What is the difference between a wasp and a bee and a bumblebee and how not to confuse these insects

Buckfast bee breed and their characteristics

A description of the Buckfast bee breed and their characteristics will help to objectively assess all the pros and cons of the species, and decide whether it is worth breeding such insects in an apiary.
First, it should be borne in mind that the breed was bred by breeders, and it is based on Italian bees, therefore all subspecies of buckfast have a characteristic yellow color. Despite the constituent hybrids, all insects of this species have some common features (Figure 6):

• Insects practically do not swarm, but at the same time they bring in a sufficiently large amount of brood. Moreover, it is not recommended to restrict the growth of the family, as this can negatively affect the honey collection.
• Insects collect little propolis, since the Egyptian breed was used to create the hybrid;
• They are characterized by a calm character and do not show aggression when the beekeeper is working with a hive.

In addition, the queens of this breed are distinguished by high fertility, and the insects themselves have excellent endurance, so in most cases they tolerate wintering well. However, these insects are not suitable for the northern regions due to their insufficiently high frost resistance.

Body measurements

In nature, there are species, the body length of which is almost the same, so on this basis it can be difficult to distinguish who is who. Despite this, the overall size and structure of the body can indicate who is talking about. This is another sign of how you can tell these insects apart.

An important fact! Despite the body length, the Bombus species always looks more massive than graceful bees and wasps.

Lifestyle

Insects also differ in their lifestyle:

• The flight of the bee is soft, unhurried. A nectar gatherer needs to visit many flowers without missing a single one. The wasp flies swiftly, at high speed, but can freeze for a moment in the air;
• All insects prefer to live in families, which mainly consist of ordinary workers, one queen and drones.

Domestication and domestication:

• For domestic bees, a man made comfortable hives. Workers produce wax, from which they build honeycombs;
• Wild individuals equip themselves with a nest in the hollows of trees, mountain crevices.

Wasps also live in a group, where responsibilities between them are clearly distributed. Sometimes they prefer to live as hermits. Their nest is round, as if made of thin crumpled paper. In fact, they make it from rotten wood, dry plants.

For the construction of the nest, dirt and small debris are used. They attach their nests to the walls of the house, large branches of a tree, dense grass, even in a thick stem of a plant, an abandoned mitten, a piece of cardboard.

Behavior

A wasp and a bee can live in a group, accumulating up to several thousand individuals and alone. The uterus begins to build a hornet's nest, first it builds one layer, then the rest. Then she mates once with the drone, begins to lay the larvae, supplying food.

In early summer, the female lays the larvae, from which sterile individuals will hatch. Closer to autumn, the larvae, from which individuals will appear, are capable of reproduction. They develop in the cell, feeding on previously prepared immobilized insects. Sometimes wasps lay larvae in the body of large beetles.During its development, the status gradually rises. She starts by cleaning the nest, ends up getting food. In autumn, all ordinary individuals and drones freeze, only the uterus remains alive.

There is also a clear division of responsibilities in the bee swarm. Some individuals deliver nectar to the hive. Others put nectar in honeycombs, while others clean the hive of dead individuals. There are cell cleaners, toddlers and guardians who stand at the entrance, the job is to keep outsiders out. Defenders protect the home from attackers, these include a man, a bear.

Each ordinary worker gradually goes through all the stages of the listed works during her life. So it is prescribed by nature. The young individual begins by cleaning the combs. Then she has milk, she starts feeding the uterus and young larvae. Then the bee feeds the older larvae with bee bread. Then he takes the nectar from the collecting bees, or stores it in cells. Then the time comes for her to clean up the garbage, when the wax glands begin to work for her, then she starts building, clogging the honeycomb. After 18 days, the glands that produce poison begin to act, then they are trusted to protect the hive.

The bee colony builds up a supply of bee bread for the winter months and for the rainy summer days. Closer to autumn, when there is little food, they destroy drones.

The mating queen flies out into the wild. In free flight, it chooses a more viable male sometimes from another hive.

The nature of the bites

The wasp stings much more painfully, but the nature of the bites has its own similarities.

As mentioned above, wasps can bite several times. At the same time, there is a risk of infection, since wasps often visit places where there is complete unsanitary conditions. As for the bee, the sting is not so dangerous, because the only thing bees are doing is collecting nectar from flowers - honey plants.

Everyone should be able to provide first aid for wasp and bee stings. Ignorance of these rules, as well as illiterate actions can harm human health. This is especially true for people prone to allergies, young children, expectant mothers and people with poor health.

As a result of a bee or wasp sting, the following characteristic signs appear:

• Swelling of the bite site.
• Redness.
• Intense throbbing pain.
• Deterioration of health.

In cases where the human body has increased sensitivity, the reaction may be as follows:

• The swelling increases, the tissues of the larynx, tongue and face area swell.
• Breathing problems appear: asthma attacks are possible.
• The heart begins to beat much faster.
• Redness spreads over a much larger area of ​​the body.
• Possible fever or cold sweat.
• The person has a feeling of anxiety.

Anaphylactic reactions appear if the degree of intoxication of the body is more severe:

• The person loses consciousness.
• Hemorrhage in the eye area.
• Human skin becomes pale.
• The pulse is barely palpable or is 100 beats per minute, or even more.
• The pressure is either high or low.
• Breathing problems, the victim can barely breathe.
• Tachycardia develops.
• Painful sensations appear in the abdomen and breasts.
• The wound is very itchy.
• Nausea and dizziness are possible.

