Bees and wasps

Bees, wasps and ants are all insects from the order Hymenoptera. Those of this order which cause mortality or morbidity include the honey bee (Apis mellifera), the European Wasp (Vespula germanica), native wasps (Polistessp.) and ants from the genus Myrmecia. Most often their sting causes a painful local reaction with little systemic effect. However in sensitized individuals these stings can cause severe local and/or generalized allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis.

Note Dose-dependent toxicity can sometimes be significant with multiple bee and European wasp stings. Haemolysis, rhabdomyolysis and metabolic derangement may precede clinical deterioration.

Prevention of bee and wasp stings (adapted from "Living with European wasps", Victorian Department of Natural Resources and the Environment):

• Beware of clovered lawns as bees are usually attracted to this pollen.
• Try to avoid wearing perfumes, cosmetics and bright clothes, particularly on sunny days when bees and wasps are most active.
• As a precaution, shoes should be worn around gardens and lawns, particularly when watering.
• Do not disturb wasp nests or bee hives unless fully protected, and never approach them during daylight hours, as this is when they are most active.
• Beverages, particularly sugary ones, attract bees and wasps - use glasses or straws rather than drinking from cans or bottles whilst outdoors.
• Before consuming food outdoors check for wasps. Wasps like to hide inside and underneath food - particularly meat, fish and confectionery.
• Do not swat at or annoy wasps that are hovering around food - wasps are attracted to moving targets.
• Warn children of the dangers of wasps and bees - particularly about the dangers of approaching nests.
• Have wasp nests destroyed if found.

The order Hymenoptera is a large insect order which contains two suborders: Apocrita (ants, bees and wasps) and Symphyta (sawflies). Each suborder comprises of numerous families and species.

Related Concepts

• Australian Venom Research Unit, Research projects

Related Treatments

• Bees, wasps and stinging ants, Treatment for stings

Related Venomous creatures

• Arthropods, Australian

Book Sections

• Brown, W. L. jr. and Taylor, R.W., 'Hymenoptera Section: Superfamily Formicoidea', in Mackerras, 1970, pp. 951-959. [ Details... ]
• Kaiser, E. and Michl, H., 'Die Biochemie der Tierischen Gifte. Einzeldarstellungen aus dem Gesamtgebiet der Biochemie', in 0. Hoffman (ed.), Neue Folge, vol. II, Franz Deutsche, Wein, 1958. [ Details... ]
• Riek, E. F., 'Hymenoptera (Wasps, Bees, Ants)', in Mackerras, I. M. (ed.), The Insects of Australia, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 1970, pp. 867-943. [ Details... ]

Conference Papers

• Cleland, J. B., 'Insects and Their Relationship to Disease in Man in Australia', in Trans. 9^th Aust. Med. Congr. 1911, vol. 1, Sydney, 1913, pp. 548-552. [ Details... ]

