What is the difference between a wasp and a bee, anatomy and features


When enjoying ripe fruits in the summer, you should be careful. The sweet taste attracts a variety of insects, including bees and wasps.

Wasp stings are accompanied by pain, redness and swelling, which gives a similarity to the picture after being attacked by bees. After receiving several bites, a toxic reaction may develop. The following will describe how many times a bee bites, how many times one wasp can sting, and what can be done as first aid after a sting.

Consequences of a bite

The organ with the poison remains inside the victim and acts separately.
The muscles continue to contract and poison is released from a special capsule. When one insect bites, 0.3 ml of poison enters the human body. If you do not remove the bee sting, a severe allergic reaction begins, which is manifested by swelling, redness, pain, and burning. With numerous stings of a bee family, a large amount of poison accumulates in the human body. A dose of 0.2 g can be fatal. The most dangerous bites are in the neck and face. Especially if a bee has bitten a person in or. The poison spreads through the blood and causes various complications:

  • difficulty breathing;
  • dyspnea;
  • arrhythmia;
  • decreased blood pressure;
  • dizziness;
  • loss of consciousness;
  • nausea;
  • vomiting;
  • weakness;
  • general deterioration of health;
  • swelling of the larynx.

To reduce the risk of developing a severe allergic reaction, it is necessary to remove the source of the poison. There are recommendations on how to remove a bee sting at home, but you need to act carefully. If half the organ remains inside, the poison will continue to be released, and surgery will be required.

Tweezers are used to pull out the “weapon”. Carefully remove, slightly rocking to the sides. After this, you should treat the wound with any alcohol, tincture, or hydrogen peroxide to neutralize the poison. Apply a cold compress to relieve swelling and pain. It is recommended to take an antihistamine.

In order not to provoke a bite, you should not wave your arms sharply at the sight of a striped insect or try to run away. You must remain calm, even if a bee lands on your skin, if there is no danger, it will not sting. When going outdoors, you should not wear perfume with a sweet aroma.

This variety of stalk-bellied insects has many species, but those that we are used to meeting in the city and in summer cottages belong to the category of social ones. Their main difference is the formation of a family, which can number thousands of individuals. They live in nests and only queens and males have the ability to reproduce.

The majority of the family consists of sterile worker wasps, which is why they have a sting. It is both a means of defense and attack. And although wasps are vegetarians, their larvae prey on insects. That is why they are forced to look for victims among their relatives.

These insects cannot be called aggressive. Not a single one, even the most dangerous representative of this family, will attack you just like that. A wasp usually stings when it senses danger. For example, if you find their nest and disturb it or try to destroy it, the insects will respond with aggression.

In addition, they are attracted to the smells of certain foods:

Grilling kebabs.

Once you start cooking outside, you will instantly be surrounded by these insects

And in such a situation you need to behave extremely carefully, without making sudden movements, otherwise you will not avoid a bite

Basically, when hunting, insects try to save poison, and kill their victims with powerful jaws.

There is another reason why you may be stung - the use of cosmetics and perfumes. It is a scientifically proven fact that insects associate the odors of some of these products with a danger signal. What makes them attack people, as it seems to us, for no reason.

Appearance of a hornet, its difference from a wasp

Since the hornet belongs to the wasp family (closer to the common ones), their appearance is largely similar. The main and most noticeable difference is the size of the hornets: they are almost 2 times larger than their “sisters”.

Their coloring is also different. Wasps have no shades of brown on their bodies: their predominant colors are yellow and black. Hornets always have a brown tint, mainly on the cephalothorax area. As members of the same family, they both have a characteristic thin waist (which bumblebees, which have a round and shaggy body, do not have), powerful jaws and large eyes. However, hornets and wasps have a noticeably different size and shape of the head: a large, wide nape and an almost round shape - this is characteristic of the hornet, while the wasp has a small head, slightly narrowed towards the base.

In the photo on the left is a hornet, on the right is a wasp

Hornets are often confused with the Scolia wasp, and this is not surprising: their sizes are approximately the same, since Scolia is very large. But if you look closely, you can see that their difference is not only in the shape of the head, but also in color. Scolia have a completely black head and cephalothorax, and on the same black abdomen there are 2 bright yellow stripes. The hornet's cephalothorax is closer to a brown-brown hue, and the stripes on the abdomen are not so bright.

Habits and lifestyle of wasps

Most wasps are strictly social insects. They tend to live in large colonies in cellular structures of their own production, or in the occupied dwellings of other social insects, like the same bees.


As a building material, these hymenoptera most often use pieces of wood, chewed and mixed with saliva into a single sticky mass. Once dry, the walls of such dwellings resemble parchment paper. Hence, by the way, the second name of the group of social families of these insects – paper wasps.

In the colony of these stingers, a strict hierarchy is maintained. At the head of the family is the queen - the main fruit-bearing female, who gave birth to the first members of the colony and, thus, its creator. All the energy and all the forces of other family members are aimed at caring for the queen and the larvae she lays.