Wasps in medicine

The venom of Brazilian wasps is unique in its composition. As a result of many years of research, it was revealed that the venom of the mentioned wasps is capable of destroying cancer cells without affecting healthy tissues. The reason for this phenomenal action lies in the special structure of the protein, which, interacting with the fats of cancer cells, converts them into a liquid substance.

It is already reliably known that the venom of the Brazilian wasp has been shown to be effective against cancer of the prostate, bladder and blood.

Now scientists are working in laboratories to create a synthetic analogue of a unique protein. It is possible that in a few years mankind will receive a universal cure for cancer.

What to do if bitten by a wasp?

Members of the aspen family guard their nest very zealously. In view of this, someone who approached him by accident or on purpose may have major troubles. One wasp is poisonous, and the family that has disturbed the nest will definitely face the most ruthless attack of many insects, which is an order of magnitude more dangerous to health.

The bite of such a creature is painful, and the place where the little dirty trick launched her sting turns red and swells. If this is an ordinary wasp, and not a representative of some particularly poisonous species, then the pain from the bite usually goes away in half an hour. But the swelling remains.

Not only humans, but the wasps themselves may not be welcome guests. As mentioned, in search of food, they try to get closer to people. And it may so happen that a man and a wasp will share one delicacy.

Bringing food to your mouth, it is quite possible not to notice the unbearable creature sitting on it. And then the bite of the wasp will be the most painful, because it will launch its sting into the tongue or other delicate tissues in the mouth.

This can seriously damage the respiratory tract, and their swelling can cause asthma attacks. This is especially dangerous for allergy sufferers, who should remember that when going out into nature, it is always better to have the necessary medications with you.

A victim of such insects needs to cool the bite site in a timely manner with ice or a wet towel. Plantain helps a lot in such cases. Its leaves are first washed, then crumpled and applied to the affected area. Such compresses should be changed from time to time, and then painful redness and swelling usually disappear quickly.

Interesting Facts

These insects are interesting in that they:

• Bees, after fertilization of the uterus by males, pounce on them and drive them out of the family. After that, they quickly die, since they cannot independently provide themselves with food.
• Wasps also know how to make honey, but no one has seen it. The microscopic volume of honey is at the bottom of the cell. It is necessary so that the larvae have something to eat at first. After that, they switch to eating protein foods.
• Bumblebees appear on inflorescences before everyone else and begin to pollinate plants earlier than everyone else.
• The hornet is a real predator that prefers to feed on live insects.
• A worker bee can transmit information to its relatives about where the object of food is.

Each insect has its own pros and cons. Unfortunately, many people unreasonably destroy insects, although absolutely useless living creatures do not exist in nature. In the event of the extinction of some species, humanity simply will not be able to survive.

The difference between a bee sting and a wasp and a bumblebee

Compared to bees and bumblebees, wasps are the most nervous and aggressive. It is worth awkwardly brushing it off or just not pleasing them with my smell - I use a sting. Among all the Hymenoptera, it is most often and most painful. In addition, they are still able to bite painfully with their powerful jaws.

The sting of the wasps is smooth, when it is stuck into the skin, it does not remain in the wound, so she can use it an unlimited number of times - it will fly off and again rush into the attack. It does not harm her health. The poison causes severe pain, burning and swelling, especially if a large specimen bites.

If the insect disappeared from sight after being bitten, then you can understand who it was - a wasp or a bee - by the presence or absence of a sting in the wound.

Bees value their sting and only sting when absolutely necessary. They can only sting once, while crippling themselves and soon perishing. The sting of bees is serrated, so it remains in the wound with a piece torn from the back of the body.But the stinging sensation is not as painful as in the case of the wasp.

Wasps and bees, when attacking, give a signal to their relatives, and soon they pounce on the offender together. Bumblebees are also capable of doing this, but since they mostly fly alone, in a conflict with them, most often you have to deal with only one individual.

Bumblebees sting stronger than bees and paper wasps, but weaker than hornets. Their sting is smooth, does not remain in the wound. To provoke a bumblebee to aggression, you need to try, since this insect is much calmer than wasps and bees.

The sting

People are often stung by a wasp and a bee, bites are always unpleasant, painful. But when stings from a bee and a wasp, there are differences. Both types are equipped with a sting, but they use it in different ways.

A bee sting with protruding barbs that resembles a tiny harpoon. When attacking, the tip of the sting pierces the top layer of the skin, poison is injected through a thin channel. The difference is that when trying to pull the sting back, the intestines of the inhabitant of the hive come off, this leads to death.

The wasp sting is more developed. It is smooth, very sharp. During a bite, a poisonous substance enters the victim's blood. For each species (breed), the composition of the poison is different.

If one individual attacks, then another and a third can immediately fly up. After the attack, she can calmly take out her weapon and fly further, sting again. However, only females sting. In them, the sting simultaneously performs the functions of egg-laying.

The difference between bites

Wasp and bee stings cause pain from the poison injected into the blood. From the action of the poison, the victim feels a burning sensation, itching, sometimes an allergy. The skin at the site of the bite swells, reddens, especially from a wasp sting. The site of the bite should not be combed.

If the victim has a fever, then you need to call a doctor. Bites from wasps are especially dangerous for children, pregnant women.

Comparison of two insects

There are several points on which wasps and bees agree:

1. Honeycombs for both have a neat symmetrical appearance;
2. The main weapon is the sting;
3. There are social, semi-social and solitary individuals, although individualism is much less developed in bees.

Otherwise, these species are fundamentally different from each other.