Journal Articles

• 'Bee Stings', British Medical Journal, vol. 1, 1949, p. 1061. [ Details... ]
• 'Wasp Venom', The Medical Journal of Australia, vol. 1, 1954, p. 873. [ Details... ]
• 'Title not recorded', British Medical Journal, 28 September 1957, p. 757 & 771. [ Details... ]
• 'Insect Stings', British Medical Journal, 12 September 1959, p. 417. [ Details... ]
• Birdseye, S., 'Severe Reactions to Wasp Stings', The Medical Journal of Australia, vol. 2, 1964, p. 691. [ Details... ]
• Cleland, J. B., 'Insects in Their Relationship to Injury and Disease in Man in Australia. Series III', The Medical Journal of Australia, vol. 2, 1931, p. 711. [ Details... ]
• Cleland, J. B., 'Insects in Their Relationship to Injury and Disease in Man in Australia. Series IV', The Medical Journal of Australia, vol. 1, 1944, pp. 7-10. [ Details... ]
• Crewe, W. and Gordon, R. M., 'The Histology of the Lesions Caused by the Sting of the Hive Bee Apis mellifica', Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, vol. 43, 1949, pp. 341-344. [ Details... ]
• Derrick, E., 'A Striking Reaction to a Bee Sting', The Medical Journal of Australia, vol. 1, 1932, p. 833. [ Details... ]
• Doery, H. M. and Pearson, J. E., 'Phospholipase B in Snake Venoms and Bee Venom', The Biochemical Journal, vol. 92, 1964, pp. 599-602. [ Details... ]
• Feldberg, W. and Kellaway, C. H., 'Liberation of Histamine and its Role in the Symptomatology of Bee Venom Poisoning', The Australian Journal of Experimental Biology and Medical Science, vol. 15, 1937, pp. 461-489. [ Details... ]
• Fluno, J. A., 'Wasps as Enemies of Man', Bull. Ent. Soc. Amer., vol. 7, no. 3, 1961, pp. 117-119. [ Details... ]
• Foubert, E. L. and Stier, R. A., 'Antigenic Reactions Between Honeybee Wasps, Yellow Hornets, Black Hornets and Yellow Jackets', Journal of Allergy, vol. 29, 1958, p. 13. [ Details... ]
• Haberman, E., 'Biochemie, Pharmacologie und Toxikologie der Inhaltsstoffe von Hymenopterengiften', Ergebn. Physiol. (Ergebnisse der Physiologie, Biologischen Chemie und Experimentellen Pharmakologie?), vol. 60, 1968, pp. 220-325. [ Details... ]
• Haberman, E. and Breithaupt, H., 'MLC - Peptide: A Selectively Mastocytolytic Factor Isolated from Bee Venom', Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Archives of Hharmacology, vol. 260, 1968, pp. 127-128. [ Details... ]
• Holdstock, D. J., Mathias, A. P. and Schachter, M., 'A Comparative Study of Kinin, Callidin and Bradykinin', British Journal of Pharmacology, vol. 12, 1957, pp. 149-158. [ Details... ]
• Horen, W. P., 'Insect and Scorpion Stings', Journal of the American Medical Association, vol. 221, 1972, pp. 894-898. [ Details... ]
• Insect Allergy Committee of the American Academy of Allergy, 'Insect Sting Allergy: Questionnaire Study of 2606 Cases', Journal of the American Medical Association, vol. 193, 1965, pp. 115-120. [ Details... ]
• Langlois, C., 'Allergic Reaction to Insect Stings', Postgraduate Medicine, vol. 45, 1969, pp. 190-195. [ Details... ]
• Lyon, J. B., 'Insect Bites and Stings', Practitioner, vol. 200, 1968, pp. 670-677. [ Details... ]
• Marks, H. B., 'Stinging Insects: Allergy Implications', Pediatric clinics of North America, vol. 16, 1969, pp. 177-191. [ Details... ]
• McCormick, W. F., 'Fatal Anaphylactic Reactions to Wasp Stings; Review With Immunological Studies of Fatal Case', American Journal of Clinical Pathology, vol. 39, 1963, p. 484. [ Details... ]
• Mueller, H. L., 'Further Experiences with Severe Allergic Reactions to Insect Stings', New England Journal of Medicine, vol. 261, 1959, pp. 374-376. [ Details... ]
• Mueller, H. L., 'Diagnosis and Treatment of Insect Sensibility', Journal of Asthma Research, vol. 3, 1966, pp. 331-333. [ Details... ]
• North, E. A. and Doery, H. M., 'Protective Action of Venoms Containing Phosphatidase-A Against Certain Bacterial Exotoxins', Nature (London), vol. 182, 1958, pp. 1374-1375. [ Details... ]
• North, E. A. and Doery, H. M., 'Antagonism Between the Action of Staphylococcal Toxin and the Venom of Certain Snakes and Insects in Mice', British Journal of Experimental Pathology, vol. 41, 1960, pp. 234-242. [ Details... ]
• Prince, H. E. and Secrest, P. G., 'Use of Whole Bee Extract in Sensitization to Bees, Wasps and Ants', The Journal of Allergy, vol. 10, 1939, p. 379. [ Details... ]
• Rytand, D. A., 'Onset of Nephrotic Syndrome During Reaction to Sting', Stanford Medical Bulletin, vol. 13, 1955, p. 224. [ Details... ]
• Schacter, M. and Thain, E. M., 'Title not recorded', British Journal of Pharmacology, vol. 9, 1954, p. 352. [ Details... ]
• Schwartz, H. J. and Kahn, B., 'Hymentoptera Sensitivity: II. The Role of Atopy in the Development of Clinical Hypersensitivity', The Journal of Allergy, vol. 45, 1970, pp. 87-91. [ Details... ]
• Scragg, R. F. R. and Szent-Ivany, J. J. H., 'Fatalities Caused by Multiple Hornet Stings in the Territory of Papua and New Guinea', Journal of Medical Entomology, vol. 2, no. 3, 1965, pp. 309-313. [ Details... ]
• Skerman, B. S., 'Severe Reactions to Wasp Stings: A Report of Two Cases', The Medical Journal of Australia, vol. 2, 1964, pp. 508-509. [ Details... ]
• Tomkins, J., 'The Treatment of Bee Stings in Australia', Ann. Gen. Pract., vol. 8, 1963, pp. 153-155. [ Details... ]

Newspaper Articles

• Wasp Kills Man, Advertiser, Adelaide, 17 June 1957, 4 pp. [ Details... ]