The difference between bees, wasps, and hornets

Knowing the difference between stinging insects can help with peace of mind, when it comes to knowing exactly what kind of pest you are dealing with. While wasps, bees, and hornets all play crucial roles in the ecosystem bees as pollinators and wasps and hornets as predators, that doesn’t mean you want them in your garden or on your property.

By being able to distinguish between these insects, you’ll know the best way to handle them, which should always involve a professional, such as our Able Group pest control team.

Though often confused with one another, bees, wasps, and hornets have key differences. All belong to the insect order Hymenoptera, but while bees are valued for their pollination efforts, wasps and hornets are more feared due to their aggressive behaviour and painful stings. Understanding these differences is essential, not only for safety but to appreciate the roles each plays in the ecosystem.

For example, wasps are very useful to gardeners as they eat garden pests like caterpillars, flies and spiders.

Of these three, wasps and hornets are usually the least ‘loved,’ often feared for their aggressive nature. On the other hand, bees, particularly honey-making bees, are often more appreciated.

So, what are the differences between them?

There are over 250 different types of bees in the UK, some of the most common bees being honey bees and bumblebees.

The UK has 24 types of bumblebee, including the tree bumblebee, red-tailed bumblebee, buff-tailed bumblebee, white-tailed bumblebee, and the common carder bee.

Read on to find out more about some of the more common UK-based bees. However, if you ever find any type of bee nest on your property, contact our Able specialists. We will quickly work to remove any unwanted pests.

• Tree bumblebee (Bombus hypnorum)
  They are known to have a ginger and black body (ginger thorax, black belly, and a white tail). Despite being the most common type of bumblebee, they are relatively new to the UK bee scene, the first recorded sighting being in 2001. Length: The average length of tree bumblebees is about 10-16mm long.
• White-tailed bumblebee (Bombus lucorum)
  White-tailed bumblebees are another known bee, the typical yellow and black bee that comes out in spring and lingers until Autumn. They have a black head, a yellow collar, a yellow abdominal band, and a white tail hence the name. Length: The average length of white-tailed bumblebees is 11-17mm long.
• Honey bees
  Honey bees are on average 12mm long and are most commonly found in the March to September period. From the name, you can tell that they are known for their honey. Equally, they are known for their yellow and black striped body. They are widely distributed across the UK in hives managed by beekeepers, which can hold up to 50,000 bees. Since it is currently unknown whether native bees still exist in the nation, it is rare to find a wild honey bee colony

Bees will sting as a defence mechanism, and only females (workers and queens) can sting. They will likely only sting once, unlike wasps and hornets which are known to sting multiple times. Although there is a common half-truth that bees die when stinging- this is only the case for honey bees. 

Other bees, however, will not die when they sting as they do not have barbed stingers.

When you get stung by a bee, prepare for the area to be swollen and painful for the next few hours. The swelling could increase over the next few days and then lessen over a period of 5-10 days.

What should you do if you are stung?

• Remove the sting with your fingers. Avoid using tweezers as you don’t want to risk squeezing the venom.
• Then wash the area with soap.

Bee sting-related deaths are very rare and according to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence ‘Every year in the UK there are 2–9 deaths due to anaphylaxis from bee or wasp stings.’

To avoid any bee-related stings, contact our Able specialists as soon as you spot bee hives on your property or suspect a bee infestation. We will promptly remove any bee nests found.

To avoid bee-related stings, contact our Able specialists as soon as you spot bee hives or nests on your property. Do not attempt to handle it yourself, as this could lead to painful stings.

Bee nests tend to grow if left alone, so it’s essential to reach out to pest control specialists like our Able Group team, as soon as possible. We will promptly and safely remove any bee nests found.

Wasps are a common problem in the UK. One nest could produce between 3,000 and 8,000 wasps a year.

In the U.K., there are two common types of wasps:

• The common yellowjacket (Vespula vulgaris) - this type of wasp is 12-17mm in length, with black and yellow stripes. They are attracted to sweet treats and will display aggressive behaviour when feeling threatened.
• The German wasp/European wasp (Vespula germanica) - this wasp, despite its name, is found in Africa, Asia, the Americas, New Zealand, and Europe. They are identified by three black spots on their ‘face’ and their seemingly ‘angry’ temperament. These wasps are slightly larger than the common wasp, being between 13-20mm long. As well as causing damage to fruit crops, they are known for their dangerous bite.