Comparative characteristics of bees and wasps

Despite the fact that the wasp is ranked as a useless insect, its role is also important. These are natural cleaners, orderlies of fields and vegetable gardens

They destroy dead insects and animals, which is important from the point of view of maintaining the natural balance.

Interesting. Wasps know how to make paper, from which they subsequently build spherical nests.The paper is made by chewing wood.

Who is stronger than a bee or a wasp

The most powerful insect is a species of the Asin family - the hornet. In temperate latitudes, an adult working individual has a body length of 2.5 cm, a uterus - 3.5 cm. The length of a sting in females is 3 mm. Hornet is a predator insect. It feeds on arthropods and feeds its offspring with them. Often engaged in the destruction of bee nests. Kills bees and robs their honey. Also feeds on fruit and berry juice.

Wasps know how to make paper, from which they subsequently build spherical nests.

The main danger lies not in the strength of its bite, but in its increased toxicity. The poison contains toxins, histamines, acetylcholine, substances that irritate the nervous system. Such a complex has a strong depressing effect on the body, increased pain syndrome. After a bite, the heartbeat increases, disproportionate edema, general weakness and the most unforeseen reactions of the body appear.

Fortunately, hornets are rare. They behave less aggressively than regular wasps. Most often, they settle under the roofs of residential premises and buildings. They do not attack a person unnecessarily. But the neighborhood with the hornet family is always fraught with a great threat. Therefore, if a nest is found, it is necessary to urgently take measures to eliminate it.

In nature, everything is balanced and organized according to certain rules. For humans, a bee is undoubtedly a more practical, useful and safe insect. But the wasps also fulfill their important function of destroying waste, carrion and death.

For safety, wasp hives (and even more so hornet ones) need to be destroyed, but do it with extreme caution. The optimal time for this is winter, when the insect is in hibernation.

If there is a need to destroy the nest in the summer, you do not need to try to knock it down with a stick, this threatens a massive attack. In the summertime, it is best to destroy the nest at night with the help of chemicals. While the insects are sleeping, you need to spray the product inside the hive and immediately leave the room. To protect yourself from a surprise attack, you must wear a protective suit.

Socket device

Bees build their beehive from wax (they allocate it themselves), making strictly symmetrical honeycombs inside. Domestic bees live in special huts that beekeepers build for them. A hive of wild bees can be located in a hollow of a tree or in a crevice of a sheer cliff.

Wasps build their home from parchment, which is made by chewing wood or other plant cellulose. Their hive has a round shape, it is gray, looks like paper. Wasps attach the hive to tree branches or ceilings of little-visited buildings, and sometimes they arrange it in the ground.

The nest of bumblebees is called the bombidarium, insects arrange it in the holes of small animals, hollows, abandoned bird nests. The first cells of their nest bumblebees, just like bees, build their wax. For the construction of subsequent cells, they use capsules of already hatched larvae.

Prevention, friends, must always be done

People who are prone to wasp allergies should avoid meeting wasps, but for this you should not:

• eating outside;
• touch or try to damage the hornet's nest;
• use floral scents of perfumes and deodorants;
• gesticulate, scream and panic in the presence of a wasp;
• kill one individual in the presence of his fellows nearby;
• walk barefoot on tall grass, especially where fruit trees grow.

But it is important to follow these rules:

1. Use insect repellent sprays and creams.
2. Ventilate the room if there is a mosquito net on the windows.
3. Inspect food and drink containers for insects.
4. Hang special adhesive tapes to lure wasps indoors.
5. You should always have allergy remedies (ointments, ampoules, tablets) with you.
6. If wasps have built a nest near the house, call specialists who will help deprive them of their habitat.

Not every person is able to foresee an encounter with such an insidious predator insect, but everyone can do so that it turns out to be without dire consequences.

Wasps in nature

They have different sizes and subspecies, they are able to benefit, and not only sting, eat grapes and attack hives... To feed the larvae, they need protein, which is found in honey, beer, kvass, meat, ripe fruits and insects available to them.

Do wasps pollinate plants

The wasp has no furry, and its structure does not imply the collection of pollen. Therefore, it does not take part in the process of pollination of plants. Even if you see it on flowers, then it only collects food, and does not pollinate. Mature individuals feed on nectar of flowers, protein of fruits and blood of insects - spiders, flies, midges, beetle larvae, etc.

Borrowing color by other insects

Some insects in nature mimicked the color of wasps to protect themselves from birds. Knowing the aggressive behavior of the wasp, many birds bypass the completely harmless flies, which have a similar striped color.

The most famous imitators are as follows:

hover fly, which received this name for the characteristic sound made by the wings. It is absolutely harmless and can pollinate umbellate plants well - dill, parsley, carrots;

glass butterfly - refers to garden pests. She is able to lay eggs in the bark near the buds, which spoils the stems and branches. Young plants slow down their growth or die altogether. Butterflies are distinguished by their bright color with imitation of "wasp" colors;

predator bug - not only mimics the appearance of road wasps, but also behavior. He attacks the victim with his proboscis, immobilizes her with poison and sucks blood;

plagionotus beetle - a harmless mimicrant, it is dotted with yellow dots and stripes. This species feeds on the nectar of flowers and colors are misleading to birds and predatory insects.

The benefits and harms of bees and wasps

It is often said that God created the bees, and the devil created the wasps. How true this saying is, you can learn from the lifestyle of those and other insects.

Bees:

• An exceptionally useful insect that provides a person with a valuable food product - honey.
• These insects pollinate up to 80% of all plants on our planet.
• A bee can only bite a person if the person provokes it.

