Many people ask: does a wasp sting or bite? Wasps sting people in self-defense, and they only sting when they are building their nests and when they are catching prey.
Wasps belong to the order Hymenoptera, which includes ants, bees and sawflies. Many people confuse wasps and bees. It's really easy to differentiate these insects because bees look completely furry while wasps are hairless. Wasps have 12 or 13 venom packets, and their abdomens are connected to their thorax by a thin petiole, or “waist.” Many people claim that wasps attack humans.
Does the wasp sting or bite? The question confused many people. Wasps just sting. Female bees and wasps are the only insects that can sting. Males They do not have an ovipositor, which is equipped with a sting, like in females. Unlike bees, some female wasps can sting many times because their stinger does not fall off after use.
Was bitten by a wasp
Sometimes wasp stings are confused. Wasps do bite, however, they only bite when catching prey and use their mouths to make their nests; 
the wasp does not bite people when attacking. Wasps use their sting as a way to protect themselves from creatures that might pose a threat to them.
Wasp stings are most likely to occur in warm time years when people spend a lot of time on outdoors. Wasp stings can be unpleasant and painful, but most people recover quickly and without complications. Common reactions to a sting are localized pain, redness and swelling.
What to do if you are stung by a wasp
Now you know the answer to the question whether a wasp stings or bites, wasps only sting people, and you should know what to do if you are bitten by a wasp.
The wasp is far from the only insect that can bite very painfully. Ants, bees, bedbugs, flies and even some dragonflies bite no less sensitively, and sometimes much more painfully than ordinary wasps.
However, among the bites of all insects, it is the wasp sting that is rightfully considered one of the most dangerous - in some countries of the world people die from wasp stings larger number people than from attacks by any other wild animals or insects in the region.
This is interesting
The most painful bites of all insects belong to the South American bullet ants. According to a special sting force scale, it has an index of 4+. In second place on the pedestal are the bites of road wasps that prey on poisonous spiders - they have an index of 4. And in third place - with an index of 3 - are the paper wasps that are familiar to all of us. Their bites are approximately equal in pain to the bites of the largest predatory bugs.
The photo below shows a road wasp, whose bites are very, very painful:
And in this photo you can see an ordinary paper wasp:
Despite the incredible pain, wasp stings are not dangerous for this reason. Although the main goal of the insect itself in defense is precisely to inflict pain on a potential enemy in order to scare him away, the threat to human health is determined primarily by the possibility of developing an allergic reaction to the toxins contained in the poison.
Wasp venom is a powerful allergen that causes extensive local swelling in most people. However, if a wasp sting occurs in a person who is particularly sensitive to insect toxins, then the likelihood of developing much more serious allergic reactions will be quite high.
Such an immune response of the victim’s body in some cases can even lead to death; and due to the fact that in some countries there is large number attacks by wasps, it is precisely such cases that form the sad statistics.
To wasps with a normal reaction of the body to it:
And this photo shows signs of severe allergies with severe swelling:
This is interesting
The most dangerous member of the True wasp family is the giant Asian hornet, which lives in Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, Burma and China. The venom of this insect is very strong and allergenic, the amount of it that enters the victim’s body after a bite is quite large, and the hornet itself often stings several times in one attack. All this leads to the fact that in Japan alone, about 40 people die every year from the bites of these large wasps.
The Japanese giant hornet (an endemic Asian subspecies) is shown in the photo below:
In addition to its toxicity, a wasp sting has a number of other interesting features. For example, wasps always easily remove their sting from the victim’s skin, so it is useless to look for their “weapon” at the site of the bite. This, by the way, distinguishes a wasp sting from a bee sting.
Effect of wasp venom
One of the main defining features of wasp venom is the large amount it contains. active ingredients. Each of them is responsible for one or another reaction in the affected area, but at the same time complements and largely enhances the effect of the other. That is why the overall effect of a wasp sting turns out to be much stronger than the simple total effect of different components poison.
Thus, when a wasp stings, acetylcholine in its toxin causes severe irritation of the nerve endings in the tissues damaged by the poison. For humans, this means sharp pain that occurs almost immediately, even before the wasp has time to remove its sting.
Phospholipases are “destroyers” of damaged tissue cells. They trigger the process of effusion of cell contents into the intercellular space and thereby cause inflammation - a protective reaction of the body aimed at recycling both the toxins themselves and the already unnecessary cell contents.
