Not every buzzy thing is a wasp!

Being married to a beekeeper, I suppose I'm more acutely aware of the misapprehensions that many people have about the Hymenoptera group. This order of insects includes bees, wasps, hornets, sawflies, ants and many other familiar creatures. It's true that a lot of these do possess stings, but they tend to use them either to incapacitate prey or for defence: Linda has been stung perhaps twice in the past year, and she spends a lot of time covered in bees!

Personally speaking, I find that Bumblebees are particularly docile: as a young kid I used to stroke them (Until a 'well-meaning adult' told me I shouldn't!) Honeybees are also pretty friendly, unless you come too near their nest or hive: it is incredible to watch how they attack wasps or hornets. I have watched a 'ball' of honeybees swarm over a hornet until their combined body heat suffocates the intruder!

There is no doubting that both wasps and hornets are in a different category: they can sting as often as they like and seem aware of the fact! European Hornets, IMHO, are not as aggressive as wasps, but their sting is more painful! The Asian Hornet is a far more dangerous beast: they have killed people and attack beehives: they are a genuine threat to the honeybee. Worryingly, swarms have been discovered in several southern counties...