hierarchy.

Bees form a family, which is represented by 3 types of insects: the queen bee, the worker bee and the drone. Individuals differ in size and shape. The structure of the insect's body is formed by:

• head;
• abdomen;
• breast;
• hard, flexible chitinous covering (exoskeleton).

They are considered the descendants of ancient wasps, in which at a certain stage of development certain abilities were acquired or lost. Unlike wasps, where the queen is required to take care of herself, in a bee colony she is surrounded by comprehensive care from the entire family.

Structural features

The main difference between a bee is the presence of a triangular head with the main part concentrated in it nervous system and brain. In the middle of the head, along the crown of the head, there is a suture, from which the compound (faceted) eyes of the insect are located on both sides.

From each individual hexagonal plate, a round tube extends into the depths, gradually narrowing downwards. The walls of the tube are covered with a membrane that allows light to pass through.

A branched nerve approaches each tube from below. The eye of a working insect consists of 4-5 thousand facets, the uterus - up to 5 thousand, and the drone - up to 6-8 thousand. Simple eyes are located on the crown of the head, and the so-called third eye is on the line of the epicranial suture. The peculiarity of the structure of the visual organs lies in the form of transmission and processing of external information.

The wasp has 2 pairs of membranous wings, and its body measures 1.5 cm to 10 cm. On the sides of the wasp’s head there are 2 large and complex eyes, giving the insect the ability to see simultaneously in different directions.

Below on the front side there is a forehead, from which 2 movable segmented antennae (antennae) extend.

They contain the olfactory organs, intended for their orientation in dark space. With its antennae, the insect perceives humidity, temperature, and the level of carbon dioxide in the nest.

The wasp has antennae on its head that perform the following functions:

1. remote and direct perception;
2. measuring cell sizes when building a nest;
3. taste buds.

The insect has 3 pairs of legs attached to the lower part of the chest and consisting of 9 segments. The foot itself is formed from another 5 parts, connected to each other by a chitinous film. The wings of a bee consist of membranes and are supported by veins in a taut state, and during flight - perpendicular to the body.

Anatomy

The anatomical structure of a bee consists of organs:

• digestion;
• breathing;
• lymphatic system;
• genital organs, which are located in the abdominal part.

The honey-bearing insect has an egg-shaped abdomen, the queen has an oblong abdomen, and the drone has a blunt end. It consists of segments, which are a ring of 2 halves. Drones have 7 segments, the rest have 6. Between the last segments there is a stinging apparatus.

Attention!

The digestive system of bees consists of 3 sections, and digestion occurs while food moves through the canal. The lymphatic system is not closed, filled with hemolymph and liquid substance. The organs of the system include the five-chambered heart and blood vessels.

The internal structure of a bee in cross-section looks like this: a number of glands, vessels, nodes, food organs. A feature of the structure of the respiratory organs is the presence of air sacs without a chitinous lining inside and a tracheal system with holes in the rings, which open depending on the state of the insect and the degree of its load.

The nervous system of a bee consists of the following parts:

• central;
• peripheral;
• vegetative.

The weight of a bee depends on functional responsibilities in family. For the honey bee it is 0.1 g, and for the queen bee - 0.25 g.

The oral apparatus consists of the upper and lower lips, paired upper and mandibles. At the bee oral apparatus equipped with a proboscis with which the insect collects nectar.

The mouthparts of a wasp, unlike a bee, are designed to grind plant matter, which insects use to build a nest or for food.

Insect sting

The bee sting has small serrations, due to which it always remains in the body of the victim. If you examine a bee's sting under a microscope, you will see a chitinous stylet with a saw-shaped thickening at the proximal end. Inside the stylet there are 2 lancets.

Wasps, hornets, and ants also use stings. This organ is a modified ovipositor and is located behind the abdominal region. The sting is a pointed organ and part of the body. With its help, a wasp or bee injects a toxic substance under the skin.

The stinging organ is used to defend against attacks. The sting is located at the end of the insect's abdomen and, when bitten, continues to act for a long time due to the glands.

After a bite, an open fatal wound is formed at the place where the bee's sting is located. Not only the honey bee can sting, but also the queen bee, if necessary, to protect the family from attack and to fight someone else’s queen.

