Nature & Environment

Why do we tend to like bees but hate wasps ?

By T.K. Randall
September 19, 2018

Image: Vespula Germana Wasp
Credit: Richard Bartz / CC BY-SA 2.5 (adapted) There is certainly no denying that both wasps and bees can be a real nuisance at times, especially when they fly in an open window during the summer and buzz mercilessly around the room.

According to a recent study however, it seems that while we tend to hate wasps, our general attitude towards bees is actually a lot more favorable.

For the research, 750 participants from 46 countries were asked to rate both groups of insects out of five while also describing some of the words that sprung to mind when they thought of each one.Most of the participants rated bees a three or above while using words such as "honey", "flowers" and "pollination" to describe them. Wasps, by contrast, received a much lower score, with most people associating them with words such as "sting" and "dangerous."

The study authors are now hoping to quell the idea that wasps are little more than a nuisance.

"People don't realize how incredibly valuable they are," said study leader Dr Seirian Sumner from University College London. "Although you might think they are after your beer or jam sandwich - they are, in fact, much more interested in finding insect prey to take back to their nest to feed their lavae."

Source: BBC News

Tags: Wasps, Bees