Wasps are considered more deadly than bees because they can sting multiple times, injecting their victim with an additional dose of venom with each sting. Most bees, on the other hand, can sting only once, dying shortly after their stinger pierces their victim.

A Matter of Anatomy

Why do bees and wasps have such different stinging behaviors? It all comes down to a simple, but critically important, difference in stinger shape.

• Bees have barbed stingers that work like a fish hook. When a bee stings its prey, its stinger hooks into and becomes embedded in the victim’s flesh. As the bee tries to fly away, the stuck stinger is ripped from the insect’s body. It’s body ripped apart, the bee dies. Just because bees can only sting once doesn’t mean they aren’t dangerous. As long as the poison sac attached to the bee’s stinger remains in the victim’s body, it will continue to release venom.

• Wasps have straight stingers that, like a needle, can slide in and out of a victim’s flesh quite easily. When a wasp stings its prey, the stinger punctures the victim’s flesh, then slides back out as the wasp flies away. While wasps can sting more than once, the amount of venom injected decreases with each sting.

Don’t place yourself at risk. Call Stern Environmental’s bee and wasp removal experts today.