It can be a big mistake for a person, or any other animal, to try to disturb a wasp’s nest. Wasps have a very aggressive disposition, and at the slightest threat to themselves or their colony they can attack.

All insects of this taxon are predators, and this fact must be taken into account in the study of their behavioral principles. If the same bee or bumblebee uses its weapon very reluctantly and only as a last resort, then wasps tend to attack even with an imaginary threat, and one insect can sting several times in a row, which makes these mini-tigers a very dangerous adversary.

Why don't bees and other insects swarm?

Bees swarm whenever a colony reaches its maximum number of bees (up to 5,000 in winter, up to 40,000 in summer), and another bee colony must be formed. The older bees fly with the original queen to the appropriate location to begin building the honeycomb again. In the original hive, the young bees wait for a new queen, who has produced a queen bee before leaving, slips in and a new state can be established.

When you find a swarm in your garden or area, don't worry, they usually won't sting until they find a new spot. It may even happen that several bee strains with queens evolve from the original strain, if the first new queen immediately kills its rivals. Wasps do not swarm because only their queen survives the winter.

Structural features

The main difference between a bee is the presence of a triangular head with the main part of the nervous system and brain concentrated in it. 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 olfactory organs, designed for their orientation in a 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:

  • remote and direct perception;
  • measuring cell sizes when building a nest;
  • 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.

Distinctive characteristics

The ovipositor of a bee differs from that of a wasp in color: in the former insects it has a black, brown or gray tint, while in the latter there are bright yellow stripes. The wasp's sting is smooth and quickly comes out when pressed, while the bee's sting is jagged, making it difficult to move. Insects can sting in different ways, causing serious consequences: swelling, rash.

Gadflies are considered the most dangerous, as they bite off the skin of the victim, leaving eggs inside. Allergy sufferers need protection from hornets and bees. Doctors have proven that bee venom is beneficial for a healthy person. It not only normalizes blood pressure, but also strengthens the immune system, dissolving cholesterol, and having a positive effect on blood flow.

Juniper: planting and care in open ground and at home

After stinging, the bee leaves part of the abdomen with internal organs on the victim, and later dies. It is difficult to remove a foreign body from the skin due to the presence of teeth.

The wasp leaves an ovipositor in a person when it is swatted at the moment of its bite.

Features of behavior

A bumblebee and a wasp are much less similar than a bee and a bumblebee. The behavior of insects is explained by their instinctive skills and type of food. Bees and bumblebees collect nectar from plants, thereby ensuring complete pollination of crops. Honey plants have a special sac in their structure in which they collect nectar, and then convert it into bee or bumblebee honey. Bumblebees are unique in that they wake up much earlier than other pollinators. They warm up their body in a special way and go on a flight.

Bee, bumblebee and wasp

Representatives of the wasp family feed on fruit juices, nectar, and honey. But for the development of larvae, protein food is required. For this reason, predators attack other insects and their larvae. They chew their insides, form small balls, and feed them to the larvae. In return they receive saliva, which is secreted by their cubs. There is a mutual exchange of food.

Since wasps are omnivores, they can often be found in the garden, yard, summer cottage, even in an apartment or house. They are attracted to sweet, sour, rotten meat and fish. Wasps fly in small flocks and keep a certain distance. Bees cluster together, but bumblebees prefer to fly alone.

Symptoms and first aid

The first symptom of a wasp sting is acute, sharp pain in the affected area. Redness and swelling of the tissues develop within a few minutes. Despite the harmless manifestation, first aid measures should be taken immediately to prevent the development of anaphylactic shock.

The first step is to wash the damaged area of ​​the body, removing any remaining dirt and toxic substances. To prevent the spread of poison, carefully remove the stuck sting with tweezers or a sharp needle. After this, the wound itself must be treated with any available disinfectant (alcohol, iodine solution, brilliant green, hydrogen peroxide, etc.).

SINGLE WASPES

Probably the most behaviorally primitive wasps belong to the Scoliidae and Typhiidae families. They don't build nests. Each female digs in the soil until it finds suitable food for its larva, usually a beetle larva. Then she paralyzes her with a sting and lays an egg on the victim’s body.

Most solitary wasps, such as road wasps (family Pompilidae) and burrowing wasps (family Sphecidae), build nests. They consist of short passages and cells, each of which contains a developing larva. These are either simple burrows in the ground ending in small expanded chambers, or structures made of clay of various shapes, located in places protected from rain. Some wasps provide each larva with one spider (like species of the genus Pepsis

from the family of road wasps) or insects (like the cicada-killing representatives of the genus
Sphecius
from the family of burrowing wasps). The female of such species pushes the victim into the nest, lays an egg on its body, seals the “incubator” and never returns to it, busy with the construction of the next ones. Wasps that prey on smaller animals stock each larval chamber with several of them, often placing these chambers side by side, like honeycomb cells. Most wasps do not kill the prey intended for their offspring, but only paralyze it with their sting: as a result, the food remains alive and fresh (“live canned food”) until the rapidly growing larva finally eats it.

