How does a wasp sting, does it leave a sting and why doesn’t it die after a bite like a bee?

Hello! Recently fiddling with her niece in the garden. The girl helped me as much as she could, and the two of them were more fun after all.

Several wasps circled near us. One of them sat in the hands of her niece, and she already wanted to slam the wasp, but I stopped her in time.

And then I would have to take off the swelling later, when the wasp would sting. Want to know how a wasp stings? In what cases will she do it for sure, and when can this be avoided? Now I’ll try to paint everything in detail so that as few people as possible suffer from the aggression of these insects.

Wasps bite or sting?

Many people ask: wasp stings or bites? Wasps sting people for self-defense, and they only bite when they build their nests and when they catch prey.

A wasp has 12 or 13 servings of poison, and their bellies are connected to their chest by a thin petiole, or “waist”. Many people claim that wasps attack humans.

Wasp stings or bites? The question has confused many people. Wasps just sting. Female bees and wasps are the only insects that can sting. Males do not have an ovipositor, which is equipped with a sting, as in females.

Unlike bees, some female wasps can sting many times because their sting does not fall off after use.

Bit the insect

Sometimes a wasp is confused by a bite. Wasps do bite, however, they only bite when catching prey and use their mouths to make their nests; the wasp does not bite people when attacking.

A wasp bite is most likely in the warm season, when people spend a lot of time outdoors. Wasp stings can be unpleasant and painful, but most people recover quickly and without complications. General reactions to a bite are localized pain, redness, and swelling.

What to do with a wasp sting

Now you know the answer to the question wasp stings or bites, wasps only sting people, and you should know what to do if the wasp has bitten.

A mild to moderate reaction to a wasp sting is treated at home by washing the affected area with soap and water to reduce the effects of the poison.

• Apply a cold compress to reduce pain and swelling.
• The wound should be kept clean and, if possible, covered with a bandage to prevent further infection.
• In case of itching and skin irritation, you can use hydrocortisone cream or calamine lotion to relieve these symptoms.

Colloidal oatmeal and baking soda can be used to soothe the skin, or they can be mixed with medical skin creams.

In order to prevent any possible side effects, such as stomach irritation or drowsiness, all medications should be administered as prescribed in the instructions.

What to do if the sting is in the skin

First of all, we note that the wasp will not leave a sting in the skin, this can happen if it was slammed and the sting broke off. The first thing to do if a sting from a wasp is stuck in the skin is to remove it.

A dull, flat object such as a butter knife, a credit card, or your fingernail are ideal things to use when pulling out a sting. It is advisable not to press on the sting, because it can release even more poison into the skin.

It is recommended not to use tweezers when removing the sting. It is applicable only when other methods have failed. In such cases, avoid squeezing the venom bag.

What to do if there are severe / anaphylactic reactions

Extreme allergic reactions to a hornet's bite need quick medical attention. Pending the arrival of a doctor, the following steps should be taken:

A medical care service can start treatment on the spot and continue treatment at the hospital. If a wasp has bitten, then treatment for extreme allergic reactions may include:

1. Extra adrenaline to cool the immune system
2. The use of intravenous cortisone to reduce swelling
3. CPR should be done when someone has difficulty breathing
4. The use of antihistamines and steroids
5. Respiratory insertion tube to increase oxygen flow is one of the emergency treatments
6. Intravenous fluids and medications are sometimes needed to enhance the functionality of the cardiovascular system.

Doctors can give you a prescription to buy an allergy kit that contains epinephrine or EpiPen for people who are prone to allergies. First aid, helped save the lives of many people. Therefore, it is advisable to have these kits always at hand, in the car and in the office.

Immunotherapy is an allergy injection sequence made from a low dose of wasp venom. This type of treatment will significantly reduce the likelihood of severe allergic reactions.

When to see a doctor

The following are symptoms in which you need to urgently dial an emergency number:

How and what does a wasp sting? Does the wasp have a sting or do they bite?

Firstly, first you need to deal with the question: does the wasp have a sting and can it sting? The answer here is very mixed. The fact is that only females have a sting, but in males it is absent. Thus, only females can sting.Why do females use their sting?