The main differences in the structure of the sting of a wasp and a bee:

1. the wasp sting has small serrations;
2. the wasp has no knot at the tip of its sting;
3. the bee leaves its sting in the victim and dies;
4. The wasp can sting several times.

How to distinguish wasp sting from a bee? In case of danger, bees never attack first, but sting solely for the purpose of self-defense, and after being stung they die.

Wasps are aggressive insects, they are annoying and can sting at the most unexpected moment.

Unlike bees, when faced with an external threat, wasps use not only their sting, but also their jaws. A wasp sting is very painful, and if a person has an allergic reaction, it can be dangerous.

Insect food and habitat

Among wasps, there are predators and herbivores. Depending on the species, wasps feed on a wide variety of foods: aphids, pollen, nectar, insects, and fruit juice. Predatory wasps catch their prey and paralyze them with venom.

Wasps live everywhere, not found only in the Arabian Peninsula, the Arctic and the Sahara. The conditions necessary for the life of bees are noticeably different: insects require plant resources with fruit trees, pastures, fields with industrial and grain crops (sunflower, buckwheat).

The closer the apiary is to urban agglomerations, the higher the likelihood of honey containing chemical elements in the form of heavy metals. In search of nectar, the bee flies long distances.

Productivity in honey collection largely depends on the amount of brood raised by workers. The flight speed of a bee with a filled crop is 30-40 km/h. During intensive work, the amount of nectar collected by a bee family is 10-12 kg.

A worker bee makes 26 flights per day. The bee's mass is not stable. During the first flight, the mass of the bee is 0.122 g, in flight - 0.120 g, and in the old flight - 0.108 g.

The lifespan of a bee born in the fall can be 7-8 months, and a bee born in the summer can be up to 6 weeks. But the lifespan of insects can be regulated if the family has lost its queen for some reason.

To find their way home, bees navigate by the position of the Sun, the landscape, and keep a map of the path in their memory. The organs of smell and touch help them navigate in conditions of absolute darkness.

The difference between a bee and a wasp is not only external. By their way of life, bees are workers, working for the benefit of the family. By collecting nectar from flowers, they produce many useful products:

• royal jelly;
• wax.

Many of them are used in the pharmaceutical industry (bee venom). Wasps are not capable of producing useful products, and they build honeycombs from waste.

Bees feed exclusively on pollen, while the wasps' diet is varied and includes an abundance of foods. Very often in the garden you can find them on ripe apples or peaches, and inadvertently get stung.

source: https://vdommed.com/o-pchelah/pchela-i-osa.html

What is the difference between a WASP and a BEE?

Have you ever wondered how a wasp differs from a bee? It is not easy to distinguish the differences between these two types of insects. This article will help clearly distinguish the differences between wasps and bees.

Wasps are stalked hymenopteran insects. Externally, the wasp has less thick hair than a bee. This is due to the fact that the wasp does not collect pollen.

Attention!

The wasp is usually colored with yellow, black and white stripes. The female wasp has a sting - this is an ovipositor modified during evolution; the female needs the sting for defense and attack.

Unlike bees, which prefer plant foods, wasps feed their offspring insects, especially spiders. Mature wasps feed on the nectar of flowers and the blood of victims. Wasp larvae can also consume solid food.

There are usually two types of wasps: solitary and social. Solitary wasps do not build nests. The female looks for food in the ground, for example, beetle larvae, paralyzes them and lays eggs on them. But most wasp species still build nests.

The nest can be a hole in the ground or a house made of clay. Some types of wasps paralyze several larvae at once, thus creating something like a honeycomb. Each cell contains a larva that feeds on insects paralyzed by the female.

Burrowing wasps differ from other species in their special behavior. They feed their offspring with various insects, and build nests in the stems of plants, such as blackberries, and fill the larval chambers with aphids.

They also distinguish this type of feeding as a “one-time allowance”: the wasp digs a hole in the ground, about 5 cm deep, which at the end expands to the larval chamber; the wasp lays several small caterpillars in the chamber, then lays eggs on them.