The described process, i.e. a one-time supply of food to the cell and sealing it after laying an egg is considered primitive. Evolutionarily more advanced wasps gradually feed their offspring, periodically bringing them regular portions of fresh food - paralyzed victims.

The difference between some types of bees and others

Bee

What are the differences between a bee and a wasp? It is difficult to understand what differences between them are present. So, let's see what differences a wasp has and what a bee does not.

A wasp is an insect with membranous wings. They are considered stalked. The first difference is that she does not have such thick hair. They don't collect pollen. They have their own color. Looking at the photo, you can see yellow, white and black stripes.

The female has a modified sting, which previously served as an ovipositor. But now the sting helps the female defend herself. Their food is other insects. They prefer spiders. Although they can safely eat solid food. A mature individual feeds not only on nectar, but also on the blood of the prey.

They are divided into 2 types. They can live either alone or in society. A wasp that leads a solitary lifestyle never builds a nest. She finds food on the ground. It can become a beetle larva, which the insect paralyzes and then lays eggs. This species is not very numerous.

Mostly wasps are found building nests. The nest can be an ordinary earthen hole, or any house made of clay. Females that paralyze insects give them to the larvae to eat.

Burrowing wasps have a special behavior. Their food includes various insects. The nests are located on the stems of various plants, and the chambers intended for the larvae are filled with aphids. Individuals can feed the larvae in a special way. They dig a hole in the ground with a widening at the end. There they lay a couple of caterpillars and lay eggs. During growth, the larva has food. At a certain stage, it enters the cocoon stage, from which it later emerges as a full-fledged individual.

Wasp

The behavior of wasps that lead a semi-social lifestyle is slightly different. The female of this type of wasp finds a pair of caterpillars and carries them to the larval chamber. So, she does this until the larva has fully developed. They can chew caterpillars and subsequently feed them to the larvae.

Colonial wasps prefer cell houses. They try to choose trees or building walls to create a nest. The cells from which their hive is made resemble ordinary paper. They make them from grass after chewing it. Wasps, like bees, have divisions according to work. They have a female, who lays eggs, and workers.

To lay eggs, the queen builds one cell. Subsequently, the remaining cells are built. When the larvae hatch, she gives them chewed flies as food. When the larvae feed, they secrete saliva, which is later passed on to the adult. Before fully developing, the larva turns into a cocoon. Then she becomes a full-fledged individual. This mainly happens at the end of summer. Some of the wasps fall into torpor in winter, while others die.

Bees also have webbed wings. They have a black body color with yellow spots. The bee has a stockier body than the wasp and has thick hair. Individuals feed only on plant foods. It contains pollen and nectar.

To collect pollen, the individual has baskets on its legs, and its body has thick and long hairs. Thus, they can transfer pollen from one flower to another. The wasp does not have such adaptations due to the fact that it does not pollinate plants. Individuals produce different bee products. Beeswax also has beneficial properties, just like honey.

How a wasp uses its sting

You should always remember that the wasp is a very aggressive insect that can sting at the slightest disturbance.

The structure of a wasp.

We will take a closer look at how this process occurs:

  1. Initially, the insect is affected by some irritating smell or she sees that someone is very close to the nest and a threat may come from him. In other words, it defines the victim.
  2. The wasp is on the warpath. She flies towards the enemy and at this moment the sting is still hidden in her abdomen.
  3. When a yellow-black striped warrior flies up to an object, special muscles in his body contract and literally push the stinger out.
  4. Nature provides that before the poison enters the victim’s body, it is necessary for the sting to penetrate there to a certain depth. If the insect fails to do this, the poison will not be released from the special gland.
  5. If the wasp stings the victim at the prescribed distance, then a portion of poison is released from the poisonous gland. It, through a channel-duct located inside the sting, directly enters the body of the “enemy”.
  6. The insect leaves the victim, easily removing its weapon.
  7. The wasp does not immediately hide its sting back into its abdomen. She is ready to repeat her attack if she deems it necessary. The insect can sting 4-5 times in a row. In this case, each time a new portion of poison will be released.

When the insect is no longer going to sting, the sting returns to its place in the abdomen. During each penetration of a sharp organ, 02-03 mg of poison enters the enemy’s body. Wasp stings are more painful than bee stings.

How dangerous is a wasp sting?

If the body systems are functioning normally and there is no allergic reaction, a wasp sting does not pose a threat to human life. However, developing symptoms of inflammation can be uncomfortable.

