Identifying Black and White Striped Wasps
Wasps come in a wide variety of colors and patterns. One particular wasp that stands out is the black and white striped wasp. These striking insects are often confused with other black and white insects like hoverflies or bees. However, there are some key identifying features of black and white striped wasps.
Distinctive Markings
The most recognizable feature of these wasps is their distinct black and white striped abdominal pattern. The stripes alternate between thick and thin, covering the wasp's lower back and stomach area. Some species may also have an additional yellow or orange stripe towards the top of the abdomen.
In addition to the abdominal stripes, many black and white striped wasps have black antennae, heads, and legs with lighter colored wings. The wings are often smoky gray or brown. This color pattern of bold stripes contrasting with solid black accents helps set these wasps apart from other insects.
Body Shape and Size
Black and white striped wasps have the narrow waists, longer legs, and visible antennas characteristic of other wasp species. Their bodies are also generally smooth and hairless. They range in size from tiny species that are less than half an inch long to larger wasps that can reach over an inch in length.
When in flight, they have transparent wings that do not have any veins or markings on them. The wings reflect light in rainbow hues when held at certain angles. This shimmery wing effect occurs in most wasp species, but not in bees or flies.
Behavior and Nesting Habits
These striking black and white insects display behavior typical of other wasps. They are predators that feed on other insects and arthropods such as caterpillars, flies, spiders, and beetles. The adults hunt for prey to bring back to feed their larvae.
Solitary Species
Many black and white striped wasps are solitary rather than social. Solitary females build individual nest cells for their eggs rather than constructing a shared colony nest. The nests may be burrows in the ground, holes in wood, or mud nests attached to trees or buildings.
After stocking the cell with paralyzed insects for the larva to feed on when it hatches, the female seals up the entrance. She provides no further maternal care once the egg is laid.
Social Colonies
Other black and white striped wasps live in social colonies with queen and worker castes. These wasps build paper nests in protected areas like wall voids, tree hollows, attics, or sheds. Their nests contain multiple hexagonal cells to house larvae and store food.
Within the colony, the queen lays eggs while the sterile female workers hunt for insect prey, guard the nest, and tend to the developing larvae. The social colonies survive for multiple seasons, producing new reproductive wasps each year.
Black and White Striped Wasp Stings
While black and white striped wasps play an important role controlling garden and agricultural pests, their stings can be quite painful. Wasp stings differ from bee stings in a few key ways:
Smooth Stinger
A wasp's stinger has no barbs, unlike a honeybee's stinger. This means wasps can sting repeatedly without injuring themselves. Honeybees leave their barbed stingers behind when they sting, ripping away part of their abdomen.
Venom Composition
Wasp venom and bee venom have different compositions. Wasp venom is water-based and contains serotonin and histamine, chemicals that are meant to paralyze prey insects. Bee venom contains formic acid and peptide toxins.
Around 0.8% of children and 3% of adults have allergic reactions to wasp stings. These can range from localized swelling to severe systemic reactions.
Aggressive Defense
Wasps tend to be more aggressive when defending their nests compared to bees. They send out attack pheromones to recruit other colony members to sting the intruder. Bees die shortly after stinging, so are less likely to engage threats.
Take care not to accidentally disturb a nest. Quickly move away if wasps start buzzing around you defensively!
What to Do for a Black and White Striped Wasp Sting
Wasp stings cause a sharp pain followed by burning, swelling, redness, and itching around the sting site. Most resolve on their own within a few days. But prompt treatment helps ease discomfort faster.
Remove the Stinger
Check for a stinger left behind in the skin, similar to a bee sting. Use tweezers to remove it carefully without squeezing the venom sac if still attached.
Wash the Area
Clean the sting and surrounding skin with soap and water to remove traces of venom and bacteria from the puncture wound.
Apply a Cold Pack
Chilling the sting site with an ice pack, cold gel pack, or even a bag of frozen vegetables reduces pain, swelling, and itching. Apply for 10-20 minutes at a time.
Use OTC Medications
Antihistamines like Benadryl counter the histamine response and alleviate itching. Ibuprofen or acetaminophen ease pain. Oral steroids may be prescribed for large local reactions.
Try Home Remedies
Natural treatments like calamine lotion, baking soda paste, or aloe vera gel also provide relief from wasp sting discomfort for most people.
See prompt medical care for severe reactions involving trouble breathing, nausea, sweatiness or anxiety after a sting.
Preventing Black and White Striped Wasp Stings
Avoiding encounters is the best way to prevent painful wasp stings. Be alert when eating outdoors, gardening, doing yardwork, or engaging in outdoor sports and recreational activities.
Watch for Nests
Inspect eaves, corners of buildings, holes in the ground, hollow trees, and overhangs before working in those areas. Leave any nests you find undisturbed and contact a professional pest control service for removal.
Wear Protective Clothing
Light colors, long pants and sleeves, closed toe shoes, and tight cuffs help minimize exposed skin that wasps could potentially land on and sting.
Avoid Strong Scents
Perfumes, scented hair products, and fragrant foods or beverages may attract foraging worker wasps. Scale back use of these items when black and white striped wasps are active.
Stay Still If Near a Nest
If wasps start swarming around you, move slowly and deliberately away from the area. Running or flailing will provoke more defensive stinging. Act calmly until safely away.
Being aware of black and white striped wasps and their nesting habits allows you to take sensible precautions against stings. Their striking color patterns warn of their ability to painfully sting, but they can be safely avoided.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.
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