Wasps:

• These insects often appear in places where food products rot, as a result of which they suffer dangerous ailments.
• Wasps fly just like that, they don't give anything to a person, but they can steal honey.
• They build nests in close proximity to a person, as a result of which the person becomes the object of attack.
• Wasps can also live in families and alone, while the queen hibernates alone.
• They feed on ripe apples, pears, grapes, etc., causing significant damage to the crop.
• The striped aggressors bite very painfully. As a result of a wasp bite, intoxication of the body occurs.
• Wasps visit places that can serve as a source of dangerous diseases. Therefore, they may have pathogens of various infections on their paws. Even with a single wasp sting, cases of secondary infection are possible, which cannot be said about bees.

If these insects suddenly disappear

At present, ecologists are sounding the alarm due to the fact that the number of bumblebee and bee colonies is noticeably decreasing. If the wasps disappear, then hardly anyone will think about it, although it cannot be considered that wasps are completely useless insects.

If bees and bumblebees disappear, then humanity will face real hunger, since there will be no one to pollinate cultivated plants, and a person himself will not be able to cope with this daunting task. Scientists, and they do not know what can be done at present to renew the number of these families.

Insect anatomy

The anatomical structure of a bee consists of organs:

• digestion;
• breathing;
• the lymphatic system;
• genitals, which are located in the abdominal part.

In a honey insect, the abdomen is egg-shaped, in the uterus it is oblong, and in drones it has a blunt end. It consists of segments, which are a ring of 2 halves. Drones have 7 segments, the rest have 6. Between the last segments there is a stinging apparatus.

The digestive system of bees consists of 3 sections, and digestion takes place during the movement of food through the canal. The lymphatic system is not closed, filled with hemolymph and fluid. The organs of the system include the heart of five chambers and blood vessels.

The internal structure of a bee in section looks as follows: a number of glands, vessels, nodes, food organs. A feature of the structure of the respiratory system is the presence of air sacs without a chitinous lining inside and the tracheal system with holes in the rings, which open depending on the state of the insect and the degree of its load.

The nervous system of a bee consists of the following parts:

• central;
• peripheral;
• vegetative.

The weight of a bee depends on the functional responsibilities in the family. For a honey bee, it is 0.1 g, and for a queen - 0.25 g.

The oral apparatus consists of an upper and lower lip, paired upper and lower jaws. In a bee, the mouth apparatus is equipped with a proboscis, with which the insect collects nectar.

Insect sting

The bee sting has small barbs, due to which it always remains in the body of the victim. If you look at the sting of a bee under a microscope, you can see a chitinous stylet with a thickening in the shape of a saw at the proximal end. There are 2 lancets inside the stylet.

Wasps, hornets, ants also use a sting. This organ is a modified ovipositor and is located behind the abdominal region. The sting is a pointed organ and part of the body. With its help, a wasp or bee injects a poisonous substance under the skin.

The stinging organ is used to defend against attacks. The sting is located at the end of the insect's abdomen and, when bitten, continues to act at the expense of the glands for a long time. After a bite, an open fatal wound is formed at the place where the sting of the bee is. Not only the melliferous, but also the uterus can sting, if necessary, to protect the family from attack and to fight against someone else's uterus.

The main differences in the structure of the sting of a wasp and a bee:

• the sting of a wasp has small notches;
• the wasp has no knot at the tip of the sting;
• the bee leaves its sting in the victim and dies;
• the wasp can sting several times.

Unlike bees, wasps use not only a sting, but also their jaws in case of an external threat. A wasp sting is very painful, and if there is an allergic reaction in a person, it can be dangerous.

Insect nutrition and habitat

Among wasps, predators and herbivores differ. Depending on the species, wasps eat very differently: aphids, pollen, nectar, insects, fruit juice. Predatory wasps catch their prey and paralyze them with poison.

Wasps live everywhere, not only in the Arabian Peninsula, the Arctic and the Sahara. The conditions necessary for the life of bees are markedly different: insects need plant resources with fruit trees, pastures, fields with industrial and grain crops (sunflower, buckwheat).

The closer the apiary is to urban agglomerations, the higher the probability of the presence of chemical elements in the form of heavy metals in honey. In search of nectar, the bee flies long distances.

Productivity in the collection of honey largely depends on the amount of brood raised by workers. The flight speed of a bee with a filled goiter is 30-40 km / h. With intensive work, the amount of nectar collected by the bee colony is 10-12 kg.

A worker bee makes 26 flights per day. The mass of the bee is not stable. In the period of the first emergence, the mass of a bee is 0.122 g, in flight - 0.120 g, and the old flying bee - 0.108 g. The life span of a bee born in autumn can be 7-8 months, and a summer bee up to 6 weeks.But the life span of insects can be regulated if the family for some reason has lost its uterus.

The difference between a bee and a wasp is not only external. By their way of life, bees are toilers, working for the good of the family. Collecting nectar from flowers, they produce many useful products:

• honey;
• royal milk;
• wax.

Many of them are used in the pharmaceutical industry (bee venom). Wasps are incapable of producing useful products, and they build honeycombs from waste. Bees feed exclusively on pollen, and the diet of wasps is varied and includes an abundance of foods.

Very often in the garden they can be found on ripe apples or peaches, and inadvertently be stung

Varieties of bumblebees for toxicity of poison

More than 300 species of these hymenoptera are known, and they are distributed throughout the globe. The exceptions are most regions in Africa and Australia. Bumblebees do not bite, if they are not "touched", these are peace-loving insects, but their venom is more toxic than bee venom.