Wasp venom contains the following substances that cause negative effects on human health:

  • phospholipases – enzymes that provoke inflammatory processes in tissues;
  • melitin is an inducer of tissue breakdown;
  • acetylcholine – causes a lack of coordination, affecting the nervous system;
  • histamine is a component responsible for allergic manifestations;
  • MCD-peptide - causes the breakdown of tissue cells, increasing the allergic reaction.

Can honey ferment?

The presence of a sting on a wasp

It just so happened that in the process of evolution, the wasp ovipositor in females was somewhat reshaped, became much harder and connected to the poison gland. This is how the sting appeared, and as is now clear, it appeared only in females. Males cannot anatomically possess such an organ due to the lack of an ovipositor. But since in wasp families females predominate quantitatively (there are few males, and they become active only during certain periods), this is where the opinion was formed that wasps have a sting in principle.

A wasp's sting, unlike a bee's, does not have serrations, which gives wasps the opportunity to sting several times without injuring themselves when stung.

The wasp's sting is its main defense and “tool” for obtaining food. Since wasps are hunters and predators by nature, they kill their victims (beetles, spiders, etc.), but not always with a sting. The jaws of wasps are not equipped with teeth, but they are so strong that they can even bite through the hard chitinous covering of some insects. In this way, wasps sometimes “save” poison. The wasp needs the sting in order to poison and paralyze the victim, injecting a portion of poison into its body after the puncture. The composition of this poison may differ in its composition among different species of wasps, while the structure of the sting is approximately the same in all of them.

At home

Bees nest in a hollow

The bee house, unlike the wasp house, is simple. These individuals do not build houses from leaves. They simply settle in tree hollows. The hive is considered a man-made home for bees. Such a bee house is created by man. Beehives and tree hollows are perceived equally well by bees.

If wasps have built a nest near your home, it is worth removing it. If you don’t get rid of the nest, then these insects will multiply and will not give you peace.

Remember, it is easier to get rid of a nest in winter than in summer. In spring and autumn, houses are empty. You will not be harmed when eliminating them.

If you can’t wait until autumn, it’s better to get rid of the nest at night. At this time, all the inhabitants are at home and sleeping. During the day you should not engage in elimination, due to the absence of insects at home. When they return, they will begin to look for their home, and can greatly harm the offender.

You can get rid of a beehive, but you shouldn't. Only this species produces useful products. Especially if these are products of wild bees. Wild bees will either fly away on their own and find a new home, or they need to be carefully transferred to a new home, without forgetting the queen.

What to do at home

It is not always possible for a person to immediately visit the hospital after being attacked by a stinging insect.

It is important not to panic, to act clearly and competently. Often, not only the well-being, but also the life of the victim depends on the correct behavior of others.

First aid

Basic rules for providing first aid for a bee sting:

The first stage is to get the sting. The longer the poison acts, the higher the toxic damage to the body. To remove the sting, tweezers are suitable, which must be doused with vodka, cologne or alcohol. It is not advisable to remove the sting with your fingers: it is easy to press it down or cause an infection; the second stage is treating the wound with hydrogen peroxide, alcohol or a slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate. This advice will be useful to anyone who does not know how to relieve swelling from a bee sting. After applying one of the products, you need to apply a cold compress. After cooling the problem area, the pain decreases slightly; the next stage is drinking unsweetened tea or still mineral water

It is important to replenish your fluid supply; taking an antihistamine. A must for allergy sufferers

To prevent dangerous complications, it is advisable for every person who has been stung by a bee to take an allergy pill. Patients suffering from negative symptoms when exposed to various irritants should carry a syringe and allergy medications with them. A prerequisite is a patient’s passport, which indicates the type of allergy, a list of negative reactions, medications suitable for a particular person; If acute reactions develop, the victim must be taken to the hospital. The best option is to call an ambulance. Before the doctors arrive, the medications Diphenhydramine and Cardiamine are needed. Warm heating pads will help lower blood pressure; If those around you have the skills to provide emergency care, they will be able to restore breathing and start the heart in case of dangerous complications. If no one knows what to do, you need to give an allergy pill as soon as possible and call an ambulance.

How to treat a wound

How to treat a bee sting? It is important not only to numb the bite site, relieve swelling and redness, but also to prevent infection from entering the wound. The sooner you can remove the negative symptoms, the less you will want to scratch the bite site.

The following drugs are suitable for treating wounds:

  • Fenistil-gel.
  • Psilo-balm.

Compositions with a gel-like consistency act in a complex manner:

  • reduce the risk of allergic reactions;
  • reduce swelling and redness;
  • relieve itching and pain.

Important! Before applying any product to the bite area, you need to remove the sting, wipe the affected area with a solution of potassium permanganate, hydrogen peroxide or diluted ammonia. Preliminary disinfection is a prerequisite to prevent the penetration of pathogenic microbes

Folk remedies and recipes

There are not always medications on hand to treat the wound after a stinging insect bite. The main task is to remove the sting in time,

prevent infection of the affected area.

