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Danger of death with Bee Stings!

Many people are worried about bees and wasps and they fear that they will get stung if the creatures get too. Are our fears justified and if so, can a bee or wasp sting really be harmful to our health?

How Dangerous Are Bee and Wasp Stings?

There are different types of bees and wasps, some of which are extremely dangerous and others are harmless. However, if you have an allergy to the sting, whichever kind stings you, it could potentially be deadly.

Most stings can be painful and they do swell up, however they are not dangerous. However, every person is different and the severity of your sting relies on a few factors. These factors include:

How many times you are stung and by how many bees/wasps
What type of bee/wasp stung you
Where the sting actually is

Unfortunately you may never know you are allergic to bee or wasp stings unless you actually get stung. It is understandable to believe that if you get any reaction after a sting, that you are allergic and you might die. However, you may be surprised to find that it is the people who show no signs at all after they have been stung, are in danger.

If you get stung in the head or the neck it is more dangerous than anywhere else on the body. It is advised that wherever you get stung, you should immediately remove the sting if you are stung by a bee, by either flicking the sting out or scraping it.

How to Classify Different Bee Varieties

There are literally thousand different types of bees. Roughly there are 20,000 different types and most of them live in colonies. Colonies themselves can contain hundreds to thousands of bees at a time..

Although there are 20,000 different bee varieties, there are only a few common ones that we see. These include:

Honeybees
Bumble Bees
Sting less Bees
Carpenter Bees

The most popular is the Honeybee but carpenter bees can become a problem for some households and there are specialized carpenter bee control products available to.

Honeybees

Honeybees are extremely social and they usually live anywhere up to 80,000 bees. They have one queen bee and many thousands of infertile female workers as well as hundreds of drones. The queen usually lives around five years and she can lay as many as 2,000 eggs a day. It is up to the drones to fertilize the eggs.

Honeybees are smaller than Bumble bees and the females are quite small and thin. They do have black stripes across their back ends and they will mainly be seen around flowers collecting pollen.

Bumble Bees

Bumble Bees are generally not usually a problem to humans and like the Honeybee; they are social creatures who live in colonies. Unlike the Honeybee a Bumble Bee queen usually only lives around twelve months old. They hibernate for around five months and then they come out in spring and they instantly go on a hunt for pollen. When they have eaten enough and they are strong, they go in search of an ideal nesting site and they lay their first eggs. She will look after the larvae until they are ready to take over and look after her, as worker bees.

Bumble bees are important to some gardeners as they really help to pollinate plants and flowers. As they do not live very long and the nests are usually empty by fall, it is recommended that you simply ignore a nest in your garden if possible. This is because Bumble Bees are generally harmless and will only sting if they are threatened in any way. Children can safely observe them near their nests as long as they do not touch it. If you do need to control Bumble Bees, insecticides are often recommended.

In appearance, Bumble Bees are fairly big and chunky looking and they are orange with black stripes.

Sting less Bees

Sting less bees are tropical bees and so they are mainly found in countries such as Africa or Brazil. They usually live throught the year and their method of defense is not by stinging like their other bee relatives, but by biting. This still hurts and they can produce nasty painful blisters around the area that has been bitten. They usually bite , when the nest is disturbed.

In America, Sting less bees are endangered as there are not enough places for them to live and because other types of bees have become more popular. They are commonly kept for honey and they are really good pollinators.

Sting less bees are generally smaller than bees such as Bumble Bee and they vary in color depending on the variety and which country they are from.

Carpenter Bees

Carpenter Bees can provide the most problems for homeowners. This is because in early summer and as early as late spring, they are usually found hovering around windows, doors and anywhere around the home. They are looking for nest sites and for mates and while the male bees may not have a stinger, the females can be extremely aggressive. They tend to sting you when they are handled, or if you pose a threat to their nests.

In appearance they are similar to Bumble Bees. Only their abdomen is shiny, smooth black whereas the Bumble Bee has a furry, orange and black abdomen. Carpenter Bees usually make their nests in wood where they lay their eggs. They prefer wood which is unpainted such as cedar, pine or redwood. Common nesting sites for them seem to be places such as outdoor furniture, window trims and fascia boards.

If you do have a problem with these bees there are a few carpenter bee control products.

What Measure Can I Take To Prevent Bee and Wasp Stings?

While we cannot always stop a bee or a wasp sting, we can take all precautions possible to not get stung. These include:

Wearing long sleeved clothing
Not interfering with nests
Paint all wood
Don't swat them
Wear plain clothing
If you have a pool, before jumping in check for trapped bees or wasps

All types of bees will sting or bite if they feel threatened.

It is an instinct and they are simply protecting themselves. If you notice a nest in your garden, try and avoid it as much as possible. If you do not have children this should be easier to do, but if you do you may want to look into methods of controlling the bees.

If you do see a nest, if you have to go near it then it is always best to cover up and make sure you are wearing shoes, long sleeved clothing . cover your legs. This will prevent any unnecessary stings. Also stay away from bright clothing as bees and wasps are drawn to the colors because they are used to feeding off brightly colored flowers and plants.

Often, if a wasp or a bee lands on you, it is only being nosey and it is not there to harm you. In this instance you should just remain perfectly still and try not swat it away. Swatting the bee or wasp will make them angry and they will attack back, especially wasps.

If you notice a lot of carpenter bees around your home you may want to make sure that all wood is painted. This will deter them from making a nest anywhere near your home.

If you have a swimming pool and you feel like taking a quick dip, always make sure there are no wasps or bees trapped in the water. They will more than likely sting as they will be angry and frustrated when trapped.

If you want to control Bumble Bees, a safe way to do it is to dig up the nest which is usually under ground such as compost heaps, and place a cardboard box with small holes in it. Push the nest into the box with a spade or some kind of tool and close it. Next morning take the nest quite far away and place it somewhere safe in the ground. Always make sure you are covered up when you are doing this and be as careful as you possibly can be.

Remember, if you cannot ensure your safety whilst removing a nest, it is always best to contact professional bee pest control companies who will come out and solve the problem themselves.

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