The larva grows and feeds on caterpillars, then forms a cocoon, and a full-fledged individual emerges from the cocoon, digging its own way to the top.

The difference in the behavior of semi-social wasps is that the female brings several caterpillars into the larval chamber every day until the larva finally develops. Also, semi-social wasps sometimes feed their offspring with already chewed caterpillars.

Social wasps live in colonies. They build their houses from cells, which are suspended on a special leg from the walls and eaves of buildings, as well as from tree branches.

These cells are papery and made from chewed grass and wood. Social wasps are divided into oviparous ones, which are also called queens, and workers, who do not lay eggs.

The queen usually builds one cell and immediately lays an egg in it, then gradually the rest are built around the first cell. The queen feeds the hatched larvae with chewed insects. During feeding, the larvae secrete saliva, which is taken up by the adults.

After which the cell is cleaned and used for another larva. The larvae usually mature in late summer, some survive the winter by going into torpor, and others die.

Some species of wasps in the southern United States deposit honey in cells.

Bees, like wasps, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Bees have a black body yellow spots, stockier than that of wasps, the hair is thicker. Unlike wasps, both larvae and adult bees eat only plant foods: pollen and nectar.

Bees have long hairs on their bodies and baskets on their legs - these are devices for collecting pollen. Wasps don't have them because they don't pollinate plants. Bees transfer pollen from one bright flower another.

Some bees, in the process of evolution, have developed such a useful quality as pollinating flowers of only one species. The main benefit of bees is not honey or wax, but their ability to pollinate. Honey bees can be transported from place to place to pollinate agricultural products.

Like wasps, bees are social, semi-social and solitary. Most bees are solitary. Some of them dig burrows in the ground, some live in the stems of plants and in the crown of trees.

The bee tears up the inside of the burrow with a thin layer of wax, then brings pollen and nectar there, lays eggs on top and closes the entrance to the burrow with stone or earth. After which the bee begins to build a new cell.

Bee larvae feed on nectar and pollen; once formed, they either become a pupa, from which a full-fledged individual then emerges, or remain in the larval state for a very long time. Those species whose larval stage is short-lived overwinter in nests.

The way bees spend the night is interesting: usually males gather to spend the night in a swarm on plant stems and cling to each other with their jaws.

Semi-social bees build several nests nearby, each of which is often occupied by more than one bee. It is interesting that each bee feeds only its own offspring. It is common to see guard bees outside the hive.

Bumblebees are representatives of social bees; they are distinguished by their large size, bright yellow color and especially long hairs on the body. Young bumblebees appear in the fall; with the onset of winter, the males die, and the queens bury themselves in the ground to overwinter.

Attention!

Unlike solitary and semi-social bees, bumblebees do not dig burrows. They settle in rodent burrows, bird nests, and grass. Bumblebees are also distinguished by the fact that several larvae can develop simultaneously in one larval chamber.

Non-stinging bees are also distinguished. Since the sting is a modified ovipositor, accordingly, only females can sting, and in some bees the sting is simply reduced.

An interesting phenomenon is robber bees. There are no baskets on their hind legs for collecting pollen; they do not pollinate flowers, but are engaged in capturing and remodeling other people's nests in order to obtain food.

Bee honey is nectar partially digested by the bee, which it regurgitates into the honeycomb. The bee seals the honeycombs with a special wax layer. Bees secrete wax from special glands.

• Externally, the wasp differs from the bee in having a slimmer body and less dense hair.
• Wasps do not collect pollen and do not pollinate plants, unlike bees, whose main purpose in nature is to pollinate flowers.
• Since bees are pollinators, they have special devices for pollination in the form of baskets on the legs in which pollen is transferred.
• Wasps feed their larvae animal food, and bees only plant food.
• Wasps paralyze their prey, bees bring “fresh” caterpillars to their offspring.
• Bees produce honey, while only certain types of wasps can do so.
• Bees cover the inside of the burrow with a thin layer of wax, but wasps do not excrete wax.
• Bees build hives from wax, and wasps make their chambers from a chewed mixture of wood and grass that resembles paper.
• Representatives of social bees settle in burrows abandoned by rodents and in bird nests, and social wasps build their own homes.

