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INFOGRAPHICS. When the weather is nice, the Hymenoptera insects are back. Should we be afraid of it? How to tell them apart? Discover their main differences.
They are part of the large order Hymenoptera. The black and yellow insects of the summer, such as bees, bumblebees, wasps and hornets, never stop shaking us once the sunny days arrive. Between fear of being bitten, finding a nest hidden under your roof, or not being able to enjoy a picnic in peace, many of us fear these little creatures, not all of them are so harmless. But how to distinguish them? And are they really all dangerous? Our answers.
Bee
The bee measures around twelve millimeters and weighs 100 mg. Its body is lightly covered in fur with a black and yellow striped belly. We distinguish wild bees, which live alone, and domestic bees, which live in a colony in a hive. Both feed on nectar and pollen they collect from flowers, but only honey bees produce honey.
When a bee stings, its stinger gets stuck in the flesh and it dies. Although a bee sting is painful, it can be fatal only for allergy sufferers.
Wasp
A wasp has nothing to do with a bee. The larger (20 mm) hairless wasp is also carnivorous and happily eats small insects. It is distinguished from a bee by its slender body, which shows a narrowing at the level of the abdomen, as if it were wearing a very tight waist (hence the expression “having a wasp’s waist”).
Its sting is also very painful and potentially fatal for allergy sufferers. Unlike the bee, the wasp does not lose its sting and can sting several times. However, she only attacks if she feels attacked.
Read alsoHow to avoid wasp bites on apples?
Hornet
A hornet is a physically built wasp. Easily reaching 4 cm, the hornet is much more formidable than its little sister. Its extremely noisy flight makes it particularly terrifying. The European hornet now competes for territory with the Asian hornet, which is gradually invading France. The first is larger with a yellow belly striped with black; the other has a black belly striped with yellow and the tips of its legs are also yellow.
The Asian hornet, a major predator of bees, lives in impressive nests that should be removed by an expert.
Read alsoWasps, ticks, vipers, jellyfish… Good reflexes (and actions to avoid) for the holidays
Bumble-bee
A bumblebee is a heavier version of a bee. Its plump, furry body is black with yellow or red stripes and sometimes white. It measures less than 30 mm with an average weight of 0.4 grams. The stingless male does not sting. The female will bite, but only when she feels threatened. The bumblebee, an amazing pollinator, is the first hymenoptera to wake up and the last to hibernate. It lives in a nest dug in the ground and feeds exclusively on nectar and pollen.