Phospholipases also destroy mast cells in the affected tissues, which are a kind of reservoir of their own histamine. As a result, this substance is huge quantities enters the bloodstream and is a secondary cause of allergies - moreover, stronger than from the histamine from the wasp venom itself.
When the cytotoxins contained in the venom come into contact with small blood vessels, their walls are destroyed, and, as a result, hemorrhage occurs. If a wasp stings on the arm or leg, this manifests itself in the form of small subcutaneous hematomas (bruises), but with multiple bites, very life-threatening internal hemorrhages become possible.
Note
One of the toxins in wasp venom, mastoparan, is specific to these insects. Its main action is directly to destroy mast cells and release histamine. However, there is an unusual dependence - in large quantities it prevents the development of inflammation - natural in such cases. As for wasp venom, it contains mastoparan in quantities sufficient to trigger an allergic reaction, but too small to prevent the development of inflammation.
The photo shows a typical inflammation at the site of a wasp sting:
In addition to the above, there are additional consequences of a wasp sting, namely:
- increased blood sugar levels, which is very dangerous for people with diabetes;
- increased cardiac output;
- decreased blood pressure;
- increased breathing.
As a rule, these symptoms, compared to tissue damage and a local or general allergic reaction, are less pronounced, and therefore are often simply not noticed by the victim.
This is interesting
Modern scientists are trying to use the cytotoxins contained in wasp venom to create a cure for cancer: it has been noted that these substances can quickly destroy cancer cells. Today, the scientific challenge is to make cytotoxins selectively affect the tumor, while not affecting healthy cells and tissues.
Consequences of wasp stings
All the processes described above occur at the micro level, and in most cases the victims do not care at all - they pay attention only to those manifestations of the bite that are clearly visible to the naked eye.
So, the first thing a person feels (and cannot help but notice) when stung by a wasp is severe pain. It occurs at the moment when the insect's sting has not yet been removed from the victim's body, and continues to grow, becoming more acute over time.
- redness at the site of the bite, which occurs within the first minutes after the wasp injects its poison;
- swelling and edema that develop 1-3 minutes after the sting and gradually increase in size (it is thanks to them that the wasp sting looks like a big red bump);
- itching, which always accompanies pain and is usually present a little longer than the pain itself (often a wasp sting is very itchy).
With a normal reaction of the body to a sting, the sting of a wasp is usually limited to these consequences. Clearly visible redness quickly subsides, and a normal flesh-colored swelling remains at the site of the bite.
The photo shows a wasp bite just a few minutes after the sting:
“I don’t really understand why these wasps are so afraid. Yes, the bite hurts, but it’s not fatal; after a day the bite goes away. I was recently stung by one of these at work - so what? I washed it with cold water, put a bottle from the refrigerator, and by the end of the shift I forgot where I had bitten. So, the bump was small, that’s all. Of course, if you start squeezing, smearing, or injecting something there, it will swell from the medications themselves. My mother-in-law had this. She took three pills and took some lotions, and the whole thing blew up. And then almost a week passed.”
Yaroslav, Yaroslavl
The photo below shows what a wasp bite might look like a day after the sting:
A small number of rashes on the skin in the area of the bite is also considered a normal reaction, and if the bite falls on the joint area, a slight trembling in it is also allowed.
The development of more severe allergy symptoms is much less common. These include:
- swelling extending far beyond the bite site;
- profuse – throughout the body – urticaria;
- nausea, increased body temperature;
- headaches and abdominal pain, dizziness;
- Quincke's edema;
- anaphylactic shock.
It is very important to understand that there is no single standard for the manifestation of allergy symptoms in different people no: in some they develop only a few hours after the bite, while in others almost instantly, within a few seconds. It is in the latter cases that a wasp sting poses the maximum danger, since the victim may simply not have time to provide the necessary assistance in time.
Wasp bites to certain parts of the body can represent increased danger. For example, a bite in the tongue, throat, neck or nose can lead to suffocation of the victim, a sting in the genitals can cause the inability to urinate, and a bite in the eye sometimes results in cataracts, glaucoma, iris atrophy and other very serious consequences.
