The common wasp is a dangerous insect. A wasp sting is dangerous not only to people who are allergic to their venom, but also to he althy people. Even a seemingly harmless bite in the hand can result in a strong allergic reaction. The greatest threat is a wasp that stings the neck. Then, even in a he althy person, the esophagus may be swollen and suffocation may result. Check what to do when a wasp stings us, can it be prevented and how to distinguish a bee from a wasp.

Contents:

  1. Wasp - what does it look like?
  2. Wasp and bee - differences
  3. Wasp - nest
  4. Wasp - what to do when stung?
  5. Wasp - is it useful?

Waspcommon wasp belongs to the hymenoptera insects of the family of the wasp family (Vespula vulgaris). The wasp is found on almost all continents, except Antarctica.

In Central Europe it occurs on average from April to October. In Poland, it is a common species. You can meet her both in the countryside and in the city.

Wasp - what does it look like?

The body length of the common wasp varies. Workers are 10 to 14 mm, queens 16 to 18 mm and males 13 to 15 mm. The wasp is black with yellow stripes.

Her body is covered with lots of tiny, fine hairs. The wasp's abdomen is very narrowed at the base. A characteristic narrowing of the wasp's trunk is a styling. The wasp's abdomen ends in a sting.

The wasps feed on flower nectar, sweet fruit, and animal food.

It is located in the most mobile part of the abdomen, thanks to which the wasp can move it in any direction. Unlike bees, wasps can sting multiple times.

Wasps have quite large mandibles, which allow them to cut through hard food. They also use them to cut small pieces of wood from which they later build their nest.

Wasp and bee - differences

A bee and a wasp, although apparently very similar to each other, are actually very different from each other. Bees have a hairy and stockier body than wasps.

They also have a less pronounced constriction between the torso and abdomen. Wasps are larger - they can be as long as 25 mm.

In addition, wasps do not have a special basket like honeybees, because they do not collect nectar from flowers anddo not produce honey.

Bees are peaceful by nature. Only irritating the bees provokes them to attack. Wasps, on the other hand, are very aggressive and can attack unchallenged.

The wasp does not lose its sting after a sting, and the bee dies after an attack on a human. By leaving the stinger in our body, a bee destroys some internal organs attached to it and therefore dies.

Bees build their nests above the ground, most often on trees, and wasps on the ground or in the ground.

Bees eat only plant food, and wasps can also eat animal food, which is why they can be found so often near human food (e.g. meat, sweets, etc.).

Worth knowing

The family of donkeys (Vespidae) can be divided into two subfamilies: os (Vespinae) and clecanek (Polistnae). Wasps build multi-slice nests with a paper cover, while clusters - uncovered, single-slice nests.

Both groups belong to social insects, i.e. they live in families consisting of a fertile mother and barren workers. There are about 12 species of wasps and 9 cleches in Poland.

Wasp - nest

Building a nest really starts with the queen. It is she who, waking up in the spring, flies out in search of a convenient place to build a nest. Wasps most often build nests in all sorts of nooks and crannies. Most often they are burrows in the ground, tree hollows, less often gaps and openings in the house or roof.

The wasp's nest resembles a paper lump with an undefined shape. A wasp's nest consists of several slices in which there are nesting chambers. It is in them that the larvae develop. Wasps build their nests by themselves from paper, which they make themselves with pieces of wood and saliva.

Wasp - what to do when it stings? What are the symptoms?

A wasp sting is painful. After a sting, there is often swelling and redness of the skin. A wasp sting can have serious consequences both for people allergic to their venom and for he althy people.

Theoretically he althy people, without allergies, can endure up to 15 stings simultaneously. Severe poisoning causes only about 300 stings. 500 is already death.

Stings may lead to anaphylactic shock. The wasp does not leave the sting in the victim's body, it only injects venom. For this reason, it can sting several times.

According to estimates, approximately 20 percent of the population experiences an allergic reaction to a wasp sting. The venom is used to fight enemies, which are other insects, larger animals and of course people.

Wasps don't attack for nothing, but they can be aggressive. They can attack in an emergency, thereforeyou should also not irritate these insects so as not to provoke them.

The mere presence and making of sudden movements in the vicinity of these insects may be perceived as a threat. As a safety measure, it is better to avoid any close contact with them.

How to protect yourself with wasps? The best way is to avoid eating sweet things in the air, because then it is easy to swallow the insect.

Besides, wasps are very fond of grilled meat. They are attracted to the smell of blood. Wasps can also be irritating to other factors, such as heat or pungent odors.

See the gallery of 9 photos

Wasp - is it useful?

Wasps are in most cases associated with intrusive, threatening insects. However, few people know that they are also useful.

Wasps feed on aphids, whiteflies and caterpillars. Thanks to this, they eat pests that destroy the crops. Wasps also contribute to carcass removal by transferring pieces of animal meat to the nest.

About the authorWeronika RumińskaA graduate of Polish philology with an editorial and publishing specialization at the University of Warsaw. She developed her interests related to the editor's work already during her master's studies, actively cooperating with Poradnikzdrowie.pl on the editorial path and social media. Privately, a lover of good crime fiction and horse riding.

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