Continuing the trend of bee related articles I have had over the past few weeks, I wanted to talk about bees and how they relate to fear. The fear of bees (known as apiphobia) is quite common amongst humans, yet it isn't really rooted in any form of logic. Many consider bees to be brutal and aggressive, but they can actually be quite friendly, and they do many important jobs for us. So, in this post, I wanted to go in depth into exactly why many of us fear bees, why we shouldn't, and what to do when you inevitably encounter them in your everyday life. So, without further ado, let's start by discussing why we are even frightened of bees in the first place.
Why are we scared of bees?
While this question may seem simple to answer, there can actually be a multitude of different reasons as to why we can be scared of bees. So, here is a quick list of the most common reasons many of us are afraid of them:
(Big thanks to buzzaboutbees.net for providing the information in this section. If you want to learn more about bees, you can check out their website by clicking here.)
1. Bad childhood experience- this reason for fearing bees can be broken down into a few different "sub-reasons". Many of us may have a bad experience with bees in our childhood, and this can cause us to have a fear of them for the rest of our lives. In some cases, we can be stung as a young child, and the memory of the pain and fear caused by that sting can become embedded in our brains. In others, over exaggeration from parents and media directed towards bees can cause us to form a false opinion of them. And in some cases, even seeing other people getting stung and the discomfort it causes them as a child can cause us to have a lifelong fear.
2. Misinformation- if you didn't have a bad experience as a kid, then you may be afraid of bees simply because you don't know that much about them. Humans tend to fear the unknown, so it would make sense that we fear bees if we don't know much about them. Luckily, this reason for fearing bees is easily solved, as once you begin to learn more about them, you can see that they may not be as dangerous as you once thought!
3. Allergic reactions- this reason for fearing bees is completely justified. Some people have bad allergic reactions to bee stings, with some being so bad that they could be fatal. In this case, it is justified to have a fear of bees, because they can actually hurt you badly. However, it still helps to know more about them, as knowing how to handle bees can help calm the nerves and prevent you from getting stung.
Are bees out to get us?
So now that we know a bit about why we are afraid of bees, let's take a look at the logical side of things. Are bees innately hostile? The short answer is no. Many times, bees will just mind their own business when you are around. However, the long answer is that, depending on the type of bee, there may be a higher likelihood of it stinging you. Additionally, you may want to take different precautions when encountering them. So, let's take a look at the most common types of bees, some of their characteristics, and what you should do when you encounter them.
Bumblebees/Honey Bees
The first type (or two types) of bee I want to talk about are bumblebees (pictured on the left) and honey bees (pictured on the right) which are grouped in the same category because they are similar when talking about aggression, and both feed off pollen and nectar. Anyway, bumblebees have a fat and furry appearance, and honeybees are smaller and slimmer, similar to a wasp. Both these types of bees are quite friendly and non-aggressive, this being the case for two main reasons.
They both collect pollen, so they want to spend their time doing their job rather than stinging us.
Honey bees, after they sting a human, die off after a little while. This is their last line of defense, so they prefer not to use it. While bumblebees can sting more than once, they are more focused on their job collecting pollen as mentioned before.
So, when encountering a bumblebee or honey bee, the best course of action is to just let them do their thing. They may buzz around you, and in some cases land on you to sniff you out, but if you stay still when they do this, there is no chance you will be stung.
Wasps
Unlike bumblebees and honey bees, wasps (pictured below) are a little bit more aggressive, and feed off other insects and food waste rather than pollen or nectar. Wasps have a slim appearance, with yellow and black stripes near their tail end. They are sometimes called yellow jackets due to their striking yellow appearance.
Wasps tend to sting when they are bothered, rather than using it as a last line of defense. While with bumblebees and honeybees you can get close without getting hurt, you are putting yourself at risk by getting close to wasps. Since most wasps are part of hive minds, angering one can often anger a whole hive. So, if you happen to see a wasp, it is best to keep a safe distance from it and leave it alone. Sometimes, however, they may land on you to sniff something out (like a bumblebee) and if they do this it is best to patiently wait for them to fly away. If it doesn't, then you can use a piece of paper to gently brush it off. If you would like to learn more about wasps, click here.
Hornets
Like wasps, hornets tend to be on the more aggressive side. Possessing little to no fuzz, a hornet can look similar to a wasp. However, they normally have more black on their body, whereas wasps tend to have more yellow.
When encountering a hornet, the procedure is very similar to a wasp encounter. Keep a safe distance, as they can be bothered if you come too close. If they come to you, make sure to stay still until they go away. The last thing you want to do is panic and flail your arms, as this could hit the hornet and anger it. If you just stay still and calm, the hornet will have no reason to sting you, and it will likely go on its way. If you would like to learn more about hornets and their behaviors, click here.
Conclusion
So, often bee attacks and traumatizing events can be avoided by just standing still. Bees, especially honeybees and bumblebees aren't out to get us, and often times they can be quite gentle and friendly. Many forms of media portray them as mean and aggressive, but depending on the type they can be quite the opposite. Anyways, I hope this post helped you learn a little bit more about bees, and maybe soothe some of the worries you might have. This was a bit of a longer post, so if you made it all the way to the end, thank you. As always, make sure to check out the links provided below, as they give great information on the different types of bees and what they are like. Thanks for reading.
All credit for information used in this post goes to:
http://www.fearof.net/fear-of-bees-phobia-apiphobia/
http://www.buzzaboutbees.net/apiphobia.html
https://bumblebeeconservation.org/about-bees/faqs/honeybees-vs-bumblebees/
https://www.orkin.com/stinging-pests/bees/bumblebees/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Characteristics_of_common_wasps_and_bees
https://www.treehugger.com/lawn-garden/why-wasps-attack-and-why-it-matters.html
http://www.gardeners.com/how-to/yellow-jackets/7700.html
Images:
https://pixabay.com/en/bumblebee-flower-bug-nature-2542933/
https://www.makeupgeek.com/content/community-challenge/april-monthly-challenge-bug-inspired/
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140720172744-211564464-conquering-the-fear-of-phone-selling
https://autodo.info/pages/w/what-does-a-bee-sting-look-like-on-a-child/
http://www.istockphoto.com/no/vector/vector-illustration-of-a-children-stung-by-bees-gm654622950-119656407
http://animalia-life.club/other/bumblebee-bug-flying.html
https://pixabay.com/en/photos/bumblebee/
http://beneficialbugs.org/bugs/Honeybee/honey_bee.htm
http://labs.blogs.com/its_alive_in_the_lab/2016/05/bees-wasps.html
https://www.rescue.com/bugs/hornets/
https://justbeefriendly.com/products/bee-friendly-poster
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