Did you know? Not all bumblebees sting - only females bite, as males do not have a stinger.

The strength of the action of the poison on the human body largely depends on the type of insect:

1. A common bumblebee has a black body on which there are two yellow stripes. It nests in the ground and is a very rare member of the insect family, found only in western Europe and is a protected species.

   

2. Forest. The smallest representative of the discussed insect family. It also has a less bright color compared to other types of bumblebees. Their nests of moss and grass are found on the surface of the earth. Also, representatives of this species of insects inhabit the abandoned burrows of rodents.

   

3. The purple carpenter bumblebee, a bright insect, has a beautiful blue-black color and indigo wings. But he refers to bumblebees only by his names, which are given for external similarity. In fact, this is a bee, their nests can be found in dry wood.

   

4. Garden, a very large representative of this family of insects. The length of the female is about 25 mm. Coloring - bright and expressive, consists of three colors - black, yellow and white. It occupies abandoned mouse holes for nesting.

   

5. The earth bumblebee has a yellow stripe on the chest and a white tail. Bumblebee females reach a length of 19–23 mm.

   

How to provide first aid?

The first thing to do to provide first aid is to remove the sting from the victim's body. The manipulation is carried out carefully and carefully. If it is not removed from the skin promptly, with the blood cycle, wasp venom will begin to circulate throughout the body.

Extraction is carried out using tweezers, which are pre-sterilized with alcohol. Hydrogen peroxide is not an effective tool for this type of sterilization. There is no need to try to squeeze the poison out of the bite site. Contrary to popular belief, this action is futile. And the victim can also get the attachment of secondary infections, which no one expects from a simple insect bite. Sometimes the affected area is smeared with antibacterial ointments.

The second step is local flushing and secondary disinfection. To do this, you need a sterile sponge, cotton wool or bandage moistened with a solution of potassium permanganate, ammonia or peroxide. In order to relieve pain, you can use the cold compress method, which relieves pain, redness and swelling. To make a compress, the bitten area is covered with ice. There should be a clean tissue layer between the skin and the ice.

Bee sting versus needle tip

During such stress, the human body loses a lot of moisture. This loss needs to be replenished, and unsweetened green tea and water work well for this purpose. If the victim has suffered a severe allergic reaction, the doctor will prescribe antihistamines and advise to smear the bite site with a healing ointment.Allergy sufferers need to have a special passport with information about insect bites.

In case of the most serious allergic reactions, the patient may be prescribed inpatient treatment. Typically, it can last up to 7 days. During this time, the doctor will conduct the necessary examination, and after that, in addition to antihistamine therapy, he can prescribe a course of immunostimulants.

Wasp stings can happen anywhere. Serious danger lies in wait during outdoor recreation, where a quick arrival of an ambulance is simply impossible. If a person has suffered from an attack by such an insect, but there are no serious symptoms, then it is recommended to immediately end the walk and consult a doctor as soon as possible.

Wasp bite ointment

As a last resort, you can provide first aid, which was described above. Do not forget about disinfecting the tool with which the sting will be removed. After processing the tool, remove the sting and process the bite site. After that, you can not be afraid of serious and unpredictable consequences.

If the victim gets worse, the pain does not subside, the swelling and swelling increases, suffocation, loss of consciousness is observed, and there is no doctor nearby, saving the patient requires emergency measures. It is necessary to carry out activities such as artificial respiration and chest compressions.

How do hornets breed?

In early spring, the overwintered fertilized female begins to look for a place to lay eggs. She flies long distances in search of a suitable place and, finding a quiet corner, begins to build a nest. The material for the nest is wood dust, tree skins, young branches - all this is processed with hornets to a certain consistency and smeared with sticky saliva, which plays the role of construction glue.

The house is stepped, a separate sector is allocated for each larva. A few days after laying, a small individual hatches from each egg, gnaws the roof of its cell and gets out. This occurs in early summer, during which the cubs have time to grow up and become independent.

Young females from new offspring are fertilized and prepare to winter, not fertilized females. Thus, only those queens that are ready to reproduce again in the spring go into winter.

Preparations with a normal reaction to a sting of a bee, wasp

Use a product based on natural ingredients, herbal extracts, essential oils.

• Menovazine. Produced in the form of an ointment, solution. In the composition of menthol and 2 anesthetic components. Relief comes at the time of application. Processed up to 4 times per day.
• Calendula. Apply ointment, solution. It has anti-inflammatory, decongestant, antipruritic, disinfecting, analgesic properties.
• Star. The balm contains camphor, clove oil, mint, menthol, and other natural ingredients. The tool eliminates painful symptoms, stops inflammation, and accelerates tissue regeneration. It should be smeared for redness, pain, itching, inflammation.
• Boro-Plus. Antiseptic cream based on oils, herbal extracts. Smells good, helps quickly. The universal preparation is allowed to be applied, if necessary, up to 5 times a day.

Means to help with a wasp sting

If no improvement in the condition of the skin is observed within 2 days, agents are used to reduce the activity of histamines.

What helps relieve itching and pain?

Do not endure itching and pain. It is better to smear the itchy area with antipruritic drugs. Along with ready-made medicines, folk remedies also help to eliminate discomfort. Before treating the bite site of this representative of the order of Hymenoptera, it is worth coordinating the therapeutic measures taken with a doctor. To do this, it is not at all necessary to go to the hospital; it is more convenient to do this by phone.