In this case, the wasp sting is not always used, since insects save poison in an emergency. In addition to the sting, the wasp has a powerful jaw, with the help of which it can easily bite, for example, the durable chitin cover of any insect.

It is also impossible to answer the question of how painfully a wasp bites. The difficulty here is that in nature there is a significant number of these insects: each breed bites in its own way, some are stronger, some are weaker.

How wasps sting

The sting of this rather dangerous insect is a relatively long and sharp organ, coupled with a poisonous gland. Inside the sting there is a small duct through which poison flows from the sting to the victim. Here's what it looks like in sequence:

1. The wasp is first affected by some kind of irritant or danger. This allows her to identify her victim.
2. After that, she begins the hunt. During this hunt, the sting is impossible to see, since in a calm state it is "inside" the insect, in its stomach.
3. When a wasp catches its prey, the special muscles of its body contract and the sting comes out.
4. In order for a special wasp venom to enter the victim's body, it is necessary that the sting penetrate the victim at a certain distance. If this does not happen, then the poison will not come out.
5. After the sting is firmly inserted into the skin of the enemy, a poison is released through a special channel in the body of the wasp, which directly penetrates the "enemy" organism.
6. Finally, the wasp, having dealt with his opponent, leaves the battlefield healthy and unharmed.

As mentioned earlier, if a wasp stings, then this is definitely a female. So, if you are caught by a male, then there is nothing to fear? In fact, almost all the wasps that we meet are females.

Males in families appear only in the last summer days, and sometimes in early autumn. Moreover, their age is short-lived - the male does not live for more than 2-3 weeks.

Wasps and bees: distinctive features

The main feature between a bee and wasp sting is the anatomy of the sting of these insects. The difficulty is that the bee has a small sting in the bee, while the wasp is ideally smooth.

Thus, when a bee bites, its sting clings to the skin of the enemy, like a harpoon, it is not possible to get it. The bee has to fly away, leaving a sting with part of its entrails. That is why, after a bite, a bee almost all dies soon.

It is noteworthy that the wasp, due to such a feature, can bite the victim many times without hiding the sting immediately. Therefore, bites are made more painful than in the case of a bee. For each bite, 0.2 - 0.3 mg of poison enters the victim's body, and in total there can be 4-5 consecutive bites.

The danger of an insect bite to humans

The first thing that awaits a person who has been bitten by a wasp is redness in the area of ​​the bite, noticeable swelling and itching. But this, of course, is far from all, since the poison of these insects is much more dangerous. What will happen if help is not provided on time?

Regardless of how susceptible a person is to poison and bites, the healing procedure takes a very long and painful time. In order for the tumor to subside, it takes at least 3-5 days, and for complete healing of the bite it will take about 1.5-2 weeks.

Moreover, treatment should not be neglected! The wound must be treated and lubricated with special healing agents.

First aid

First you need to determine if the wasp has bitten you or a bee. The most important thing for us in this case is the presence of a sting in the wound. If there is a sting, then we are definitely faced with a bee sting. If not, then it is highly likely a wasp sting.

So you need to act on the following algorithm:

1. In no case can poisons be squeezed out! This will only accompany its distribution in the body.
2. Our task is to prevent the spread of poison. To do this, the victim should drink as much water as possible. Also, a cold compress will not be superfluous. You can do it with a hot water bottle or an ice towel.
3. Also, in the case of a severe allergic reaction, you can use antihistamines: tavegil, suprastin or clarithin. They quickly suppress an allergic reaction and help the body recover.

Do not drink alcohol until the wound has healed! Alcohol will contribute to the spread of poison in the body, as well as increased swelling.

If you are sure that you have an increased reaction to the bites of wasps or bees, then always carry ampoules with prednisone or suprastin, as well as a syringe. In this way, you can quickly get rid of the negative reaction.

WHY wasps sting?


A wasp flying into an open window causes, to put it mildly, uncomfortable sensations, and the nature is especially impressionable and even at the sight of it falls into a state of panic.

But, perhaps, having learned the reason why wasps attack, we will be able to survive their visits less emotionally.

