Bees and Wasps

While bees and wasps do not bite, they do sting, which can be far more dangerous than any bug bite.  Depending on the species of bee or wasp and the person who has been stung, the sting can be fatal.  There are numerous species in Norther America alone. 

Bees and wasps are almost always social creatures, creating large nests or hives the tend to be populated by thousands of bugs, but many species of wasps are solitary animals, hunting and living essentially alone, even competing for territory in certain cases.  Bees and wasps are separated by one main aspect, the fact that bees have hair.  Wasps tend to have no hair (some specific species do have small amounts of hair on their body.  Wasp also have the potential to grow to much larger sizes that bees, and can have a much more dangerous sting.

The stings of bees and wasps tends to get it strength from the shear number of the insects that can sting at once, not just a solitary sting.  Many hives will empty out once once bee has stung.  Upon stinging, many species of this family of insects releases a hormone into the air that communicated to the other insects of the hive that danger is present and they should come assist in defending the home. 

These bee and wasp sting pictures will show the true dangers of these insects.

Bees and wasps have a stinger at the end of their abdomen.  Using this, they tend to attack potential prey (in the case of wasps) or defend their hives from anything they see as a threat (in case of both).  The stinger delivers a dose of venom each time it is inserted into the skin.
	In many cases, once the bee or wasp has stung, the stinger will become stuck while they are trying to fly away.  When this happens, the stinger is ripped out and left in the host.  In most cases, the bee or wasp will die because of this.  Many cases tend to involve insides of the insect being pulled out by the stinger.
Bee and wasp stings tend to swell up quickly due to the almost instant reaction the body has to the venom.  With most stings, the area directly around the sting will swell up and turn red, leaving a large welt.  If the stinger stayed in, it should be removed immediately, since leaving it in will hinder the healing process.
	Wasps tend to be much larger than bees, and they have a tendency to attack other insects for prey.  Their stinger is much stronger than those of the bee, so larger wasps have a less likely chance of having their sting stay in after.  Many species of wasp, like the tarantual hawk, are hunters, killing other animals for food.  The tarantula hawk gets its name from it main source of food, tarantulas.
The sting of a wasp is highly similar to that of a bee in appearance, but the pain caused from it is far different.  The sting of many species of wasps can cause severe and traumatic pain.  The tarantula hawk and the paper wasp have two of the most painful stings in the entire insect kingdom, causing sever burning and sharp shots of pain.
	Bee and wasp stingers are more like a hollow tube used to inject venom.  Here you see a stinger with a small drop of venom on it.  Each time the stinger enters a person or animal, a small amount of venom is injected.  Each subsequent sting will bring another dose of venom.
Allergic reactions are the most dangerous aspect of bee and wasp stings.  Since stingers inject venom, it is far more likely for a person to have a reaction to it.  A person who has an allergic reaction to a bee sting can experience swelling, redness, discomfort, and swelling outside of the area of the sting.  Some people may also experience their throat closing due to swelling.

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