Pharmacy preparations

Treatment, that is, the elimination of itching and pain, is carried out with the help of ointments and gels for topical use.Significant relief will be brought by such drugs as Advantan, Fenistil, Rescuer, Diprospan. If there are signs of an allergic reaction, Hydrocortisone will benefit, which should be applied to the itchy area every 8 hours, and Psilobalm, which is used up to 4 times a day.

Folk remedies

The importance of preventive measures

The disease is easier to prevent than to cure later.

Therefore, it is important for everyone to know a few rules on how to avoid stings of bees, wasps and hornets. They will help minimize an unpleasant encounter with a stinging insect.

When going for a walk in the forest, to the cottage or to the park, do not use perfume

Active insects, "smelling" strong aromas from afar, will show you increased attention. Brightness in clothing attracts stinging insects as much as persistent scents. Flowers painted on the fabric will be an excellent occasion for them to get to know you.

Among the safest options that do not attract the attention of wasps, bees and hornets will be clothing in neutral calm tones, white or beige. Choose resting areas that are away from waste bins, trash cans, and any food waste. These places are the favorite habitat of winged insects. You should not eat sweets and fruits, drink carbonated drinks on the street. Products with a specific and strong odor will also attract insects. Walking barefoot is dangerous: hornets and wasps often nest in the ground. A human foot that steps into their territory runs the risk of being bitten. Remember that bees, collecting pollen from low-growing flowers or resting in dense grass, can also aggressively perceive your interference in their "personal" space; Loose clothing will become a "haven" for insects if they manage to get into its folds or under it. If you notice an insect circling above you, do not wave your arms until it stops feeling threatened by you. If insects enter an enclosed space, help free them by opening windows and doors. Feeling trapped, insects will show strong aggression.

If the bite cannot be avoided, do not panic. Many connoisseurs talk about the usefulness of small doses of bee venom. The main thing is to exclude the likelihood of developing an allergy, which can end in a formidable complication - anaphylactic shock.

Habitat

The difference between bumblebee, hornet, wasps, bees
It is clear that the place of residence for domestic bees are hives built by man. Wild representatives of this family (wasps) prefer to build nests in tree hollows. Bumblebees look for more secluded places, building their houses in the ground, less often in birdhouses and tree trunks. Both are found in fields and in villages, they can also be found in city parks and botanical gardens.

Hornets build nests in cracks in rocks, in hollows and on tree branches, as well as under eaves of buildings.Wasps build them almost everywhere. The house of stinging insects can be located on the stems of plants, and in the branches of shrubs, and in the attics of baths, sheds or verandas. Biting off pieces of fibers from wood, they moisten them with their saliva, as a result of which the building material becomes a kind of thick paper.

Differences in the structure of the nest

Hornets in nature destroy the larvae of harmful insects, which has a beneficial effect on the state of the garden. Why kill these "helpers" and where to set the traps correctly? It is necessary to destroy hornet nests only in extreme cases, if they are located in the courtyard of a house or threaten an apiary.

From ready-made products, "Dichlorvos", "Karbofos", "Raptor" and other chemical insecticides are suitable. They need to be sprinkled generously into a plastic bag and put the bag over the nest, securing it with tape. Hard-to-reach places can be reached with the help of a smoke bomb, which, during smoldering, emits poisonous gas and kills any insects.

The owners of summer cottages set homemade traps from plastic bottles. To do this, cut off the third part from the side of the neck (a funnel is obtained) and insert it with the neck down into the remaining container. Jam or honey is placed at the bottom of the trap so that the insects crawl through the neck inside and cannot get out.

Not very large hornet houses are watered with boiling water or boric acid solution. You can also attach the bucket of water to a ladder so that the nest is half submerged in the liquid. Representatives of the winged family will get wet, will not be able to take off and will die.

Some summer residents pour gasoline over the ancestral cocoon and set it on fire. This method is very effective, but not safe, since the nests are usually located among dry rags or under the roof of the house - a fire is possible. Stores sell special scarers that emit sound waves that are unpleasant for wasps, bees and other winged species. However, they have a short-term effect, as soon as the device is turned off, the uninvited guests return to the site again and disturb people.

For domestic bees, beekeepers build special houses. Inside, insects form wax honeycombs, the material for which they produce themselves. One family, there are several thousand individuals who work hard, extract nectar, feed the larvae. In the wild, bees occupy tree hollows, old stumps.

Insect nests

Public wasps live in nests that are formed from parchment. Get it in a special way. Spit out saliva on the wood, after a few minutes they scrape off the top layer with their jaws. Chew several times, get a sticky, viscous substance. Honeycombs are formed from it. Outwardly, a hornet's nest resembles a sphere the size of an apple, gray, brown.

Features of the internal structure

This insect is easily recognizable among many others. The structure of the body of the bee is similar to the structure of the bodies of other members of the class. It is clearly subdivided into three sections: head, chest, and abdomen. Each of them carries its own organs.

On the sides of the head are a pair of compound eyes, and between them - up to three simple ones. Each of them perceives only a part of the image, and in the aggregate, a holistic picture is formed. This vision is called mosaic. Each eye consists of a lens surrounded by hairs and pigment cells. Thanks to the latter, the absorption of the sun's rays occurs.

Both types of eyes have their own specialization. With the help of complex bees, they examine objects that are far away. This helps them to orient themselves in space during the flight. Simple eyes form a clear image of closely spaced objects. This feature helps them in collecting pollen.

The structure of the thoracic region of the bee is represented by three segments, each of which is joined by a pair of legs. On the limbs there are sharp claws, with the help of which the bees cling to various surfaces.The structure of the legs of a working bee is characterized by the presence of separate segments. There are nine of them in each limb.

