Tag Archives: bees

The DIfferences Between Bees and Wasps

BEES AND WASPS

Though both of these flying insects have 4 wings and can sting, there are many differences between bees and wasps. If you find a hive or nest of these insects in or near your home, do not hesitate to call pest control and have them safely removed.

bees and wasps
Honey Bees

  • Hairy bodies
  • Fat, round bodies
  • Flat, wide legs
  • Some are entirely black; others are black and brown with orange or yellow stripes
  • Have four wings
  • Do not hibernate in the winter, live off reserves and heat from worker bees
  • Produce honey
  • Can sting a human once before they die; can a very soft surface sting multiple times
  • Non-aggressive
  • Social
  • Live in wax hives
  • Sip on nectar and drink water

bees and wasps

Wasps

  • Smooth, shiny skin
  • Waists are narrow
  • Slender legs
  • Bright black and yellow
  • Have four wings
  • Hibernate in the winter
  • Cannot produce honey
  • Can sting a human multiple times
  • Aggressive
  • Can be social or solitary depending on species
  • Live in papery nests
  • Eat other insects like flies, attracted to human food like beer and soda

Why We Need Bees

Bees are declining in population and it can make a huge environmental impact. What exactly would be affected? Just about everything.

we need bees

1. Bees help pollinate crops. They make a huge impact on human food supplies, and without them, it’s argued that famine could be a possibility.

we need bees
2. Bees make honey, beeswax, royal jelly; these products are useful for food, animal use, natural remedies etc. Honey is actually considered more effective at immediate cough relief than many medicines.

we need bees
3. Bees make your food taste good. They help pollinate fruits and vegetables and give them flavor and also help extend their shelf life.

we need bees

4. 1/3 of all vegetables and fruits require bees to pollinate them. Without them, we would be left with bananas and pineapples, among a few others.

we need bees
5. Bees make cotton – Without cotton, there’d be no denim as well. We would not have towels, sheets, cotton for clothes, among many of cotton’s other uses.

we need bees
6. Bees make coffee.  Who wants to live in a world without tea or coffee?!

we need bees
7. Bees make seed for pasture/feed grasses. Without them, there would be nothing for our livestock to eat.

we need bees
8. Bees pollinate flowers and trees – 90% of wild plants would die without them. 70% of cultivated plants would die without them.

we need bees
9. Loss of bees means loss of entire ecosystems. Without them, we lose plant, tree, and animal life.

we need bees
10. Bees are disappearing; their population may be at 50% of what it was in the 1940s. This is huge. Conservationists are working to determine what the root causes are. Pesticides and global warming are considered probable.

If you find bees in your home, please do not kill them. Instead, call pest removal who will safely, effectively remove and relocate them. Bees are important creatures to our ecosystem as a whole. Without them we would lose many of our crops among other plant life and vegetation.