If your dream is an apiary, then first of all you need to figure out what breeds of bees exist and what are the differences between them. Each breed is distinguished by its performance, character, resistance to frost, and appearance.

Today, around the world there are about two dozen varieties of bees. In this article we will show the most common breeds of bees.

The yellow Caucasian breed of bees includes all yellow bees of Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan. The body color of bees is gray with bright yellow rings. A one-day bee weighs 90 mg, and its proboscis is 6.6-6.9 mm. The weight of a barren uterus is 180 mg, and that of a fertile uterus is 200 mg.

Did you know?The fertility characteristics of the queen bee of this breed of bees are amazing: it can reach up to 1,700 eggs per day. Queens usually sow their brood in the lower part of the comb.

In a warm, mild climate, yellow Caucasian bees feel most comfortable. Long cold winters are not for them. In natural habitats, at temperatures up to +8 °C, they can make winter flights. Honey consumption in winter is extremely low. In early spring The performance of yellow Caucasian bees is actively developing.

This species of bees has good swarming ability; they produce up to 10 swarms and are capable of laying about 100 queen cells. Experienced beekeepers claim that there can be 2-3 queens in a swarm, and after the swarm of bees enters the hive, they leave the most the best uterus, while killing the others.

Yellow Caucasian bees are quite peaceful. When the bees' nest is inspected, the queen does not stop her work, and the bees do not leave the frames. The frames are polised generously, leaving a damp, dark-colored signet of honey.

Bees are quite good at stealing and can attack other colonies, but they do not defend their nests well. They are capable of harvesting propolis and pollen quite well; by actively working, they can collect a lot of honey. The waxiness of bees is low. They quickly change one bribe to another, and their performance in bad weather does not decrease. They adapt well to hot climates, as well as to transportation.

Central Russian

The Central Russian breed of bees is now widespread throughout the world, but Central and Northern Europe is considered its homeland. Young bees of this breed are quite large, they can weigh up to 110 mg. The bee's body is dark gray, covered with sparse long hairs, 5 mm long, and the proboscis up to 6.4 mm. When attacked by bees, they can defend the nest quite poorly and are unable to steal from others.

Polish the nest moderately. They make good use of violent bribes. First of all, the bees fill the store with honey; if the space is full, they use the nest, reducing brood reproduction. If they lose their womb, then in the family long time Tinder bees do not appear.

Unlike other species, Central Russian bees are better able to withstand frost than others. Since in the winter club carbon dioxide within 4%, this leads to the fact that the bees are in a state of rest, reducing activity. This type of bee swarms very well. Quite often, half the apiary is in a swarming state.

Bees collect honey from buckwheat, linden and heather. In terms of productivity, they can exceed other types of bees. Their honey signet is white. They can collect large amounts of pollen and have good waxiness.

Caucasian mountain gray

Mountain gray Caucasian breed bees found their place in the mountainous regions of Transcaucasia and the Caucasus. Bees of this species are very peaceful. They have the longest proboscis - up to 7.2 mm. The weight of one-day-old worker bees reaches up to 90 mg, fertile queens up to 200 mg, and barren queens up to 180 mg. Fertility of queens reaches up to 1500 eggs per day.

The nest is polised generously, the honey seal is wet and dark in color. This breed of bees often attacks other nests, but they can perfectly defend themselves. If you inspect the nest of bees, they will behave friendly, not stopping work on the honeycomb, even if you get it. Distinctive feature This species is that they are very good at collecting nectar. They can easily find a source of bribes by quickly changing the plants on which they find nectar.

With sufficient nectar production from buckwheat and linden, they are not superior in productivity to Central Russian bees. First of all, honey is collected in the brood part of the nest, and then in the superns. The swarming rate of gray Caucasian bees is low; only 4-5% can be in a swarming state. But they are capable of laying from 8 to 20 queen cells.

Switching from a swarming state to a working state is not difficult for bees. If bees do not winter on their native lands, then their susceptibility to frost decreases, unlike in Central Russia. They tolerate transportation well.

