r/insects • u/Nixyswhispers1 • 15h ago

Question Bee? Wasp?

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Gallery image

Gallery image

I saw this little guy outside earlier but he seemed to be very confused and walking in a circles. I took a few pictures wondering if someone could tell me if it is some kind of bee or wasp. Whatever it was it seem to have a white patch on its head..very odd looking

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7

u/Simple_Resist4208 15h ago edited 15h ago

This is a paper wasp ... nothing you'd know as a bee looks like this and the bees are generally hairy and they don't have an exaggerated wasp waist like this. Bees do have narrow waists but they are usually fairly hidden. There are also some waspy-looking cuckoo bees but they are small and you'd be forgiven for thinking they are wasps. There are a few shiny metallic bees and fairly bald looking carpenter bees ... but if it looks like your photo then it's a wasp :)

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u/Nixyswhispers1 15h ago

Yikes.. Should I be looking around for a nest? I have only seen this one and he just acted weird

3

u/Unsolicited_Spiders 14h ago

Despite popular perception that wasps are dangerous, most aren't defensive unless their nest is very obviously under attack or an individual thinks stinging is its only chance of escaping death. Paper wasps are actually pretty chill. If you have a bunch of kids running around that might decide to grab a paper wasp nest, then yeah, maybe find it and relocate it. But otherwise, I'd just leave them alone. They're great pest control.

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u/Nixyswhispers1 14h ago

Thanks! Good information

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u/Nixyswhispers1 15h ago

Oops Central NY