Herbal ingredients and natural remedies for topical use will help reduce negative symptoms:

  • plantain leaves;
  • aloe juice and pulp;
  • an aqueous solution with Aspirin and activated carbon tablets;
  • onion gruel;
  • soda solution;
  • freshly squeezed juice from mint leaves;
  • olive oil.

Taking activated carbon will help prevent the spread of poison:

These tablets are often found in your home medicine cabinet. Vacationers often take the drug with them to prevent stomach problems. Activated charcoal is effective against insect bites to quickly bind and remove toxins.

Removal stages and prevention

To eliminate the ovipositor of wasps and bees, it is recommended to adhere to one principle. The procedure is performed using disinfected tweezers

The sting is pulled out carefully. In a bee sting, a foreign body is pulled behind the abdomen

To alleviate the condition after an attack, folk remedies or medications are used:

  • ice is applied to the damaged area;
  • taking an antihistamine (Suprastin, Diazolin);
  • treating the wound with iodine.

Particular attention is paid to children and adults with allergies. Failure to provide medical care promptly may result in shock and suffocation.

Therefore, such persons need to follow preventive measures that help reduce the risk of being stung by wasps:

refusal to use deodorants and perfumes with a strong aroma that attracts the attention of insects; wearing trousers, clothes with long arms, closed shoes and hats; using repellents on exposed skin, candles, and other chemical products that repel insects; closing sugary drinks and foods that attract the attention of winged insects; it is recommended to lie down or sit on a surface where there are no wasps; it is necessary to avoid orchards, apiaries, flower beds and other places where wasps and bees accumulate; picking fruits, vegetables and berries from the ground wearing gloves.

You should not crush winged ones, as such actions increase the likelihood of attack and the arrival of other insects from the swarm. Prohibited movements include waving your arms and panicking. This human behavior excites the wasp. She perceives them as aggression.

A wasp that has flown into a house is sprayed with a special spray to kill insects. You can’t catch it yourself or try to kill it with a towel. The sting easily passes through the fabric into the skin. A fly swatter has a negative effect on the behavior of winged birds. If used, the insect can defend itself by attacking.

To protect yourself from swarm attacks, it is recommended to use water. It has been proven that wasps, bees and hornets are afraid of liquids. You can hide from them by diving into a pond. If wasps are constantly flying around your house, it means there is a nest nearby. It is recommended to eliminate it as soon as possible, since they are most aggressive in August.

The procedure is performed in special clothes made of thick fabric. A mosquito net is placed over the face. The work is carried out in the evening, after sunset. To destroy the nest, a washing vacuum cleaner, smoke and other methods are used. If the nest is placed on a tree branch, smoke will be needed to smoke them out.

A fire is built under the tree from branches and firewood so that the flame hits the wasps. In the shortest possible time they will leave their home. The wasp house is easily separated from the branch and burned along with the pupae and larvae. But this technique does not protect against the construction of a new nest. For smoking, you can use a blowtorch or boiling water. In the latter case, insects quickly leave their home, so you need to be prepared for their aggressiveness. Before the procedure, it is necessary to remove other household members and animals from the affected area.

How to remove the sting?

There are situations when the wasp fails to fly away after being bitten and the sting remains in the victim’s body. When unbearable pain is felt, there is a feeling that something is crawling across the face (or another place), reflexes force you to touch this part of the body. At this time, you can kill the wasp, and the sting will remain in the middle of the wound.

Important! When removing a wasp, be careful - the sting may separate from its body, continuing to perform its poisonous functions. You should immediately begin to remove it

It is worth remembering: you cannot press on the bite site from all sides in the hope that the sting will be pushed out. In this case, toxins can quickly be absorbed into the blood and disperse throughout the body.

It is best to take any tweezers (even cosmetic ones will do). Dipping in alcohol or another alcohol-containing substance (perfume, any tincture, vodka, boric acid, etc.). If you don’t have any on hand, you can hold the product over the fire. You should grab the sting at the very bottom, and then very sharply pull the tweezers and pull it out.

If you don’t have tweezers, you can use a pin, needle, badge, etc. All this also needs to be dipped in alcohol or treated with flame. Next, you should begin to remove the sting. Under no circumstances should you stir up the wound until it bleeds. It should be taken into account that the wasp leaves a sting perpendicular to the body, which makes it easy to pick it out.

After the wound is cleared, it must be disinfected. Iodine is suitable for this. But it is also possible to wash the affected area with soap and water.

The concentration of venom varies among different types of wasps, despite the fact that they all have a sting. And the bite force is also not the same for all varieties of these insects. Pain sensations are characterized by sharp or dull pain. The difference may also lie in the consequences after the introduction of the poison - the speed of its absorption and the time of pain. Let's consider the features of each type of wasp separately.

Hornet

This is a representative of the largest wasps. The bite is accompanied by severe pain. The venom in the sting is so toxic that it can cause death even in humans if they are prone to allergic reactions.

