{"id":14285,"date":"2019-08-11T15:59:09","date_gmt":"2019-08-11T14:59:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rentokil.ie\/blog\/\/?p=14285"},"modified":"2026-04-17T15:36:58","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T14:36:58","slug":"the-differences-between-wasps-and-bees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rentokil.ie\/blog\/the-differences-between-wasps-and-bees\/","title":{"rendered":"What is the difference between bees and wasps?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Summer is here! Pests such as <a title=\"wasps\" href=\"http:\/\/www.rentokil.ie\/wasps\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">wasps<\/a> and <a title=\"bees\" href=\"http:\/\/www.rentokil.ie\/wasps\/species\/#honey-bee\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">bees<\/a> can pose a danger to you and your children. Wasps&nbsp;and honey&nbsp;bees&nbsp;can be mistaken Here\u2019s some practical advice to avoid wasps and bees to make your home or business a safe place for an outdoor party.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although there are hundreds of species of wasps, hornets, and bees found around the world, only a few of these are found in Ireland. And some of them do not sting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wasp and bees can become a serious nuisance if you plan to enjoy the outdoors. Understanding their habits, lifecycle and appearance can help to identify the best form of pest control for your home or <a title=\"wasp control for business\" href=\"http:\/\/www.rentokil.ie\/wasps\/business-services\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">business<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Wasps<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>Wasps are most active in the warm summer months. In Ireland, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentokil.ie\/wasps\/species\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Common and German Wasp<\/a> cause the most annoyance. With their distinctive yellow and black body, they can be confused with hornets, although hornets are not as common in this country. Wasps can also be confused with bees. However, bees vary in colour from golden brown to almost black and are furrier than wasps. A <a title=\"wasp sting\" href=\"http:\/\/www.rentokil.ie\/wasps\/stings\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">wasp sting <\/a>can be particularly painful. Only female wasps have a sting, and they will use it repeatedly if they feel under threat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are experiencing high numbers of wasps&nbsp;in your home or garden there is likely to be a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentokil.ie\/wasps\/nest-removal\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">wasp nest<\/a> nearby, either on your property, in your garden or very close by.A mature nest in summer can contain thousands of wasps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Learn more <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a title=\"signs of wasp nests\" href=\"http:\/\/www.rentokil.ie\/wasps\/wasp-nest\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Signs of wasp nests<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why are wasps so dangerous?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Wasps are generally not aggressive unless they or their nests are threatened. However, they are far from harmless! Their sting is very painful and can even be fatal because it produces a deadly anaphylactic reaction in some people who have allergies. If you experience anaphylactic shock from a <a title=\"wasp ting\" href=\"http:\/\/www.rentokil.ie\/wasps\/stings\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">wasp sting<\/a>, you should immediately seek medical help. Because wasps often build their nest close to human dwellings, they can pose a <a title=\"how to get rid of wasp\" href=\"http:\/\/www.rentokil.ie\/wasps\/stings\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">threat to the health of children<\/a> who might be unaware of the lurking danger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Learn more<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a title=\"Wasp prevention\" href=\"http:\/\/www.rentokil.ie\/wasps\/prevention\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tips to prevent wasps<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentokil.ie\/wasps\/nest-removal\/\">How to get rid of wasps<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Removing a wasp nest<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"690\" height=\"251\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rentokil.ie\/blog\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/wasp-nest-removal-service.png\" alt=\"Wasp nest removal service\" class=\"wp-image-14265\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rentokil.ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/wasp-nest-removal-service.png 690w, https:\/\/www.rentokil.ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/wasp-nest-removal-service-300x109.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 690px) 100vw, 690px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Removing a wasp nest can be very dangerous. Wasps inside the nest will feel threatened and often become aggressive. This could cause them to sting you and others as they defend their nest and young.&nbsp;To get rid of wasps you do <i>&#8216;not&#8217;<\/i> need to remove the nest, but you do need to treat it and the nesting wasps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Read more:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentokil.ie\/wasps\/nest-removal\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">How to remove a wasp nest\u00a0<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentokil.ie\/blog\/wasps-dos-and-donts\/\">Wasps: Do&#8217;s and Dont&#8217;s<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bees<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>There are about 20,000 different species of bees in the world. <a title=\"bee\" href=\"http:\/\/www.rentokil.ie\/wasps\/species\/#honey-bee\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bees<\/a> live in colonies that contain the queen bee, the worker bees and the drones. There are many different types of bee including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentokil.ie\/wasps\/species\/#honey-bee\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">bumble bees<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentokil.ie\/wasps\/species\/#honey-bee\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">mason bees<\/a>, <a title=\"honey bees\" href=\"http:\/\/www.rentokil.ie\/wasps\/species\/#honey-bee\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">honey bees<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentokil.ie\/wasps\/species\/#honey-bee\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">solitary bees<\/a>. Honey bees tend to live in large &#8220;families&#8221; and are found all over the world. The honey bee is the only social insect whose colony can survive many years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Did you know that&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/news\/environment\/ireland-joins-international-group-trying-to-protect-bees-1.3440625\">Ireland has joined 20 countries committed to working together to protect pollinators? <\/a>We are working together with authorities and organisations to protect pollinators while harnessing public concern for bee decline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Are bees dangerous?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A honey bee can sting a person or predator using its stinger. Honey bees usually sting as a form of defence, protecting themselves or their colony. Their stings are quite painful and even life-threatening to a small percentage of people who are allergic to the venom. The amount of pain a person suffers depends on the amount of poison from the sting. Even when the pain subsides, victims may still have a rash. Honey bee stings can have serious consequences for people who are allergic to them. The venom has been known to cause sickness, dizziness or even death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Prevention<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Because honey bee colonies can be extremely large and removal can be very messy, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentokil.ie\/wasps\/nest-removal\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">pest management professional<\/a> or experienced&nbsp;beekeeper&nbsp;can decide or help you safely remove a honey bee nest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Do you have any wasp problem? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentokil.ie\/contact-us\/\">Contact us<\/a> today for expert advice and immediate assistance. We&#8217;re happy to help you.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Summer is here! Pests such as wasps and bees can pose a danger to you and your children. Wasps&nbsp;and honey&nbsp;bees&nbsp;can be mistaken Here\u2019s some practical advice to avoid wasps and bees to make your home or business a safe place for an outdoor party. Although there are hundreds of species of wasps, hornets, and bees [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14924,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","_s2mail":"yes","footnotes":""},"categories":[2405,2410],"tags":[92,651,2132,2351],"class_list":["post-14285","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insects","category-wasps","tag-bees","tag-wasp-nest","tag-wasp-sting","tag-wasps-and-bees"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Summer Dangers: Pests &amp; Children | Pest Control Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Summer is here! Time for family outdoor activities, but beware of summer dangers. Learn about pests that pose risks to you and your children.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rentokil.ie\/blog\/the-differences-between-wasps-and-bees\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Latest Buzz: Avoiding Wasps and Bees\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Summer is around the corner! It\u2019s finally the time for family outdoor activities. You should also beware of the summer dangers to you and your children.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.rentokil.ie\/blog\/the-differences-between-wasps-and-bees\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"deBugged\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-08-11T14:59:09+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-17T14:36:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"The Latest Buzz: Avoiding Wasps and Bees\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Summer is around the corner! It\u2019s finally the time for family outdoor activities. 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