At least once in your life, you've probably seen, or been stung by a bee or wasp. It can be hard to tell these two insects apart, but I'm here to set you straight. Bees and wasps go head-to-head in this week's Animal Showdown!
Appearance:
Bees' bodies are long, fat and hairy. Wasps vary in appearance, but are generally long, thin, and hairless. Wasps are also larger than bees. Both are usually brightly coloured in black and yellow, or brown and yellow, but wasps can also look completely black.
Bee:
Wasp:
Buzz Buzz
Bees communicate through dance. No, they don't "dance bop". When a bee finds a new food source, it will return to it's hive and tell the other bees by dancing in circles or figure 8's.
When a wasp stings an enemy, it secretes pheromones that alert the other wasps of the colony to come and attack! Not nice.
Home is Where the Stinger Is
Bees tend to build their nests in trees, rock crevices, or caves. Wasps are more likely to build their nests near humans: under awnings, in garages, etc.
Bees have glands that secrete beeswax. Worker bees chew the wax so that it becomes malleable and then bond it together in hexagonal shapes making honeycombs. These honeycombs make up their hives, and become storage for honey and larvae.
Wasps use wood pulp and other natural fibers to build their nests. Like bees, wasps chew the wood which combines with their saliva, turning it into a sticky paste. They then layer this paste and it dries to form a paper-like nest.
Bee Hive:
Wasp Nest:
What's for Dinner?
Bees feed off of plant nectar and the honey they make. Wasps are predators; they eat smaller insects such as flies and caterpillars. Wasps can also eat dead insects and you might find them sipping on your sugary beverages or beer.
Ouch, That Stings!
Both insects will sting if you disrupt their hive, or act as a threat. When a bee stings you, its stinger detaches from its body and is embedded in the skin. The stinger has a venom sack that will keep releasing the poison until the stinger is out. However, bees will die after they sting once, all for the sake of protecting the hive and the colony. How noble!
Wasps are more aggressive, they might sting you for just trying to swat them away! Unlike bees, wasps can sting multiple times and their stinger does not detach. Wasps can also bite. Ouch!
Bees Are Our Friends, Wasps Are Jerks
Bees are helpful to humans and also play essential roles in keeping the ecosystem in balance. Beekeeping provides humans jobs, beeswax, and honey. Beeswax can be found in many health and beauty products, and honey is just delicious. Bees also pollinate flowers and plants. We've already seen what would happen if bees went on strike and stopped pollinating in Bee Movie.
Wasps are a nuisance. They build their nests around humans, they get into our food, and they're just plain mean!
Bonus: You may be thinking, what about hornets? Hornets are a type of wasp. So all hornets are wasps, but not all wasps are hornets. Hornets are large and very aggressive, you don't want to mess with them!
So who wins Animal Showdown? Tough decision. If we're going by helpfulness to humans, bees are the clear winner, but if we go by toughness, wasps take the title. So I say, both animals win!
Stay tuned for the next installment of Animal Showdown! Have an animal you'd like to see? Tell me about it on the BBS!
Author's Note: Sources: http://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-wasp-and-vs-bee/
http://www.diffen.com/difference/Bee_vs_Wasp
http://www.orkin.com/stinging-pests/bees/how-do-honeybees-make-hives/
http://www.orkin.com/stinging-pests/bees/honey-bees/
http://www.ehow.com/how-does_5470751_do-wasps-make-nests.html
