A honeybee (left) and a hornet (Photo by Shutterstock)
The buzzing of insects you hear in your ears can come from a variety of sources, from mosquitoes and flies to bees and wasps. If you’re hearing the buzzing of a bee or wasp, there are two common causes that can cause confusion.
It’s easy to confuse bees and wasps because they look similar and are often found in the same places and spaces, but there are a few ways to tell them apart based on their appearance.
One key identifying feature is the lack of a “waist” or waist. According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, hornets are a type of wasp, and all hornets have a waist line that tapers where their abdomen and thorax meet. Honeybees do not have a waist, which is a narrow area where the abdomen and thorax meet.
Color and texture can also help you tell if the buzzing insect you’re looking at is a bee or a wasp. Both are striped, but hornets have bright yellow and black stripes, while honeybees are honey brown instead of bright yellow, reports the Illinois Department of Health. Also, honeybees are covered in short, fluffy hairs, while hornets are covered in smooth hairs rather than fluffy ones.
Both bees and hornets will defend their nests or hives if disturbed, and they can sting. However, hornets are very aggressive and will chase, whereas honeybees do not chase threats. More people are stung by hornets than any other type of wasp or wasp. According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, hornets can sting repeatedly, but honeybees only sting once and die after using their stinger.
Both honeybees and hornets are beneficial insects. Honeybees, of course, give us honey, but they’re also vital to our food supply, pollinating more than $15 billion in crops in the United States each year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Wasps are beneficial because they eat caterpillars, harmful flies, and other insects that damage crops, according to the Clemson University Cooperative Extension. Wasps also drink nectar from flowers, so they act as pollinators, too, but they’re not a significant source of pollination.
According to Mississippi State University Extension, hornets become more active, territorial and defensive in late summer and fall. They build their nests on the ground and can become aggressive if disturbed by people walking nearby. Although honeybees are generally thought of as building nests in hives or cells maintained by beekeepers, they can also build nests in attics, walls, and other building spaces. Hornets can build their nests in these indoor spaces as well.
Hornets can pose a danger to humans due to their aggressive nature and being attracted to sugary liquids and human food, according to a report from the Illinois Department of Public Health. The best way to control hornets is primarily focused on prevention, such as keeping food sealed and using trash cans with tight-fitting lids.
If you’ve been stung by a bee or wasp, basic first aid can help ease the discomfort. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends first washing the area with soap and water. Next, remove the stinger by scraping the area with an object like a credit card (bees leave their stingers behind, and wasps sometimes do too). (Don’t use tweezers.) Next, apply ice to reduce swelling. You can also take over-the-counter pain relievers to ease pain and use topical creams like hydrocortisone to soothe redness and itching.
For most people, bee stings are mild, causing pain, swelling, and redness that subsides within a few hours, according to the Mayo Clinic, but some people can experience moderate or severe, even life-threatening, allergic reactions to the stings of bees and other stinging insects.
According to the Mayo Clinic, people who have a moderate reaction to a bee sting experience more severe redness and swelling that gradually worsens over a day or two and can take 5 to 10 days to subside. A severe reaction can lead to anaphylaxis and require emergency medical treatment. Signs of a severe reaction include difficulty breathing, swelling of the tongue or throat, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fainting, changes in heart rate, and hives or other skin changes.
