Habits: Africanized honey bees, sometimes called killer bees, were created when scientists in Brazil bred different bees and created an unusually aggressive species, which then escaped and entered the wild. They are highly aggressive and are known to attack people who are dozens of meters from their colony.
Wasps are generally more aggressive than bees. They are not necessarily meaner than bees, but unlike bees, wasps do not lose their stinger — this allows them to attack more than once.
Caucasian bees are sometimes described as the gentlest of all honey bees. They are dark colored to black with grayish bands on the abdomen. They tend to construct burr comb and use large amounts of propolis to fasten combs and reduce the size of the entrance.
Most are too small to deliver an effective sting and Australian native bees are not aggressive.
Carpenter bees are a beneficial pollinator, but can also be destructive.
Varroa destructor is a small mite that attaches to bees and eats their “fat body”. The fat bodies of honey bees are the insect equivalent of a liver. Varroa weakens bees, reduces their lifespan and increases the spread of deadly viruses.
Wasps and Ants. Wasps, especially yellow jackets and hornets, are known to raid beehives and steal honey, but also to attack and kill bees. Bees and their natural enemies: Wasps. Wasps, especially yellow jackets and hornets, can be a major threat to honeybee colonies.
Australia has over 1,700 species of native bees. Only 11 of these species are stingless! These are the native honey-producing bees (Tetragonula - previously called Trigona -- and Austroplebeia). All of the other species of native bees in Australia can sting.
Varroa mite – the major threat to Australia's honey bee and honey bee crop pollination plant industries.
you probably don't know how it's made. so here in Australia we have our own special type of bee. which is called the stingless bee. and these bees make the vegemite that we eat.
Wasp stings can be much more painful than bee stings. This is due in part to the fact that wasps are capable of stinging repeatedly—often in the same spot. Wasps are more aggressive and will sting at will, especially when they are provoked or when their nest is threatened.
Carpenter bees often choose yucca flower stalks for depositing eggs and enough nectar to feed subsequent larvae. As visitors quietly stroll through The Arid Garden, they may be suddenly alarmed by an ear-splitting buzz.
Bees That Don't Sting
Male bees – Male bees do not have stingers and can't sting you. You can often recognize them because they are larger, slower and don't have visible stingers. In the case of honeybees, it's easy to spot a male one, because their eyes are on the head, unlike in females.
Armed with one of the most painful stings on the planet, tarantula hawks are a spider's worst nightmare. A fear of insects - entomophobia - is relatively common among people, but for some spiders, stings really can be a matter of life or death.
Danger to humans
Paper wasps can deliver painful stings, but are not as aggressive as European Wasps. They normally only attack humans if their nest is disturbed.
While both types of stings can be painful and cause swelling, the venom in wasps is typically more potent. This means that you may experience greater symptoms after being stung by a wasp.
The Australian endemic bee, Pharohylaeus lactiferus (Colletidae: Hylaeinae) is a rare species that requires conservation assessment.
The 15-24 mm Great Carpenter Bees are the largest bees in Australia! They cut nest burrows in soft timber such as dead limbs of a mango tree. The females (see photograph below) have glossy black abdomens and bright yellow waistcoats.
Native bee species such as leafcutter bees, mason bees and alkali bees have been developed as efficient pollinators of crops such as lucerne and apples. In Australia, the blue banded bees and the stingless bees show potential as specialist pollinators.
The bees can also be called guta or gila, possibly names for the three different species of native bee found in this area. Native bees have huge cultural significance to indigenous people from many parts of Australia, and have played a part in their culture for thousands of years.
Bumble bees and carpenter bees have smooth stingers and are capable of stinging multiple times without dying. Fortunately, they are both relatively docile species. For honey bees, on the other hand, stinging is typically fatal. This is because, unlike other species, honey bees have barbed stingers.
Teddy bear bees are solitary creatures that build underground nests in soft soil across Australia. Despite their cute name, they can give a painful sting on par with that of the Fire ant.
Bees also have a distaste for lavender oil, citronella oil, olive oil, vegetable oil, lemon, and lime. These are all topical defenses you can add to your skin to keep bees away. Unlike other flying insects, bees are not attracted to the scent of humans; they are just curious by nature.
General honeybee aggression
Honeybees generally attack only to defend their colony, but will also attack if they are seriously disturbed outside the nest. Common sources of attack stimulus for honeybees include alarm pheromone, vibrations, carbon dioxide, hair, and dark colors (Crane 1990).
Bees feel safe and secure in their hives, and if anything disturbs that peace, it can make them feel threatened – and react aggressively. If your hives are being invaded by pests like possums or mice, bees may become agitated and start showing signs of aggression as they try to protect their honey supplies.