The photo below shows what a wasp sting looks like, complicated by extensive swelling:
“I have always had some disdain for wasps. Probably because they often bit me as a child, and I just got used to it. Last summer I just saw a woman being bitten by a wasp on the beach; she lost consciousness within five minutes, probably. At first I wanted to laugh, I thought - I must faint from fear. And then, when she approached, she saw how her face was swollen, her entire neck, and her eyes were swollen. It is clear that she has high sensitivity. The ambulance arrived, took her away, and I don’t know how it all ended. Therefore, if a wasp bites, it all depends on your body.”
Tatyana, Astrakhan
Multiple wasp stings and their dangers
Multiple wasp bites deserve a separate discussion. If a person is simultaneously bitten by several insects, the effect of the bites on the body increases in proportion to their number.
For people with a normal reaction to wasp venom, even 5-6 insect bites do not pose a threat to life. The only thing is that they can be accompanied by profuse subcutaneous hemorrhages if they occur in approximately the same place (there will be a huge bruise).
Note
The lethal dose of wasp venom for a person who does not have a pronounced sensitivity to the toxin of this insect is 30-40 mg of poison per 1 kg of body weight. With one sting, the wasp injects about 0.4 mg of poison into the wound. That is, for an adult weighing 70 kg, approximately 700 bites will be fatal. But this is only in the absence of an allergic reaction!
The most dangerous to health, and sometimes to human life, are multiple bites of hornets - the closest relatives of ordinary wasps. Each hornet is capable of stinging its victim several times in one attack. If a whole group of insects has gathered, then their attack can ultimately lead to extensive hemorrhages (including internal ones) and necrotic tissue damage.
In the photograph you can see the consequences of an attack by the Asian giant hornet, which was already mentioned above:
Is it worth talking in this case about allergy sufferers, for whom even single attacks pose a great danger, and multiple stings of wasps and, especially, hornets, generally threaten life. It is logical that such people allergic reaction It will be many times sharper and more serious.
Wasp sting: where and why it most often occurs
Despite all the danger and apparent aggressiveness of wasps, their bites are just a method of self-defense and defense invented by nature. Against insects that wasps use as food for their larvae, poison and stings are used quite rarely. But the wasp is always ready to meet a potential enemy.
Most often, wasps bite humans in the following situations:
- in nature, when he comes too close to the nest;
- on summer cottages, the owners of which may try to purposefully destroy interfering wasp nests or accidentally touch a wasp sitting on a berry during harvest;
- in markets where fruits are sold or fish and meat are processed (wasps here, as a rule, accidentally come across the hands of sellers or workers);
- on balconies where wasps sometimes make their nests;
- in case of accidental swatting of an insect if it gets under clothing.
The photo below shows a paper wasp nest. If such a design catches your eye, you should bypass it to avoid unpleasant consequences:
In some cases, wasps attack, seemingly for no apparent reason - far from the nest. However detailed analysis situation in most cases shows that the insect was either crushed or scared away from the feeding site, which is why it mistook the person for the offender.
Be that as it may, wasps never attack a person to feed - they have a completely different “nature”. Each of their bites occurs only within the framework of self-defense, albeit not always understandable to humans..
What to do if you are stung by a wasp?
In conclusion, let's talk about... To minimize the consequences, you need to take a few simple steps.
- Try to suck the poison out of the wound. Just suck it out, and not squeeze it out, because pressing increases blood circulation at the site of the bite, and the poison will spread even faster under the skin.
- Have time to neutralize at least part of the poison with any available acid - table vinegar, citric acid, a piece of orange or apple. This should be done as quickly as possible, because the wound at the site of the wasp bite heals very quickly.
- Apply a cold compress to the wound - ice, meat from the freezer, a bottle of water.
All these manipulations will help reduce the size of the swelling and the severity of other symptoms.
If the victim shows the first signs of an allergy (for example, the general condition worsens, the temperature rises, shortness of breath and chest pain appear), he needs to take Suprastin or Diphenhydramine and immediately see a doctor. Every minute lost in this situation can cost your life!
In general, it is much easier to simply prevent wasp bites. To do this, it is enough to be as attentive and careful as possible in nature - inspect the place where you plan to sit, carefully pick berries and fruits, and if you find a cluster of wasps or their nests, slowly and quietly leave.
