Wasp vs. Bee

There is much confusion among flying, stinging insects, including wasps, bees, and others (hornets, yellow jackets). However, their physical characteristics and behavior are distinct.

A wasp is a flying black and yellow insect with biting mouth parts. They may be social or solitary. Solitary wasps may lay eggs in underground tunnels while social wasps build paper nests. They feed spiders or other insects, which they have paralyzed, to their larvae. Adults feed on nectar. There are more than 100,000 species of wasps.

A bee is a flying insect similar to a wasp but heavier and hairier. Bees feed on pollen and nectar, store both, and produce honey in their geometric wax hives. In addition to using its mouth to chew, a bee can also use its mouth to suck.

Wasps tend to be more aggressive than bees and can sting multiple targets. Some bees die after stinging a single target, but others can sting multiple targets. Bees are beneficial for their pollinating behaviors.