If you are wondering, the picture above is not a bee. It is a yellow jacket.
I keep bees as a hobby. Regular honeybees. Apis Mellifera if you must get technical.
As a hobbyist beekeeper, I probably get stung by my bees only once or twice a year. It doesn't hurt much and as long as I get the stinger out, the resulting red spot goes away in a day or two.
That is because honey bees are, for the most part, very mellow and nice. If you are careful and don't move fast, you can generally stand right next to a hive of honey bees for as long as you want without getting stung.
The yellow jacket, on the other hand, is the absolute jerk of the block. These little things will come at you for no reason.
They are like tiny bullies that move lightning quick.
Open your shed door--and here comes one right at your face. Yellow jackets do sting--but more often they bite.
Why?
So they can, and I quote here, "bite to get a better grip to jab their stinger in".
Absolute nightmares.
What got me thinking about this?
Just this very accurate picture I found on the internet today.
That and a memory I have of getting bit by one of these terrible little yellow jackets a few years ago. Here I was, minding my own business, getting ready to mow the lawn. I open the shed door and BANG. One of these little terrors comes flying down at my face and bites me right below the eye.
Within minutes my whole eye was swollen shut.
I had a black eye for nearly a week. Looked like a felon or something.
When I walked in the house. My wife saw me and started laughing. I probably would have done the same.
So, next time you get a little confused about bees and wasps and yellow jackets, just remember.
Bees are nice and make honey.
Yellow Jackets are terrible, bite so they can sting better, and generally are full on despicable creatures.
Picture of Yellow jacket used with permission from Pixabay.
Picture of poster found on internet with no accompanying attribution--so if I ever find the maker, I am happy to attribute properly.