Under no circumstances should you slap an insect that has simply landed on your arm or leg. If the wasp is not going to fly away on its own, just pry it with a piece of paper and let it go - most likely, it will take the opportunity to retreat and the incident will be over.
About the danger of wasp and bee stings (including anaphylactic shock)
Hymenopterism – intoxication (poisoning) of the human body due to a bite Hymenoptera insects: bees, wasps, hornets, bumblebees, etc.
Bites from wasps and other stinging hymenoptera insects are a rather unpleasant part of summer time. Nevertheless, this danger can and must be fought. At first glance, it seems that there can be nothing wrong with a wasp sting. But practice shows the opposite. While the majority tolerate one or more bites without consequences, 1–2% of people have a persistent allergic reaction to the venom of stinging insects. In this situation, just one bite can lead to life-threatening anaphylactic shock. The same is true with multiple bites - a large dose of poison can provoke severe intoxication and lead to death. This is why it is so important to know what to do in a situation where you or someone around you is bitten by a wasp.
Remember that an allergic reaction does not occur immediately after the first hymenoptera bite. But with each subsequent bite it becomes more and more severe.
Wasp sting: first aid
- The first one, but very important advice– try to calm down. Wasp stings are quite painful, which causes extreme stress. So try to pull yourself together. It is best to ask someone nearby for help.
- Next in urgently brush away the wasp and leave the dangerous place. You should not wave your arms or make other sudden movements. Don't try to crush the offender. This will provoke a repeated attack by the insect and its relatives.
- Since the wasp does not leave a sting, nothing will have to be removed from the wound. But it should be thoroughly washed with soap foam or lemon juice. The latter will not only get rid of contamination, but also neutralize the remaining poison. Then the wound must be disinfected. Medical alcohol or any alcohol-containing liquid, brilliant green, a solution of furatsilin or manganese, and hydrogen peroxide are suitable for the procedure.
- The next step is a cold compress to relieve swelling. For at least 30 minutes. Use cool running or bottled water and a towel. If you are outdoors, then a handkerchief or any other item of clothing made of fabric will do. Ice or a compress made from a cloth soaked in a weak alcohol solution will help relieve swelling. table salt, vinegar or baking soda(one teaspoon per glass of water).
- Next we accept horizontal position and drink plenty of fluids. It is best to offer the victim hot green tea, mineral or slightly sweetened water, or Regidron solution.
- Regardless of whether you are allergic to wasp stings or not, you need to take antihistamine: Erius, Zodak, Suprastin, Claritin, Tavegil, Claritin, Diphenhydramine, etc. Do not forget to calculate the dosage and read the list of contraindications - carefully read the instructions for use.
- If after a wasp sting no alarming symptoms are observed, except for moderate swelling, pain and burning, then therapeutic measures can be carried out at home, without contacting a doctor.
Under no circumstances try to squeeze the poison out of the wound! This is fraught with infection.
It is strictly not recommended to consume alcohol or dairy products. This will increase the general intoxication of the body.
When should you see a doctor if you are bitten by a wasp?
In some situations, it is important to seek help from a medical facility as soon as possible:
- the site of the wasp sting becomes more swollen;
- a patient with diabetes, asthma or cardiovascular disease was injured by an insect;
- there is a rash, blistering or difficulty breathing, dry mouth;
- the victim has a fever above 38 °C;
- a wasp bit the face area, lymph nodes, oral cavity;
- a person has a predisposition to allergic reactions;
- there are more than 3–5 bites on the body (for children under 12 years old - more than one bite);
- loss of consciousness;
- rapid heartbeat;
- headache or dizziness;
- signs of infection are observed - fever, formation of an abscess at the site of the bite, fever, increasing pain.
- the wasp bit a child, a pregnant woman or an elderly person.
If child was bitten by a wasp, treatment at home is not advisable. It is recommended to contact a medical facility as soon as possible. Children have much more sensitive bodies than adults. Therefore, immediately after treating the wound, give the child an age-appropriate antihistamine, apply a compress (preferably from a solution of table salt) or treat the bite site with an antiallergic cream - Ketopin, Fenistil or Panthenol.
