How Do I Know What Type Of Insect Stung Me?

It is often very difficult to determine the source of a sting. This is why it is recommended that patients who have experienced an allergic reaction to an insect sting undergo testing to a complete panel of stinging insects. Despite this difficulty, there are some clues that will help a victim of a sting determine the type of insect that was involved. Honeybees are usually nonaggressive and only sting when their hive is threatened, or if they are struck or stepped on.

Most bee stings occur in people who are barefoot while outdoors. Africanized honeybees (killer bees) are much more aggressive than domestic honeybees and frequently attack people in swarms who approach their hive.

Due to their ability to dominate other bees, Africanized bees have become increasingly common throughout the United States. Because their stingers are barbed, all honeybees will leave their stinger in the skin of their victim, limiting the honeybee to one sting. As the stinger is pulled out of the bee’s body, the bee loses some of its internal organs and dies in the process. Bumblebees are very large  and scary  to encounter, but they are not usually aggressive and rarely sting unless provoked. As they fly slowly and buzz loudly, they are easy to identify from a distance. Bumblebee stingers have no barbs and remain with the bee after stinging, allowing the bee to sting multiple times.

Wasps live in honeycomb-like nests often under the overhangs of houses. Wasps tend to be nonaggressive, although they sting when disturbed. They do not leave a stinger in their victims, so they are able to sting repeatedly. Yellow jackets live in nests on the ground and are the most aggressive of all of the stinging insects. Like wasps, they are able to sting multiple times. They live by scavenging for food and are commonly found around trash cans, dumpsters, and picnics, and are prone to seek out cans and bottles of sweet beverages.

This tendency to climb into beverage containers may result in stings on the lips, inside the mouth, or on the tongue. Yellow-faced and white-faced hornets live in trees and shrubs in “paper-m?ché” nests. They will attack their victims when provoked and are also able to sting multiple times