Interesting! In eastern countries (for example, Japan), death from a hornet bite has become common. However, all the hornets in the world need to be watched out for the same reason

The main thing is to be careful and not create the appearance of danger for them.

Scolia

After the bite of this type of wasp, no serious consequences were observed. The pain is tolerable, after which the body in the affected area becomes slightly numb. The fact is that the concentration of toxic substances is so small that it cannot harm a person.

These burrowing flying insects cannot press through the skin on the hand with their sting. You can kill them directly on the body without worrying about wasps stinging.

Pompylidae

They are also called road wasps. When bitten, they cause unbearable pain (the most painful bite of all types of stinging insects. You must be extremely careful with them, since more than 300 types of them are common in our state.

Interesting!

The first place (before pompilids) in terms of the severity of bites belongs to bullet ants, which live in the countries of the South American continent.

Regardless of the type of wasp, you should never provoke these insects to use attack measures. And, despite the fact that you may be very afraid of them, you need to pull yourself together and make only smooth and slow movements. Screaming and waving your arms are contraindicated. Also, do not run away or try to swat a wasp if it lands on an open area of ​​skin or clothing. During the period of active wasp activity, it is advisable not to use sweet smells of toilet waters and deodorants. And most importantly, never touch their nests.

When to seek help from doctors

You should immediately call an ambulance if:

  • In cases of multiple bites.
  • When anaphylactic reactions occur.
  • When a person is prone to allergies, but does not have the necessary medications at hand.
  • When an insect bites the tongue, face or eye area.
  • If the victim is a child or an expectant mother.

First aid rules

  • Take the victim away from the place where he was bitten by a wasp or bee to a safe place.
  • If a bee has bitten you, remove the sting using tweezers, moistening it with alcohol or cologne.
  • The bite site is wiped with cold water or another disinfectant solution.
  • If this happens far from home, in nature, then the bite site is washed with clean water, after which a plantain or dandelion leaf is applied to the bite site, which also needs to be washed with clean water.
  • A cold compress is applied to the wound to relieve discomfort and itching.
  • The bite site is treated with drugs such as Fenistil-gel, Rescuer balm, etc. It is possible to use folk remedies such as aloe juice, chopped parsley and others.
  • The victim should take an allergy pill.
  • Give the victim regular, mineral or bottled water without gas to drink to quickly remove toxins from the body.

What not to do about bee and wasp stings

Many people misunderstand this situation, which can cause serious damage to the human body. As a rule, a person is overcome by panic and, as a result, wrong actions that can lead to negative consequences.

So, what not to do:

  • Squeeze out the sting or venom.
  • Cauterize the bite site.
  • Rub the affected area.
  • Smoking.
  • Drink alcohol.
  • Move actively.
  • Be in direct sunlight.

You can't just lie there. An acceptable option is a half-sitting position. In this position, the load on the heart is minimal, and in case of vomiting, the person cannot be harmed.

It is not at all difficult to distinguish a bee from a wasp. If we talk about benefits, then the bee brings more benefits, although wasps also have their purpose and take their place in the ecosystem. It is wrong to say that wasps are useless insects. Both will bite if you anger them or interfere with their living space. If you do not provoke insects, they will not attack humans. Sometimes it is the person himself who is to blame for being bitten by insects. For some reason they think they won't get hurt.

Under certain conditions, both a wasp and a bee can bite. In such cases, you need to know what to do. In most cases, when the human body reacts adequately to insect bites, the bites go away on their own. The only problem is children who can scratch the bite site and then secondary infection is possible, as well as people prone to allergies. However, they should always have antihistamines with them. The main thing in such a situation is not to get confused, otherwise unpredictable consequences are possible.

Stinging Aggressors

The wasp family belongs to the order Hymenoptera insects

The diversity of species in this family is simply enormous, and in this review we will pay attention to the behavioral characteristics, causes of aggression and consequences of attacks by two species such as the common wasp and the hornet. These species are most often found in our latitudes, so let’s take them as analyzed objects


Insects of this taxon are quite easily recognizable, especially when it comes to the large hornet. The wasp is clearly recognizable by its characteristic yellow-black body coloring. Like most poisonous insects, the wasp has a warning bright appearance; its striped abdomen eloquently makes it clear that you should not mess with this pitiful warrior.

Well, of course, each of us has heard such a popular comparison as “wasp waist.” This is another distinctive feature of all wasps, and many Hymenoptera in general. After all, the area of ​​the body between the thoracic segment and the abdomen of these insects is really divided like a thin “corset”. It is not for nothing that wasps belong to the suborder of stalked bellies, which already speaks for itself.

If we talk about the size of the common wasp, then these insects usually do not exceed 1.5-2 cm in length. A hornet in our latitudes can easily reach 3.5-4 cm. There are also larger varieties, however, fortunately for us, they live in Asian countries.

