bees and wasps

scott · Post by **scott** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 2:05 pm

im told its the female of the species that does the stinging?

minks · Post by **minks** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 2:51 pm

scott wrote: im told its the female of the species that does the stinging?

http://www.honey.com/kids/facts.html

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjec ... Wasp.shtml

these should help.

Post by **spot** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 3:11 pm

You need to distinguish between sex and sterility. What stings you might be an infertile drone but it's invariably female.

As Snooze points out below, the correct word in this post should have been "worker", not "drone".

Post by **spot** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 4:58 pm

SnoozeControl wrote: According to minks' link, a drone is a male that fertilizes the queen's eggs. The workers are the... well, workers.

Yep. Knowing what distinguishes words like "drone" and "worker" is half the battle - wasp sexing isn't something I do when I see a wasp. I prefer not to be in the same room. The difference between social hive insect species and solitary insect species in terms of the function of drones and workers quite frankly has me beat.

If it stings, it's female. If it's social and not in a nest busy breeding, it's either a queen on its way to form a new colony or, more likely, a worker out foraging. If it's solitary then I've no idea how you'd tell male and female apart, or whether there's a drone and worker category at all.

chonsigirl · Post by **chonsigirl** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 5:00 pm

I thought it was Paul Newman and Robert Redford in The Sting..............

chrisb84uk · Post by **chrisb84uk** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 6:15 am

AGHH who mentioned bees and wasps, where!!?? I just can't stand those things, they are EVIL!!!!

Uncle Kram · Post by **Uncle Kram** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 6:42 am

What would you rather bee or a wasp?

Uncle Kram · Post by **Uncle Kram** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 6:47 am

Pariah Mary? - you've been reading that Cockney rhyming slang dictionary again haven't you?