Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: Colors
• Method 2 of 3: Body Features
• Method 3 of 3: Size
• Tips
• Warnings

There are thousands of wasp species around the world, most of which are carnivorous. The most common wasp species are hornets, true wasps (fold-winged wasps) and paper wasps.Wasp identification can be challenging as it is not easy to see the wasp's appearance from a distance. In addition, a common man can easily confuse a bee with a wasp, because they tend to be quite similar to each other. However, there are a variety of tips and tricks that can help you identify the wasp and respond accordingly.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Colors

1. 1 Look for distinctive patterns in black-yellow or brown-red. Since some bee species have similar coloration, this is not a decisive factor in wasp identification. Although, if there is an opportunity to look better, then you can make quick conclusions based on color alone. Wasps are easily identifiable by their yellow and black stripes.
2. 2 Look for a predominantly black appearance with slight white markings. If the insect you are considering looks like this, it might be a hornet - a species of wasp.
3. 3 Look for brown, red, or yellow colors. A wasp with these flowers is likely to be a paper wasp species.

Method 2 of 3: Body Features

1. 1 Notice how the wasp's two long hind legs hang down and dangle during flight. The legs of a bee in flight are either not visible at all, or they are very difficult to notice.
2. 2 When a wasp sits on a wall, table or some object, look carefully at its wings, it stretches them and presses them to the body. The wings of the bees stick out to the sides.
3. 3 Look for a waist that's thinner than the rest of your body. Different wasps have different degrees of waist fineness, but they will definitely have a waist that stands out on the little body. For example, paper wasps have the thinnest waist compared to other wasps. On the contrary, the waist of a bee is as wide as its body.
4. 4 Look for villi or lack thereof on the insect. Most species of bees, especially honeybees, have many short, fluffy hairs behind their heads. They help them collect pollen. In wasps, however, very rarely (almost never) villi are found on the body, because they are not necessary. Wasps are generally smooth and shiny. The exception is the European hornets and sphexes (Sphex ichneumoneus).

Method 3 of 3: Size

1. 1 Measure the wasp. True wasps average about 1.3 cm in length, while hornets average about 1.8 cm in length.

Tips

• Bees are usually shorter than wasps. Wasps tend to be annoyingly looking for food when you are relaxing in nature, and bees buzz over the flowers instead.
• Stinging, the bee leaves its poisonous sting in you, which, after it stings, breaks off from its body (most often it dies after that). The wasp sting is not chipped, so it doesn’t stay in the skin, so you can be stung multiple times in a single attack.
• If you come across a nest and want to determine whether it is a bee or wasp nest, here are some tips:
  • Bee nests are made from wax cells. They often use tree hollows, burrows in the ground, and other objects as a nest.
  • Wasp nests are made in the form of paper cones from chewed fibers mixed with saliva. Wasps tend to look for secluded spots for their nests, such as cracks in a house or under a roof eaves.

Warnings

• Honeybees and real wasps can send chemical alarms to their nests, from where many other insects come to attack you. If you are stung, remain calm, trying to leave immediately, and do not try to take revenge on the sting insect, otherwise it may release its chemical signal.