An interesting function in bees is performed by the third part of the body - the abdomen. It can grow in size. The working bees have digestive organs here, and the drones and the queen have reproductive organs. The spiracles are also located on the abdomen. These are the holes that open the trachea outward.

If, according to the proverb, "the wolf is fed by the legs," then the bee's wings do it. There are four of them. The two front ones are larger, since they bear the bulk of the load during flight. The rear fenders act as a rudder for smooth turns.

In a static position, the bee folds its aircraft along its body. In this case, the front fenders completely cover the rear ones. During takeoff, they stick together. The wings are connected in one plane.

The pectoral muscles move the wings. The bees are real flight record holders. So, in one second, they make up to 450 strokes. Within a minute, the insect travels about a kilometer. But if a bee flies with nectar, its flight speed is significantly reduced.

How far can these insects move in search of a treat? The maximum indicator is 11, and the optimal one is 2 kilometers. The fact is that the farther a honey bee flies, the less nectar it will bring. On average, this figure is 50 mg.

If you look at the wings of a bee under a microscope, you can see numerous vessels filled with hemolymph. This fluid carries out respiratory and metabolic functions.

Features of the anatomy of the main organ systems of bees are associated with their ability to produce a magical substance - honey. This mainly concerns the digestive system. It has specialized organs - the honey goiter and the hypopharyngeal glands. In the former, nectar is stored, and with the help of enzymes of the latter, it is converted into honey.

A well-developed muscular system, in conjunction with a nervous one, allows bees to fly quickly and do “jewelry” work - building honeycombs, searching for and collecting nectar. This activity is possible due to the continuous breathing process.

Metabolism is also characterized by intensity. It is supported by numerous excretory organs - malpighian vessels. These are thin tubes that function as urine. The fatty body of bees contains enocytes. These intercalated cells also take part in metabolism and remove waste products from the body.

The main difference between a bee and a wasp is in the presence of a triangular head with a brain and the main part of the nervous system in it. Faceted eyes. A round tube tapering downward extends from each hexagonal plate on the back. Its walls are covered by a shell that transmits light. From below, a branched nerve approaches each tube.

The wasp has two pairs of membranous wings, and the size of the body is 1.5-10 cm. On the sides of the head there is one large compound eye, which allows you to see in different directions at the same time. Two movable antennae with olfactory organs that help to navigate in the dark extend from the forehead. With the help of antennae, the insect can determine the level of humidity, temperature, concentration of carbon dioxide in the nest.

The antennae on the head are intended for:

• direct and remote perception;
• determining the size of the cells when constructing the nest;
• taste buds.

The insect has three pairs of legs attached to the underside of the chest and consisting of nine segments. The paw is formed from five parts, connected by a chitinous film. The wings consist of membranes and are held by veins; during flight, they are located perpendicular to the body.

How to choose bees

Bees are classified as hymenoptera and are used to produce honey and other products. South Asia is considered the birthplace of insects, and from there these insects spread throughout the world.

A characteristic feature of this species is living in families consisting of a queen, several tens of thousands of workers, and several hundred (or thousands, in large families) of drones. It is noteworthy that in summer the number of worker bees increases, and in winter it decreases significantly.

As a rule, after two to three years, the egg production of the uterus sharply decreases, so it is replaced with a younger individual. A productive uterus lays up to 2.5 thousand eggs per day, and during the season this figure can grow up to 200 thousand.

The queen almost never leaves the hive. The only exception can be the period of swarming and mating. In addition, if a queen from one family meets another, a fight will surely start between the insects, and a stronger and more agile representative will win.

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A characteristic biological feature is the ability to reproduce not only within the family, but also with other families. This process is called swarming.

Working bees are only females who, due to underdeveloped genitals, cannot mate and lay eggs. It is these females who perform all the work in the hive: they collect nectar and pollen, produce honey, build honeycombs, feed the larvae and the uterus, and also guard the hive and monitor the optimal temperature regime in it. Under natural conditions, working individuals independently replace the old uterus with a young one.

The lifespan of worker bees depends on the time of their hatching: summer bees live no more than 45 days, and autumn ones - up to 10 months. In addition, they are divided into two groups. Non-flying (young) are almost constantly in the hive, and fly out of it only in good weather. The flyers are responsible for collecting pollen and nectar.

Figure 1. Visual differences between insects and classification of worker bees

Drones are males whose sole function is to fertilize the uterus. That is why their genitals are well developed, and there are no organs for collecting pollen and excreting wax. Each family has several hundred or even thousands of drones, although the queen mates with only a few (usually 6-10 individuals).

Interestingly, all insects go through the same developmental stages, but they differ in duration depending on the type of insect:

• In the first stage, the "egg," all insects develop in the same way: three days;
• The second stage, the “larva before sealing,” for the queen lasts 5 days, for worker bees for 6, and for drones for 7 days;
• The last stage of development, "larva and pupa in a sealed cell," lasts 8 days in the uterus, 12 in working species and 14 in drones.

Accordingly, the developmental cycle of an adult insect is 16 days for the uterus, 21 days for workers, and 24 days for drones.

These are quite hardy insects. They can carry a load through the air, the mass of which corresponds to half the weight of the individual itself, and are capable of speeds up to 60 km / h. In addition, they have developed eyesight. They have five eyes (two on the sides and three on the crown), which distinguish objects by shape and color.

Insects have a well-developed sense of smell, which allows not only to distinguish flowers, but also to find the location of the hive. If the bees sense danger, they can sting. Single bites are not dangerous, and multiple bites can cause severe allergies. That is why, when working, beekeepers use special protective clothing.