Unlike bees, wasps are able to sting several times in a row, and during defense they use not only a sting, but also a powerful jaw apparatus, that is, they really bite the enemy. The most painful sensation is, of course, not a bite, but a sting of a wasp.

The bright, disturbing coloring of the wasp combined with an extremely painful “bite” is remembered for a long time not only by people, but also by animals that once encroached on an insect or its nest. Alternating black and yellow stripes and spots - a danger sign, forcing to bypass their owner.

In addition, which is also quite natural and justified, wasps react to sudden movements and aggression, and perhaps they feel fear. Sometimes it’s easier to avoid contact with the wasp “without spoiling the relationship.”

For example, if a swarm of guests came to you to smell fresh jam - treat them! Sweet berries, laid out on a separate saucer, and sweetened water are quite capable of distracting insects from the general table.

And if you are not afraid of wasps to trembling, do not wave your hands and do not yell at them, do not take away a piece of sugar and do not pretend to be a nest, but they still sting you with enviable constancy - what to do?

It turns out that some perfumery and cosmetic products contain substances that provoke insects to attack. It is only a pity that the names of the brands of hazardous cosmetics are not made public ...

Why are wasps black and yellow stripes on the abdomen?

Terrible insects with a striped yellow-black abdomen, which on sunny days circle in parks, gardens and often fly into our apartments, belong to the group of paper wasps.

Adult insects feed on nectar and fruit juice, and they feed the larvae with insects. Paper wasps are the only wasps in the world that regularly sting people.

But usually they attack a person only in the vicinity of their nest. With the help of bright yellow-black stripes on the abdomen, wasps warn people and predators that they are armed with a poisonous sting and can give a worthy rebuff to any enemy.

What do pests eat?

Adult wasps are able to absorb only liquid food: flower nectar and plant juices. Wasp larvae can also eat solid food, but their diet completely depends on what the working wasps bring to the nest, providing the family with food. It can be chewed pieces of leaves, pollen, a fly, ants or a bee.

Arriving in the nest with prey, they pass it on to the working wasps responsible for feeding the larvae. Before giving food to the larvae, the wasp-nurse suck out all the unnecessary juices from it. Larvae do not remain in debt: they burp droplets of liquid that lick working wasps.

Wasp larvae do not leave their cells until they turn into pupae, and then into adult insects. Feeling hunger, they scratch their jaws on the paper walls of the cells. One of the working wasps immediately responds to this signal, which hurries to the larva with a lump of food to feed it.

The aspen family consists of several hundred working individuals and one - the only uterus. Working wasps take care of the nest, look after the uterus and feed the larvae. All of them are females, but, unlike the uterus, they cannot lay eggs. All working wasps are sisters.

How is an aspen family formed?

The female (uterus) of the wasp begins to build a nest alone. In the spring, she constructs several paper cells from chewed wood fibers and lays one egg each in them. The care of the larvae hatching from them lies entirely on the uterus: it needs to grow out of them assistants - several working wasps.

In addition, she carefully monitors order in the nest, often biting and stinging the naughty working wasps - her daughters. Over the summer, the aspen family is growing rapidly, sometimes up to several hundred working wasps. In the fall, from the eggs laid by the uterus, no longer working individuals develop, but females and males.

After a while, they fly out of their native nest and mate. After that, the males and all working wasps die, and the females climb into the cracks and fall into a stupor. In spring, they get out of winter shelters and begin to build new nests.

Females of the Austrian wasp do not build their nests, but live as parasites in the nests of red wasps. Climbing into such a nest, a female Austrian wasp kills or expels its legal mistress (uterus of a red wasp) and begins to lay its own eggs.

This phenomenon - the capture and appropriation of someone else's food or a nest - is called kleptoparasitism (from Greek.“Klepto” - “stealing”) and is found not only in insects, but also in other animals.

Do all wasps live in families?

Wasps leading a solitary lifestyle are called solitary wasps. Most wasps belong to this group. The nests in which their larvae develop are very diverse and represent minks in the ground, recesses in wood, clay buildings in attics, etc.

Females of some species of solitary wasps together build a kind of "communal nest."