Folk remedies for the bite of wasps and other hymenoptera
During summer holiday A situation often arises when a wasp has bitten you and you don’t have a first aid kit at hand. Don't panic. In the absence of an allergic reaction to bites, the victim can be helped by using traditional medicine recipes:
- Apply a clean plantain or dandelion leaf to the wound that has been washed free of dirt. It is advisable to mash the leaf first so that it produces juice. This measure perfectly helps relieve inflammation and swelling from bites of other insects - bees, bumblebees or hornets. Change the herbal compress every 3-4 hours.
- Another great remedy if you are bitten by a wasp is the juice of regular onions. Cut the onion in half and apply the cut to the stung area. You can soak gauze or a cotton swab in onion juice and apply it to the wound.
- Plants such as aloe and parsley have healing properties. They should be pre-washed, mashed into a paste, applied to the painful area and loosely wrapped in a bandage or towel. The compress is changed every 1–2 hours until the pain disappears completely.
- If you are bitten by a wasp, use tansy decoction lotions - pour 2 tablespoons of inflorescences with water and boil for 15–20 minutes. The solution should be cooled and, moistening a gauze bandage in it, apply it to the bitten area.
First aid for a wasp sting is quite simple. The good news is that medicine extremely rarely records deaths due to the bites of these predatory insects. However, you should exercise caution and always carry a first aid kit with the necessary medications. But we do not recommend self-medication. If you are bitten by a wasp, avoid negative consequences For your health, it is still wiser to seek qualified help from a specialist. This is especially true if a wasp has bitten a child.
Probably, each of us is looking forward to the season of gentle sunshine, flowers and fruits. On days like these, we strive to go to the country, to the sea, to the river, or just outside the city to enjoy all the delights of summer. Insects are also looking forward to hot days: the abundance of nectar and fragrant fruits delights our smaller brothers too. And sometimes the proximity of humans and insects does not give any pleasure to either one or the other. And if some insects are absolutely indifferent to us, and they do not harm us, then others perceive humans as a direct threat to their lives. And to protect themselves, they can bite painfully, thereby warning uninvited guests that they have nothing to do here. And the poor fellows who had the misfortune of being stung by aggressive insects will remember for the rest of their lives how a wasp or a bee bites.
Speaking about our smaller brothers - wasps - it should be noted that these insects do not attack without provocation. What can trigger a lot. For example, sudden body movements, the aroma of perfume or bright clothes. Another immediate threat to the life of the insect or its family. So, while relaxing in the lap of nature, be vigilant.
How many times does a wasp bite?
The wasp sting has a unique structure - it is perfectly smooth and sharp. It must be said that this “wasp weapon” is the most sharp object in nature. Therefore, unlike a bee, a wasp can sting as many times as it wants - the sting does not remain in the body of the victim. Sometimes the question arises: “or does it bite?” The answer is obvious: since the insect strikes with its sting, the word “stings” will be the most correct wording, although this is not essential.
How a wasp bites and first aid
Well, firstly, it hurts, and secondly, a bite can cause a severe allergic reaction with all the ensuing consequences. Scientists noted that in lately More and more people are allergic to wasp venom. Swelling, itching or fever are perhaps the mildest reactions to anaphylactic shock - here you cannot do without an ambulance from a doctor. If you are attacked by a striped dipteran, then be sure to try to minimize the possible sad consequences. Where should I start? Examine the bite site for the presence of a sting in the wound (this can happen if you killed the insect during the bite). If no weapon is found, apply ice or soaked in water to the sore spot. cold water towel. A solution of baking soda or ammonia(1:5). Be sure to take an antihistamine. When relaxing in nature, allergy sufferers must have a syringe and an ampoule of adrenaline with them - this will help save a person’s life before the ambulance arrives.
If you don't have a first aid kit at hand
As a rule, on a picnic we take everything except a first aid kit. But in vain, because you never know what might happen. And if you have the misfortune of finding out how a wasp bites, but there is no medicine at hand, then use folk remedies. A cut onion applied to the wound will relieve swelling well. Urine will also help neutralize the effect of the poison. To do this, you need to urinate on a handkerchief and apply it to the bite site. Washed and mashed plantain or dandelion leaves will reduce pain and itching. Now you know how a wasp bites. Be careful.
With the arrival of warm weather, a wide variety of insects begin to fly actively. They replenish their reserves of strength wasted during the cold season, try to feast on nectar, and busily swarm around the flowers. But summer residents also rush to the beds along with insects to lay the foundations of the harvest, while watching with affection the buzzing insects that painstakingly pollinate all the plants. In this article we will tell you why wasps bite and how to get rid of these insects.