There are four main types of these insects: giant, dwarf, Indian and honey. In household plots, only the latter type is bred, since it is he who produces honey.

When selecting bees for breeding, several factors should be taken into account:

• Climate: most insects are adapted only to certain temperature living conditions. For example, Central Russians tolerate cold weather very well, and Italian ones - hot climate;
• Productivity: the ability of the uterus to lay the maximum number of eggs directly affects the safety of the family;
• Collecting nectar and producing honey: Anatomically, some insects have longer proboscis, which allows them to collect nectar from more plants.

Figure 2. The most productive species: 1a and 1b - Italian, 2a and 2b - Ukrainian steppe

You should also take into account the tendency of insects to swarm, since during this period their honey production decreases. Italian and Ukrainian steppe are considered optimal for breeding (Figure 2). Such species are highly productive and calm in nature, but require additional care in the winter and protection from diseases.

In addition, there are many breeds, each with its own distinctive characteristics.

Features of the

Insects are not removed artificially, and only those types are grown for breeding that are characteristic of a given climatic zone and have already managed to adapt to living conditions.

Figure 3. Representatives of breeds: 1 - Central Russian, 2 - gray mountain Caucasian, 3 - yellow Caucasian, 4 - Ukrainian steppe (uterus)

For our country, the following types are considered the best (Figure 3):

• Central Russian: fairly large insects of a dark gray color. The uterus is highly productive, and the melliferous capacity is average. During the season, no more than 30 kg of honey can be collected from one family. Representatives of the species are conservative in nature, and it is difficult to switch to new melliferous areas. In addition, they are quite aggressive, but they are highly resistant to cold and disease.
• The gray mountain Caucasian is smaller and lighter than the Central Russian. In addition, the uterus does not differ in high fertility, and workers are not distinguished by their melliferousness. No more than 29 kg of honey can be collected from one family per season. However, these disadvantages are fully compensated by the advantages: they productively use poor sources of honey collection, easily switch to new areas, have a peaceful character, and thanks to their long proboscis they can collect nectar from a much larger number of plants than representatives of other species. In addition, they are poorly amenable to swarming (no more than 5% of individuals from the family), therefore, in the summer, the fertility of insects practically does not decrease. However, they are very sensitive to cold and putrefactive diseases. Nevertheless, it was she who became widespread not only in Russia, but also abroad.
• Yellow Caucasian in size corresponds to gray mountain, but slightly exceeds it in fertility. Insects are gray with bright yellow stripes. Quite peace-loving, they are distinguished by medium swiftness, they tolerate hot and dry climates well, but they can attack other families and are susceptible to diseases. At the moment, the yellow Caucasian is gradually being absorbed by the gray mountain.
• The Ukrainian steppe was transformed from the Central Russian, adapting to the southern living conditions. Representatives are smaller in size than the Central Russian ones, but they also have a much longer proboscis, which has a positive effect on productivity. In addition, Ukrainian steppe species are distinguished by high honey content (up to 40 kg per family per season), resistance to temperature extremes and diseases.
• Carpathian is in many ways similar to the Ukrainian steppe. The only difference between insects is that the Carpathian has a much longer proboscis. They are distinguished by medium swiftness and winter hardiness and an exceptionally peaceful nature (Figure 4).
• Representatives of the Italian breed correspond in size to the Central Russian ones, but significantly surpass them in fertility. A distinctive feature is the golden color with bright yellow stripes. They have a peaceful nature, they use a variety of types of plants very well for collecting nectar, but they do not have sufficient resistance to cold and disease.
• Krainskaya was imported from Austria. They are distinguished by a gray color with a silvery tint.Fertility is average, but insects are distinguished by rapid spring development. Various sources of honey collection are excellently used, but resistance to cold and disease is average.
• The Far Eastern ones were formed in the process of mutation of insect representatives of several species. Due to this, they are distinguished by their small size, gray color and low fertility. Despite the high propensity for swarming, insects are peaceful in nature, and can use the earliest plants for honey production.

Figure 4. Breeds: 1 - Carpathian, 2 - Krainskaya, 3 - Italian, 4 - Far Eastern

When selecting insects for breeding, be sure to take into account the climatic features of the region, since most species are very sensitive to cold weather and require additional care in winter. For more information on the world's most popular Italian breed, see the video.

rules

Unfortunately, it is quite difficult to find a purebred bee, since so-called hybrids are bred in most apiaries. But, if you have clearly set a goal for yourself to choose the best breed by photo and description, we recommend using some useful tips.

Among the basic selection rules are:

• Assessment of the appearance: each breed is formed under the influence of certain climatic conditions, therefore, insects of different species differ radically from each other in appearance and size.
• The climatic conditions in which the apiary will be located also play an important and sometimes decisive role. For example, in warm climates, Italian can be bred, but they are not suitable for temperate and cold climates, since they do not differ in winter hardiness.
• The peaceful nature of insects is an important criterion for novice beekeepers. For example, representatives of the Caucasian will bring honey even if the beekeeper accidentally damages their nest, while the Central Russians have a rather aggressive character.

Differences in flight

If you compare a wasp, a bee, a bumblebee in flight, you can also find significant differences.

Wasps make sharp movements, easily hang in the air. In an instant, they can move from one place to another. During long-term observation, one can notice constant jerking movements, frequent changes in trajectory.

Bees fly more calmly, measuredly. They do not make sudden movements, they try to land as quickly as possible. They do not create an annoying buzz, it is more difficult to notice them by sound than wasps.