The wasp sphaecius lives in North America and preys on cicadas. This is one of the largest wasps on the globe: the length of its body reaches 4.5 cm. Spetius live alone in underground minks.

But usually they settle close to each other, and therefore greatly spoil the lawns and lawns in parks and gardens. In the underground dwellings, the larvae of the spetiuses develop. Cicadas (below) serve as food.

How do they build their nests?

Representatives of the subfamily of public wasps are not able to secrete wax, so they build their nests from a substance similar to thin cardboard. This process can be observed in one of our most common species - the Saxon wasp.

To do this, it scrapes old wood on dry trunks, stumps and even fences, leaving longitudinal grooves.

Then, having specially processed and mixed it with saliva, he builds a spherical nest, which he places on the branches of trees, under overhanging rocks or roofs of houses. Sometimes this neighborhood is dangerous.

Why is a wasp sting?

A wasp is a familiar insect. Few people treat her with sympathy. The reason for the hostility is that wasps are able to sting a person. However, scientists argue that these insects do not attack just like that. Unlike blood-sucking insects, wasps sting only for self-defense.

When are insects especially dangerous?

However, self-defense is a loose concept. In some cases, a wasp can suspect a person of hostile intentions when it is already overtaken by a palm, and in other situations, the insect can react simply to a sudden movement. What increases the aggressiveness of wasps?

Researchers say that the most dangerous wasp becomes in those days when there is a lot of food around, primarily sweet fruits.

It should be remembered that wasps attract bright colors and sweet smells. That is how they find flowers and fruits. Many people forget that insects feel artificial aromas in the same way, and bright synthetic odors attract them even more than natural ones.

Therefore, a bright or dark outfit, thick makeup and perfume aroma enhance the chance of being stung.

What to do if stung?

Wasp poison is much more dangerous than many people are used to thinking. The fact is that an allergy to this substance is not so rare. Moreover, with each bite, the reaction usually intensifies.

Immediately after the bite, you need to take a pill against allergies. People suffering from this disease need to constantly carry such drugs with them when the activity of bees is especially high.

Even if there are no such reactions, you need to try to suck out the poison from the wound, apply a clean rag soaked in soda solution to the affected area.

Does a wasp leave a sting after a bite?

This variety of stalk-bellied insects has many species, but those with which we are used to meet in the city and in summer cottages belong to the category of public. Their main difference is the formation of a family, which can number thousands of individuals.

Most families are barren wasp workers, and they have a sting. It is both a means of defense and attack. And although these insects belong to vegetarians, insects are the prey for their larvae. That is why they are forced to seek a sacrifice among relatives.

Why do they bite?

These insects cannot be called aggressive. Just like that, not one, even the most dangerous representative of this family, will attack you. Usually stings when he feels danger. For example, if you find their nest and disturb it or try to destroy it during the day, the insects will respond with aggression.

In addition, they are attracted to the smells of certain products:

• Meat
• Fish
• Grilling kebabs.

As soon as you take up cooking on the street, you will instantly be surrounded by these insects. And in this situation, you need to behave very carefully, without making sudden movements, otherwise you can’t avoid a bite.

There is another reason why you can be stung - the use of cosmetics and perfumes. The scientifically proven fact that the smells of some of these products are associated with danger signals in insects. What makes them attack people, as it seems to us for no reason.

How does the sting work?

The device of this organ in all members of the family does not have significant differences. It is located behind, unlike other stinging insects. And in a calm state is inside the back of the abdomen. However, at the slightest danger, by contracting special muscles, it is brought out.

Moreover, the sting moves along special slides that are closed by plates. At that moment, when the insect is about to sting you, the protection is removed, the slide comes out and this peculiar weapon slides out.

Each individual has only one such organ and its loss is fraught with death. But the features of its device are such that an insect can sting you not once, but 3-4 times, without fear, to remain without this organ.

At the same time, smooth walls do not create obstacles, and the female easily takes her weapon out of the skin of a bitten person. Therefore, to the question: who leaves the sting of a wasp or a bee, it is safe to answer that only the last.

