Wasp stings are probably far more common (from personal experiece I'd
agree), but I'm not sure what you mean when you say that wasps are
"independent". 'Social' doesn't describe the insect's disposition; it
refers to the fact that they live in a colony and most of the common
wasps that people worry about (hornets, yellowjackets, etc.) are also
"social". The solitary or "independent" wasps (and solitary bees, too)
are far less aggressive (except to their prey!). You sort of leave the
impression that wasps go out of their way to attack people, but my
experience has been that it's typically the result of accidental
encounters, such as stepping on/near a nest in the ground, tucked
into a shrub near a house, etc., or else in the fall when people
encounter them around picnic tables, trashcans and recycle bins.
Also, Orchard bees are "non-stinging" by virtue of their mellow
dispostions, but they have stingers and can sting if provoked for some
reason.
Ian wrote:
"Removing all bees from the city will not make the city a safe place for that allergic
person. They are still at risk from wasps and wild bees that don't know how to read city
ordinances."
Funny thing is that 9 times out of 10 it is a wasp that has stung
someone, not a bee. Bee's usually don't sting unless they are
panniced or they are defending their colony. Bees are a social insect
instinctually flea from danger, where a wasp is an independent insect
instinctually attacking danger. I'm a beekeeper and am sick and
tiered of people always blaming bees for there sting. Wasps are the
aggressors, and if people actually payed attention, they could very
easily tell what stung them. A bee leaves her barbed stinger venom
sack, a wasp leaves only a welt b/c she has no barb. It seems the
hives that tend to bother people are the ones that aren't hidden from
sight.
Anyhow, another extremly efficient pollinating non stinging insect is
the Orchard Bee. They are very easy to keep and just about as good at
pollinating as the honey bee.
--
================================================== =============
Mike Waldvogel, PhD
Extension Specialist, Residential & Industrial Pests
Dept. of Entomology, NCSU-Box 7613, Raleigh, NC USA 27695-7613
Ph: (919) 515-8881 Fax: (919) 515-7746
Email:
http://entomology.ncsu.edu/DIRECTORY/waldvogel.html
================================================== =============