The habitat of this species of bees is the Carpathians. The body of the bee is gray, the proboscis reaches 7 mm in length, and the weight of worker bees is 110 mg. The fetal uterus weighs up to 205 mg, and the infertile uterus weighs up to 185 mg. IN spring time When the intensity of family development is high, the fertility of the uterus can reach up to 1800 eggs per day.
The peculiarity of these bees is that they are capable of early age start collecting work. Bees collect nectar, which contains little sugar. Carpathian bees are very peaceful, they remain calm when inspecting the nest, without stopping their work, their swarming behavior is low.

Signet of honey white and dry. The productivity of families is high, can reach up to 40 kg. Carpathian bees can easily find a source of bribes, quickly switch from one to another, without being in a swarming state. However, if the weather is unfavorable, the bees do not fly out for a bribe.

In terms of wax productivity, Carpathian bees are inferior to Italian and Russian breeds. When attacked, the nest is well protected, but they are prone to theft. The pollen harvest of this breed is low. Carpathian bees are indifferent to wax moths, so you should pay attention to pest control of honeycombs.

The Ukrainian breed of bees lives in the forest-steppe zones of Ukraine. The body of the bee is light gray in color, the length of the proboscis reaches up to 6.63 mm. The weight of the barren uterus is about 180 mg, and the fetal uterus is 200 mg. The fertility of the uterus reaches up to 2300 eggs per day, and it can increase towards the main collection of honey from linden and white acacia.

In spring, colonies develop slowly because they do not fly in cool weather. When inspecting a nest, bees behave calmly, but they are not as peaceful as Caucasian gray bees. The nest is polised moderately, honey collection is moderate.

The honey signet is white, dry. In unfavorable weather, bees do not fly out for nectar. When the time comes for the main honey harvest, the bees develop sunflowers, of which there are large numbers growing in Ukraine. When collecting nectar, Ukrainian bees can fly 5 km from the apiary.

The swarming behavior of this breed is average. Bees are not prone to theft, but if attacked, they can perfectly defend their nest. Their pollen supply is low. The productivity of Ukrainian bees is quite good, up to 40 kg. Experienced beekeepers report a honey yield of 120 kg. Frost resistance is quite high. Transportation is well tolerated.

The birthplace of the Italian bee breed is modern Italy. All breeds of honey bees are in demand, but this species is the most common in the world. There are several types of colors of Italian bees: gray, three-striped and golden. This is a fairly large bee, the worker’s weight reaches 115 mg, and the proboscis reaches 6.7 mm. The weight of a barren female is 190 mg, and that of a fertile female is 210 mg. The fertility of the uterus reaches up to 2500 eggs per day, in large quantities sowing on honeycombs.

When inspecting the nest, the bees are in a calm state. It is easier for bees to find a source of nectar close to the nest, so they can often steal from neighboring families, while they guard their nests well. This breed has good productivity and can easily switch from one source of bribe to another.

Development begins in late spring and lasts until the end of summer, which gives them the opportunity to grow their families. First of all, the bees collect honey in the upper extensions and housings, and when they are full, the collection is transferred to the nest.

The honey signet is wet, white or gray. In unfavorable weather they do not fly out for nectar. They build beautiful, even, very neat honeycombs. Propolis and pollen are well prepared. The swarming ability of Italian bees is average.

Important!Since bees are guided by color, and not by location, they can fly into neighboring hives.

Karnika, or Krajina

Karnika, or Krajina bee breed, lives in Austria and Yugoslavia. The body of the bee is dark gray in color, the length of the proboscis reaches up to 6.8 mm, and the weight of the worker bee is 110 mg. A barren uterus weighs 185 mg, and a fertile uterus weighs 205 mg. The fertility of the uterus reaches 200 eggs per day.

A characteristic feature of the carnika is that it is peaceful, but when they inspect the honeycomb, they behave restlessly and move around non-stop. The swarming behavior of Krajina bees is moderate; if there are no bribes, then it increases. The development of families in bees can be characterized in some steps: the growth of the family occurs quite quickly, so you need to have time to expand the nest and start collecting honey. When collecting honey, first of all, the nest body is filled, and only then the extensions and upper bodies.