Just wondering whose sting is more powerful, a bee’s or a wasp’s?
I’ve been stung by bees and yellow jackets, and the sting, while not pleasant, isn’t all that bad (provided you’re not allergic, of course).
I’ve heard lots of stories from people who have also been stung by red paper wasps (polistes), and they say there’s no comparison: paper wasps HURT!
So, if by “powerful” you mean amount of pain inflicted, my vote would go to the wasp.
I would also say wasp, mainly because they can sting you multiple times, whereas, doesn’t a bee lose his/her ass after they sting you?
The humongous palm-sized ( at least on my smallish hands ) Tarantula Hawks in the genus Pepsis*, members of the Spider-Wasp family ( Pompillidae ), supposedly have the worst stings in North America.
Which isn’t surprising, considering it is designed to paralyze tarantulas for provisioning purposes ( the old “living larder” trick ). Nothing more impressive that to see one of these monstrous, metallic-blue bodied, burnt-orange winged critters come buzzing by like Boeing 747. Even more impressive to hear some weeds rustling, parting the grass to take a look, and seeing one of these gals dragging a massive tarantula along towards their burrow.
- Tamerlane
I got stung by both numerous times grwoing up in Louisiana. Wasps (at least the red wasps that live there) are many times more powerful than any bee or yellowjacket that I ever got stung by.
Another vote for at least this kind of wasp.
A lot of it depends on your own level of allergy to the sting - the strength of the response varies by person; some of us barely notice, others are hypersensitive and go into shock. Most people are somewhere in the middle.
Bee stings and wasp stings contain similar ingredients (mostly proteins), but these are present in different amounts. For this reason, any individual might be more sensitive to the composition of bee venom than wasp venom, or vice versa, though I’d expect the level of pain to generally be pretty close (mostly the same ingredients in the venoms, after all). My own response to bee stings is about the same as for yellow-jackets (never been stung by a wasp) - mild itchy twinge, little pink inflamation at sting site
Beyond the actual venom, there are behavioral and anatomical considerations. Wasps are “meaner” than bees - they’re quicker to sting (presumably because it won’t kill them), so you’re more likely to get stung by a wasp (or hornet, or yellow-jacket) than a bee. Also, as Meatros mentioned above, wasps can sting again and again, because they have a smooth stinger, not a barbed one, and don’t pull out their guts and die in the process.
On the other hand, the fact that bees lose their venom sac with the stinger means that after the bee’s gone, it’s sac continues pumping venom into you. I don’t know how MUCH venom we’re talking here, but the bee might be able to get more into you this way - wasps can’t keep injecting venom after they withdraw.
Cite: I found a lot of this info at http://www.greensmiths.com/bees.htm . Neat site w/ some cool pictures.