What to do if a wasp bites a person?

In some cases, hypersensitivity to the sting of a parasitic wasp wasp has been recorded. An allergic reaction occurs in young children and people with reduced immunity. To prevent anaphylactic shock or angioedema, it is recommended to provide first aid to the victim in a timely manner.

Symptoms and consequences

Most often, a wasp sting does not show up on the skin. But with a strong concentration of toxins that the insect injects during an attack, a slight redness appears. Itching and swelling may also occur. The most dangerous consequence of an encounter with a rider is considered to be scratching the wound. In this way, a person can independently introduce an infection. Symptoms of infection are swelling and tearing of the stung area, the formation of an abscess, and a rash.

If redness does not go away after 5 days, you should consult a doctor. To determine the diagnosis and prescribe treatment, the victim is given a referral for a scraping from the bite site, a general blood and urine test.

First aid

After a wasp attack, you should wipe the bite site with an antiseptic. Fukortsin, Miramistin, hydrogen peroxide or alcohol (vodka) are suitable for this. If pain occurs, you can take analgesics and antispasmodics. To prevent the development of swelling, redness and rashes, anti-inflammatory medications are needed.

Allergic reaction

An allergic reaction is rare because when a long-tailed wasp stings, it injects a minimal amount of toxin that is not dangerous to humans. But there is always a risk of developing severe swelling or hives. Young children need to be especially closely monitored. If signs of intolerance to poison appear, you should urgently take antihistamines (Suprastin, Loratadine, Zodak), and then seek help from a doctor.

Sources

  • https://www.syl.ru/article/211515/new_naezdnik-nasekomoe-obschie-svedeniya-opisanie
  • https://Dezoff.ru/nasekomye/osa-naezdnik/
  • https://givnost.ru/naezdnik-nasekomoe-opisanie-osobennosti-vidy-obraz-zhizni-i-sreda-obitaniya-naezdnika/
  • https://alternativa-mc.ru/infekcii-lechenie/osa-parazit-naezdnik.html
  • https://GdeKlop.ru/osy-i-pchely/naezdnik-s-dlinnym-hvostom/
  • https://klopkan.ru/osy/osa-naezdnik-foto-i-opisanie-opasna-li-dlya-cheloveka/
  • https://kursi-floristiki.ru/klopy/osa-naezdnik.html
  • https://givotniymir.ru/naezdnik-nasekomoe-obraz-zhizni-i-sreda-obitaniya-naezdnika/
  • https://animalreader.ru/chto-za-nasekomyie-naezdniki-i-kak-oni-vyirashhivayut-potomstvo.html
  • https://apest.ru/osy/vidy-os/osa-naezdnik/

What are they?

To date, there has not yet been a consensus on how to carry out an unambiguous and stable classification of wasps. At the moment, they are divided into several groups and families, the representatives of which, depending on the research conducted, can move between groups. At the first level of this classification, wasps (species) are divided into social and solitary. The latter include the following:

  • sand;
  • floral;
  • burrowing;
  • Germans;
  • road;
  • scolias;
  • Typhia;
  • sparkles.

The social ones include a single family - true wasps, but they are also complemented by sand species of wasps.

Interesting Facts

Each type of wasp has a sting, which differs in the different strength of the poison's effect on the victim's body. Representatives of a certain group have their own concentration of a dangerous substance. After a bite, pain appears, the degree of which depends on the type of wasp. The largest representative insect is the hornet.

It bites painfully, and its poison is injected into the victim, causing death. For an allergy sufferer, one bite is enough and death occurs . Such cases are often reported in Japan, where insects are mainly found. European hornets are considered less dangerous. They are not aggressive like their Japanese counterparts.

Tips for removing the sting after a bite

Having suffered from a wasp sting, a person immediately thinks about how to eliminate the consequences of the insect attack and, if necessary, remove the sting left by it.

The moment of a wasp sting

Swelling at the site of the wasp sting

After a few minutes, serious swelling forms at the site of the bite

At this stage, it is important to determine the level of intoxication in the human body. It can be of three types:

  • A local reaction in which a burning sensation characteristic of a wasp sting appears, sharp pain, allergic reactions, and swelling of the bitten area.
  • Toxic reaction. Characterized by an increase in body temperature, vomiting and severe headaches. Sometimes seizures may occur.
  • Allergic reactions to wasp stings appear instantly and occur in an acute form. The person first experiences a tingling sensation in the area of ​​the tongue, hands, head and face. Then itching appears throughout the body, weakness and numbness of the limbs appears, and the person complains of a burning sensation throughout the body. Swelling of the ears and face gradually develops. In addition to the above symptoms, nausea and vomiting may occur. The most dangerous situation with a wasp sting is anaphylactic shock. With it, a person often loses consciousness, and the activity of his respiratory and cardiac systems can stop completely.