Wasp stings could result in severe allergic reactions. However, according to AllergyUK, most people are not allergic to wasp stings, but those who are allergic could develop life-threatening allergic reactions.

How to avoid being stung by wasps:

• Wear clothes that cover your arms and legs as they can offer protection from stinging, however, beware that stings can go through clothes.
• Avoid brightly coloured clothes- wasps like other stinging insects are attracted to bright colours so if you want to lessen the chance of being stung wear darker toned clothes.
• Don’t wear any open-toe shoes (that includes sandals and flip-flops), instead wear closed shoes which will offer protection against stinging.
• Don’t wear or use perfumed toiletries - wasps are attracted to sweet smells so skip the perfume if you don’t want to be stung.
• Don’t swat or brush them off - swatting or brushing them away will only provoke them, increasing the likelihood of multiple stings. They interpret these actions as a threat and may respond aggressively.

Also, it is very rare to be stung by wasps, as rare as once in every 15-20 years.

However, rare doesn’t mean never. If you're facing a persistent wasp problem in your home, you can rely on Able Group to handle it safely and efficiently, ensuring your property is free from wasps in no time.

Although, there are twenty hornet species in the world, most are only native to Asia. 

The UK is only home to the European hornet (Vespa crabro). 

Hornets are generally less aggressive than wasps. However, they are known for more painful stings.

Though, European hornets are the only type of hornet you are likely to see, there have been sightings of Asian hornets which could have made way into the country through timber, soil, flowers and fruit:

• European hornets
  European hornets are often confused with wasps but differ by being much larger in size (workers are around 25 mm long). They have a thicker, bulkier body and are mostly yellow with black stripes.
• Asian hornets Asian hornets are not native to the UK so report any sightings. There were ten nests recently discovered in Kent and Sussex by the Animal Plant Health Agency (APHA).

Appearance

Asian hornets are smaller than European hornets and are black with yellow stripes and yellow legs and an orange face. They are about 25mm in length, about 5 mm smaller than the European hornets (apart from the queens which can be as long as 30mm).

Asian giant hornets

Also known as ‘murder hornets’ are commonly found in Japan. If you do spot a giant hornet it would have been likely brought into the country. Make sure to report any of your sightings.

Appearance

They are one of the largest species of wasps, the adult queens being as long as 5.5 cm. They have orange heads with yellow, black, and brown bodies.

These insects are known to feed on bee colonies, mainly honey bees, killing up to 50 honey bees per day.

However, there is evidence of some bees fighting back against hornets by dropping to the ground, which causes the hornets to lose their grip. The buff-tailed bumblebee has adapted over time, which is a defence strategy that enables it to free itself from the hornet's grasp.

Hornet stings

Hornets will sting if they feel threatened, so make sure you stay far away from their nests. Also, hornets tend to sting multiple times, and you can even come into contact with large swarms.

While hornet stings typically result in mild symptoms, their venom contains histamine, which can trigger severe allergic reactions in some individuals.

What do bee, wasp and hornet nests look like?

Over 70% of bees build their nests in the ground. Some bees, like mason bees, will make use of existing cavities for their nests. Most honey bees live in large colonies either provided by a beekeeper or in a hollow tree.

One of the most common wasps, yellowjackets, have nests that are grey and crafted from wood fibres. They can be found in the ground or hanging from trees, and contain hexagonal cells that house eggs, larvae, and food for the young wasps. 

Typically, a few wasps can be seen guarding the entrance.

Hornet nests are similar to wasp nests, made from a paper-mache-like material formed by mixing saliva and wood pulp. These nests, consisting of grey hexagonal combs, can be found in holes in the ground, walls, or buildings. Some hornets prefer to nest in trees or large bushes. 

The difference between hornet and wasp nests is their size. Hornet nests house hundreds of individuals, whereas wasp nests may shelter thousands. Hornets also tend to choose more secluded and secure locations for their nests, such as tree branches or under-house siding.

If you ever find any type of bee, wasp, or hornet nest on your property, contact our Able specialist pest removal team, and we will quickly work to remove any pests.

Bees, wasps, and hornets are easy to confuse as they behave in a very similar way and are closely related to each other.

For the most part, they are not dangerous insects but that doesn’t mean you want them as your neighbours.

At Able Group, we take pest problems seriously.

We will get rid of those pesky nests in no time, so you don’t have to worry about suffering sting attacks.

So, if you ever encounter any of those stinging insects in your space call our dedicated pest control specialists on 0330 108 4111. And check out our website for more information on how to deal with bees, wasps, hornets and other pests.