You can commonly see bees and similar-looking buzzing insects flying from flower to flower in search of food.These similar-looking insects can be wasps or bumblebees. Well, a lot of people think that they are types of bees, but they are not!Wasps and bees are completely different insects with different physical structures and behaviors. Bees are herbivorous insects who feed on flower elements while wasps or hornets are carnivorous who feed on eggs, larvae, and other small insects. Bees are smaller in size if compared to wasps and have hairy bodies. There are a lot of other differences too that separate these insects from each other. Read on to learn more!And if you like reading such fun facts, then you will also like reading facts on the difference between a donkey and a mule, and the difference between leopards and jaguars.What are bees?People have this weird confusion about wasps and bees. The word ‘bee’ is so common that people think all small flying insects that sting are bees. But that’s actually a wrong idea. There are a lot of insects in the bee family that are different from them. One of the most common insects is the wasps. Wasps and bees are both flying insects who can sting but have lots of other differences too. First, let’s know what are bees!Bees are small buzzing insects who roam from flower to flower in search of nectar and pollen. Because they roam from flower to flower, they play an important part in the process of pollination. Bees fall in the class Insecta, order Hymenoptera and suborder Apocrita. They are in the superfamily Apoidea and have different families. Bees are common insects that are found all over the world in great numbers. They have slender bodies with analogous wings and multiple legs. Their thorax has three parts with two legs attached, so in total, they have six legs. Their bodies are hairy in nature. These hairy growths also protect their skin from foreign attacks. They are found in all continents except Antarctica. Bees are orange-brown-black in color. They have an antenna on their body near the head to sense their surroundings and environment. Bees are comparatively smaller in size and are highly social. They live in colonies and nest in hives. In a beehive, around 20,000 bees live, and even more are guided by a queen. There are mainly there types of bees in a hive or colony. They are the worker bees, drones, and one queen. The queen bee is the head of a bee colony. Drones are male bees who are somewhat useless. Their only duty is to mate with the queen and nothing else. Neither they forage for food nor they can sting anyone. The worker bees do all the other works. Worker bees are female and forage for food and take care of the larvae. And feed the larvae and also maintain the ventilation of hives. They also protect their colonies from foreign attacks. Throughout the day, they roam from flower to flower and collect pollen and nectar. They create honey from that pollen and nectar and store it in the honeycombs. There is confusion between honey bees and bumblebees. Honey bees look like bumblebees but are different. Bumblebees are hairier than honey bees and are also a bit fatter, but they also live in their bee colonies.What are wasps?Wasps are also similar to bees but not actually bees. Wasps, some known as hornets, are a bit bigger in size. Wasps or hornets have big physical differences which can be easily seen.Wasps and hornets are bigger bees who also have the stinging capacity. Wasps are insect species that are most aggressive in nature. A wasp’s body has mainly two colors which are black and yellow. Wasps or hornets also have three parts of the thorax with six legs in total and two black antennas at the top front of their body. Their body is also slender shaped with a stinger attached to the end of their lower body. Wasp’s body is comparatively smooth than a bee’s body and has less to no hairs. They also have analogous wings for flying. Wasps are insect species that are both social and solitary in nature. But most of the wasps are solitary and aggressive. Wasps also belong to the class Insecta, order Hymenoptera, and superorder Hymenopterida. Wasps and hornets are found in wooded areas and even in towns and cities. Their feeding habit is opposite to honeybees as they are predators who feed on other insects and are also found in all parts of the world except Antarctica. Social wasps like bee species also live in colonies guided by a queen. The worker wasps just like worker bees, look after their nest and protect it by stinging away any nearing danger. Wasps are not worse than bees. Wasps make their nests using wool and other fibers.Behavioral Characteristics Of Bees Vs WaspsWasps and bees are related insect species that have several similarities and dissimilarities. Honey bees and wasps are in the same order of slender-bodied insect species which is known as Hymenoptera. Both honey bees and wasps have several characteristics which are similar and different.One bee vs wasp difference is that bees are calm in nature while wasps can be aggressive at times. Both can sting you with their venom-induced stinger, but there is a difference between wasp and bee sting. Bees can sting only once while wasps can sting multiple times. Another fact is that only females of these species are equipped with a stinger. Drones have no stinger. Bees can sting only once and it is fatal to them. Another wasp vs bee behavior difference is that bees are highly social while wasps can be social and solitary.How to identify wasps and bees?Identifying bee species and wasps is very easy. Bees and wasps are two related small insect species in the order Hymenoptera. Bees feed on pollen and nectar from flowers while wasps are predators who feed on insects like bees and their eggs. Honey bees create honey from this pollen and nectar and store it in their hives. Bees have a hairy body while wasps have smooth skin. And both have stings attached to the bottom of their abdomen.Bees and wasps identification is not that tough. Both can be found in wood areas in their hives. Wasps are bigger in size if compared to bees. Bees have a brown-black body with hairs on the skin while wasps have smooth skin and a yellow-black body. Both female wasps and bees are equipped with a stinger with venom at the end of the abdomen to protect their nest and nestlings. Both of these pests have six legs and two antennas for sensing their surroundings. Bees are 0.6 in (1.5 cm) long and their weight is around 0.006 lb (0.002 kg) while wasps are around 1.5 in (3.8 cm) long and weigh around 0.15-0.3 oz (10-19 mg).Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for the difference between bees and wasps then why not take a look at the difference between ox and bull, or honey bee facts.
You can commonly see bees and similar-looking buzzing insects flying from flower to flower in search of food.
