Bees

One should be careful not to confuse bees with nastier insects such as wasps or hornets. There are different bee varieties with different nesting behaviours. The honeybee as well as the bumblebee create large communal hives whereas wood boring bees nest as individuals in soft wood. If disturbed, honeybees become very aggressive and therefore really dangerous. A whole swarm attacking one or two people could kill them even if they are not allergic to bee sting.

Honeybees have a valuable place in the ecosystem as carriers of pollen between flowers as they feed on the pollen (protein source) and nectar (energy source). They are also of great commercial value for the honey they produce which humans regard as a healthy food source. However, sometimes they are simply in the wrong place and their presence turns into a problem. Since bees numbers are slowly diminishing, hives in problematic locations should be carefully removed and relocated where they can live and produce their honey in peace and safety.

A bee sting is very painful and can swell up quite noticeably around the sting although it will not kill most people. However, unfortunately some people are highly allergic to bee sting which often results in a stray bee to be killed. Moreover, the honeybee can sting only once after which it dies because the barbed stinger gets stuck in the flesh of the victim. Consequently, when the bee pulls away, vital parts of its body which are attached to the stinger are torn out.