Clearing Up The Common Confusion Many Have Concerning Flying Insects That Sting
Clearing Up The Common Confusion Many Have Concerning Flying Insects That Sting
It is currently summertime, and we all know that stinging insects that can fly are one of the few downsides that go along with enjoying the summertime weather. We are all aware of bees, and perhaps many of you have sustained a bee sting at some point during your lives. However, it is difficult to hate on bees too much since they perform such an invaluable service by pollinating many plants that humans depend on for food. Then again, there are other types of stinging insects, such as wasps, hornets and yellow jackets. Many people, despite having heard and probably seen such airborne stinging insects, cannot identify any of these pesky flying bugs. In fact, many people simply assume that yellow jackets are categorized as a type of bee since their yellow and black color patterns would suggest a relation to bees. But bees and yellow jackets are two completely different flying insects. However, hornets, yellow jackets and wasps are all a part of the same family, which is known as Vespidae. Other than that, most people seem to get these flying stinger bugs confused with one another.
One factor that contributes to this confusion is the fact that these three flying insects can show color patterns that differ from other members of their species. These color patterns help distinguish between males and females, as well as workers and queens. In addition to that source of confusion, we often hear people use the terms “yellow jacket” and “hornet” interchangeably, which, in rare cases, is acceptable. For example, the bald faced hornet is a type of yellow jacket.
Generally speaking, hornets differ from yellow jackets in that hornets build their nests above ground, while yellow jackets make their nests in the ground. But both hornets and yellow jackets are attracted to outdoor lights, so if you find that they are bothering you during your evening barbecue, then simply turn the outside light off and they will likely leave. Yellow jackets are aggressive towards perceived intruders, and experts agree that yellow jackets are the most dangerous of social insects. It is also worth remembering that wasps and hornets can be beneficial to gardeners since they tend to kill insect pests that prefer to feed on ornamental plants. If you ever encounter an insect nest of any kind, then you will want to leave it alone, despite the lack of aggression that these flying insects typically show towards humans that are not pestering their nests.
Have you ever destroyed a nest belonging to a flying insect in order to see how they would react? If you have, then how did they react?