Detailed anatomy

Outwardly, it resembles a small spear, quite durable and with a pointed end. Although the design of the sting is made as 2 stylet that can pierce the skin of the victim. Inside the organ is a duct connected to a poisonous gland; it is a transport route for poison introduced into the victim’s body.

If you consider the sting with the naked eye, it seems that it has a dark brown color. In fact, and this can be seen under the microscope, it is translucent with smooth walls, which differs from a similar organ of a bee.

From a physiological point of view, it is nothing more than a modified ovipositor. Which, by the will of nature, has turned into a formidable weapon. Here is the answer to the question: is the wasp stingy?

For information, males do not have such an organ, and they are born only at the beginning of autumn for only 3 weeks. So most of those striped stinging creatures are females that nature has endowed with a formidable weapon for protection.

Bites of different types of insects

Almost all representatives of this species are endowed with a sting. However, how the wasp stings, how painful it is and what consequences it depends on the attacker. The difference is how poisonous this representative is and how it affects the human body:

Giant Asian Hornet Bite. So, the bite of giant Asian hornets, which are a prominent representative of the wasp family, can be fatal for allergy sufferers. And a person stung at the same time by several individuals, even not prone to allergic diseases, can die if untimely assistance is provided.

In the countries where these insects live, tens of deaths from hornet attacks are recorded annually. A hornet bite can be very dangerous even for those who are not allergic to bites.

Scoli family. Cholies belong to the same family. And although they are not inferior in size to the hornets sting, unlike the latter, weakly. Their poison is not so toxic, it is intended to affect a sedentary victim and only paralyzes it.

Therefore, its effect on humans is limited to slight numbness of tissues at the site of the bite. Well, and most importantly - a bite of the scoliosis is not dangerous for a person, causes slight numbness.

Filant or bee wolves. Filant or bee wolves are another type of wasp. But since they hunt exclusively for honey bees, nature has endowed them with a too thin sting. It is not able to pierce the rough skin of a person, so often the beekeepers catch them without using protective clothing.

How to remove a hornet sting after a bite?

This organ of the insect should not remain in the wound, as it has smooth walls and easily slides out of the skin. But if you still found a sting, then it was not a wasp that bit you, but a bee.

And to remove it without causing additional harm to the victim, you must adhere to the following recommendations.

For the same reason, it is necessary to carry out the pulling operation very carefully so as not to damage the bag.

You can use tweezers or try to pick up the sting with your nails. But this method will definitely lead to squeezing the poisonous gland and introducing into the wound the remaining poisonous substances in it.

However, if there is nothing else at hand, then they resort to it. And the faster the operation is performed, the less poison will penetrate the body and the consequences of a bite will be easier.

Wasps (bees and real wasps): general information

Bees leave their sting in a wound and die after stinging. Wasps do not leave a sting in a wound and can sting several times in a row. Honey bees (Apis mellifera), bumblebees (Bombus spp.) And other bees sting, protecting their families.

Of these wasps, Vespula maculifrons wasp and Vespula pensylvanica wasp (their abdomen is colored with transverse yellow and black stripes), Dolichovespula maculata wasp, or spotted wasp (black, with a white head), Vespa crabro wasp, or common hornet (reaching 2 in length, 5-3.5 cm), and wasps Polistes spp., Or paper wasps (having an elongated abdomen of different colors).

Real wasps sting, protecting their nests. They often build nests near human dwellings, hanging them on roofs and cornices or gluing them to walls.

Some of them nest in tree hollows and in the ground. Wasps of the genus Vespula are sweet, in addition, they are attracted to rotten meat. In late summer and autumn there are especially many of them, in particular around kitchens and garbage cans.

The poison is produced by the glands at the posterior end of the abdomen and accumulates in the reservoir, which in large insects has a capacity of about 0.1 ml. When the muscles of the tank contract, the poison is thrown out with force.

Poisons of different species of Hymenoptera differ from each other in biochemical and immunological properties. The toxic effect of poisons is due to low molecular weight components - serotonin, histamine, acetylcholine, kinins.

The polypeptide fraction of bee venom is represented by melittin, which damages cell membranes, an MCD peptide that causes mast cell degranulation, adolapine, which has an anti-inflammatory effect, and neurotoxin apamine.