Removing a wasp sting

It is necessary to remove a wasp sting using the same methods as a bee sting. In general, the procedure for eliminating the consequences of a wasp sting is carried out in the following sequence:

The tool used to remove a wasp sting must be well sterilized using a liquid containing alcohol or a burning match (lighter). The procedure for removing a wasp sting should be carried out carefully and with extreme care in order to remove the entire foreign element. If a fragment of the abdomen remains along with the sting, then it makes sense to try to sharply pull on it. Usually in this case, the resistance of the foreign element will be minimal, since the wasp always stings in a straight line. It is impossible to get rid of the consequences of a wasp sting immediately

But pain, allergic reactions and swelling at the site of the bite will not last long. Very soon a person will forget about the unpleasant incident with a stinging insect. A slice of fresh tomato applied to the problem area will help speed up the healing of the wound after a wasp sting. To prevent infection from penetrating through the affected skin into the wound, it is better to anoint the bite site with iodine. It will not only prevent the penetration of infections, but will also contribute to the partial decomposition of wasp venom. If any complications arise after a wasp sting, you should immediately consult a doctor for help, and in acute cases, call an ambulance at home.

Wasp on a child

Wasp stings in children can be not so much dangerous as useful. They teach kids that they should not touch a dangerous insect with bright black and yellow stripes across the entire surface of its abdomen.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=5kvWEDzfv4E

Behavior of insects in times of danger

Bees protect their hive and can only sting if there is a threat to the home. Insects transmit a signal with lightning speed about the appearance of a stranger, after which the entire swarm flocks to defense. After the attack, the bee dies, leaving a sting at the site of the bite.

Wasps and hornets are characterized by rather aggressive behavior

It is unknown when they can attack; insects sting at every opportunity and it doesn’t matter whether the nest is threatened or not. After a bite they do not die, their sting is long and similar to the shape of a spear

The bumblebee is a non-aggressive and peaceful insect. There is less resemblance to a wasp than to a bee. Can sting in case of defense (only female bumblebees have a sting). Unlike a bee, it does not leave its sting at the site of the bite.

A wasp stings: how does it happen?

How a wasp bites from the point of view of body structure was described in the previous section. However, it is also worth noting the fact that, despite the presence of fairly sharp stilettos, not every victim will be too tough for the insect, as they say. In order for the sting to be successful, the opponent’s integument must be softer than the sting itself; it is for this reason that wasps very rarely attack beetles, since their body is protected by rough elytra. Spiders are another matter; even the most poisonous and dangerous wasps can be dealt with quite simply.

As for whether the wasp leaves a sting when it bites, the answer will be negative, since its stylets are absolutely smooth, and therefore the insect can freely remove them from the victim’s body. Moreover, sometimes this insect can inflict not one, but several bites in a row and remain completely unharmed.

Having stung just once, the wasp injects about 0.4 mg of poisonous secretion into the victim’s body. It is easy to calculate what the portion will be for 2, 3, 4, and 5 injections. And the last figure will be quite large and dangerous, especially for people with allergies to insect bites, in particular to wasp stings.

But despite the fact that the wasp has only one sting, even if it loses it, it will still remain alive. The loss of this organ is not fatal, and under normal conditions it is almost impossible to lose it, since its smooth walls prevent this. Thus, it turns out that situations when it is necessary to remove a wasp sting from a bitten area are practically excluded. And all cases when the sting remains in the wound apply only to bees. Accordingly, here we can conclude: if there is no weapon in the stung area, it means that the sting was inflicted by a wasp, but if the sting remains, it was a bee. By this sign you can always judge who exactly bit you.

How many bites are fatal to humans?

Many adults and children are interested in the question of how many bites are fatal to human life.

To solve this problem, just turn to simple calculations:

  • The lethal dose of bee venom for an adult is 0.2 grams of the substance, and the person must be of average weight.
  • If a person’s weight is higher than normal, then this amount increases in proportion to the indicators.
  • A person can die from a smaller amount of poison in the blood if he develops an acute allergy.
  • If a swarm of bees stings a person more than 250-500 times, the outcome is likely to be fatal.
  • For some people, 20 bites to different parts of the body will be enough to cause anaphylactic shock and death.

To avoid being attacked by a swarm of bees, you should not wave your arms, shout or make sudden movements - this provokes the bees even more.

Important! The photo shows what a bee nest looks like: when making repairs on a site or in an apartment, when nests are discovered, they need to be burned. To get rid of bees, use dichlorvos, boiling water and other aggressive means

To get rid of bees, use dichlorvos, boiling water and other aggressive means.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=qkW8Zkaajb8

Who is more aggressive than a bee or a wasp?

Honeybees are much more aggressive - you should never wave at them. Wasps become aggressive if a person is near the nest. If the wasp decides to attack the enemy, it warns about this: first it moves towards him, then hits him with his head and only then stings him.

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