Bees and Wasps
Differentiating between European Honeybees and European Wasps.
European wasps are meat eaters and also interested in a variety of food, especially sugary food and drinks; they are more likely than European honeybees to show interest in the content of your picnic basket or open can of soft drink - and in your steak.
European honeybees might only show an interest in food containing high concentration of sugar or honey - but not in your steak.
Differentiating between bees and wasps can be difficult for someone who is not familiar with these insects. It is even more difficult when standing in a safe distance from an opening in the wall, watching these little insects flying in and out. Only when they have settled on a flower for example and when looking at them from a close distance it is quite easy to tell the difference.
European wasps are shiny black with bright-yellow stripes and markings, almost hairless, and slim compared with a bee.
European honeybees have fine hair all over their body, and although their colour can differ from black or dark brown to golden with grey or amber bands, they never have bright-yellow markings on their body.
The difference becomes apparent from the photos below:
European Honeybees
3 bees on comb
no bright-yellow markings and not hairless
European Wasp
European Wasp
shiny black and bright-yellow markings