When being invaded by stinging insects, it is important to know what is invading your space. Bees are distant relatives of wasps and hornets and each type of insect has its own markings and distinct behavior. There are many different kinds of wasps and their close relatives, hornets. Some are social and live in colonies, both above ground and under ground. Others are solitary, like the Cicada Killer, hunting and paralyzing living insects to provision their nests and feed their young. Wasps are capable of stinging multiple times and some species, such as yellow jackets, are highly defensive. If you are stung by one of these stinging insects, there is a good chance that it will be a yellow jacket sting.

Most species of bees are valuable pollinators. Honeybees, in particular, are essential in the production of food crops for humans. Certain species of bees, such as honeybees, die after stinging because their stingers, which are attached to their abdomen, have little barbs or hooks on them. So, after stinging something, when the bee tries to fly away, part of the abdomen is ripped off. Other bees, like bumblebees, can sting more than once because their stingers are smooth. By and large, bees are much more docile insects than wasps and hornets and do not sting unless they are disturbed.