In addition, bee venom contains hyaluronidase, which promotes the spread of poison throughout the tissues, and phospholipases, which are apparently the main allergens of the poison. Bee venom rarely gives cross-reactions with poisons of real wasps.

Multiple stings are sometimes accompanied by vomiting, diarrhea, extensive swelling, shortness of breath, arterial hypotension, and shock. Rhabdomyolysis and intravascular hemolysis can lead to renal failure. With stings at the same time 300-500 bees death occurs due to intoxication.

Edema and hyperemia often spread to an area exceeding 10 cm in diameter, and persist for 24-48 hours. Such reactions to stings look like an erysipelas.

However, they are caused not by a secondary infection, but by an increased sensitivity to the hymenoptera venom. With subsequent stings, the picture is usually repeated, but anaphylactic shock is unlikely. Desensitization in such cases is ineffective.

Persons with a history of mild allergic reactions may experience severe reactions with new stings. Mild allergic reactions of an immediate type are manifested by nausea, cramping abdominal pain, generalized urticaria, hot flashes, Quincke's edema.

Severe reactions are manifested by edema of the upper respiratory tract, bronchospasm, arterial hypotension, anaphylactic shock and pose a threat to life. They usually begin in the first 10 minutes after stinging, but occasionally occur after 5 hours.

Serum sickness, vasculitis, neuropathies, and encephalitis are among the unusual complications that can develop one day and one week after stinging.

Avoiding Hymenoptera Bites

So that the bites of these flying and painfully stinging insects in the summer do not spoil your relaxation, you need to know what to do after a bite of a bee, bumblebee or wasp.

How bees, wasps, bumblebees and hornets sting and bite

A bee, like a bumblebee, stings once in its lifetime. Their jagged sting after a bite is firmly stuck in the skin of a person.

The poison pouch remaining in the body continues to contract for a while, injecting the poison into the skin.

In wasps and hornets, the sting hidden in the abdomen, unlike bees and bumblebees, is smooth, so after a bite it does not remain in the skin of a person.

The poisonous fluid, which is produced by special glands, together with the sting penetrates the wound and after the bite begins to spread throughout the body, causing swelling, inflammatory processes and varying degrees of severity of malaise.

Why are hymenoptera stinging

Basically, these flying insects sting only when defending themselves or when they feel aggression and danger to their lives. Bees, wasps and hornets, being social insects, can bite their nest from attack, trying to save the accumulated honey.

Poison injected into the bite site, the smell of which serves as a signal to attack the uninvited guest by other members of the winged family. Therefore, in the case of a bite by one hymenoptera, when dozens of others circle around, it would be prudent to get away to avoid a massive attack by insects.

Bees can bite simply because they did not like the smell of sweat coming from a person. They also don’t like the smell of garlic, take note of this.

First aid

After a bee or bumblebee bite, the first thing to do is remove the sting from the wound that releases poison into the skin.

With tweezers, the tip of a knife, a needle, fingers with long nails, it does not matter what you do, the main thing is do not squeeze the poison bag left on the sting with your fingers to avoid injecting an additional portion of the poisonous liquid into the bite.

Disinfect the bite site with any alcohol-containing solution: alcohol, vodka, cologne, ammonia or a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

To reduce pain and reduce swelling, apply ice or a bottle filled with cold water to the wound remaining after a bite. Relieve suffering and half an apple, onion, tomato or garlic, if it is attached with a cut to the wound.

If the bite site is slightly moistened with water, and then a tablet of aspirin or validol is applied to it, many dangerous components of the insect venom will be neutralized.

Porridge made from crushed tablets of activated charcoal and water will act as an absorbent and absorb poison from the wound if it is applied to the site of the bite and fixed with a bandage or plaster. You can take diphenhydramine, tavegil, clarithin or suprastin.

To avoid bites of a bee or its counterparts, it is enough to follow simple rules. If this stinging insect circles intrusively around you, you do not need to brush it off with your hands, it is better to step aside.

Do not disturb bees, wasps or bumblebees busy with their work, do not force them to bite while defending themselves. Avoid floral perfumes and wear white or light colors, since hymenoptera prefer dark colors.