Insects come in a wide variety of varieties, so do not let your guard down, as they can be both aggressive and harmless.
The latter pay absolutely no attention to people and fly past, but aggressive individuals bite everyone they come across.
Intellectuals in this matter include bumblebees and bees, since these insects will never attack a person without a reason. But wasps and hornets are aggressors, biting according to their mood.
To date, science has not yet learned the reasons for this aggression, but others are no less known. interesting facts. Bees' stings have small serrations, which is why it is extremely difficult to pull them out of human skin. When a bee stings, it loses the stinger and along with it part of its stomach, which is simply not compatible with life, so after being stung the bee dies. But hornets and wasps bite with the help of a smooth sting; it penetrates the skin and back without any problems, so insects are capable of biting repeatedly, and each time injecting a certain amount of poison into the victim.
Another confirmed, but at the same time an inexplicable fact is the following: angry wasps and bees attack those people who are allergic to their stings, this phenomenon is a mystery today.
There are many species of wasps, some of them lead a solitary lifestyle, others, on the contrary, live large families, build specialized nests. Wood wasps prefer to build their nests in tree branches; medium-sized wasps prefer to build their nests in attics, sheds, and under roofs. This type wasps cause people great concern. Because you can find them in the garden, on ripe sweet fruits and above the kitchen table.
Having picked up suitable place, insects begin to build a nest in the spring. The overwintered female builds the nest especially carefully, cell by cell, and then lays eggs in the nest and feeds her larvae. After a certain time, worker wasps are born from the larvae. With their appearance, the female does not get food for herself and no longer flies out of the nest, as she breeds offspring, but the working wasps are engaged in expanding the nest and feeding new larvae. In autumn, females and males emerge from the cells, but only fertilized females remain to spend the winter, and all working wasps and males die.
Wasps do a lot of useful things, for example, they destroy bad insects and pollinate plants, but overnight their bites and aggression are quite dangerous for people. If you find such neighbors at your dacha, get rid of them yourself or call the Ministry of Emergency Situations for help. If you are unable to call for help, you will have to solve the problem yourself.
How to get rid of wasps
The nests of these insects should be removed at dusk, when all the wasps have flown to their nest. At this time, you can eliminate the entire family and avoid being bitten, but during the day, at the slightest attempt to disturb the nest, you can get acquainted with mass attack from the wasps, with all the ensuing consequences.
You need to take a big one plastic bag, put any insecticide inside and place the nest there, then close the bag tightly and leave it for a day. After this, simply burn the nest along with the dead wasps. So, you will get rid of terrorist insects for at least one season.
If you cannot find the nest and the wasps continue to bother you, you can try to reduce the number using baits. For this you need plastic bottle cut top part, and then turn it upside down and insert the rest of the bottle back, sweet syrup is poured into it. The bottles are placed where there is a large concentration of insects, and the solution is periodically updated. The wasps crawl inside for a treat, but cannot get back out and simply die.
Safety rules
If you are walking in nature, then do not run barefoot on green grass, try to avoid trees with hollows, because there may be dangerous insects in them and in the grass. After swimming in the river, wipe your body dry, since the smell of sweat and perfume can attract many insects.
Without a doubt, a picnic in nature is an excellent form of recreation, but you should not keep sweet fruits or drinks open, as their smell attracts the attention of insects.
In addition, it is necessary to avoid overly bright clothing if you are going to be in places where insects accumulate, as they react violently to bright colors and mistake the fabric for plants.
If you are going on a trip by car, inspect the interior very carefully so that there are no random fellow travelers there.
If a wasp flies up to you, you should not do this sudden movements, remain still and calm, do not swing your arms as this can cause aggression.
One of the most dangerous is an allergic reaction to insect bites. In severe cases, diarrhea, vomiting, urticaria, swelling appear, an attack of suffocation is possible, and all this will lead to anaphylactic shock, which, in the absence of help, ends in death.
After reading the article, you now know why wasps bite and how to get rid of them. Follow safety rules, especially for anyone who is allergic to bites. Except for the above, such people should always have antihistamines with them so that if necessary, they can take them immediately. Be careful!