With summer on its way, it is time to think about bug protection. Wasp attacks happen so quickly and so fast it’s hard to prepare. Now is the time to recognize and understand why wasps attack, and how you can avoid them altogether.

One single mad wasp or hornet can have the whole hive swarming. It is more than a pain, it can be life threatening. Killing the wasps is not a mentality, but a necessary evil. Wasps do wonders for our ecosystem and can be used to protect crops. All insects are prey to a wasp.

There are some 30,000 wasps that have been identified. Despite popular thought most wasps do not sting. They come in two types, solitary or social. Most solitary wasps do not sting. The stinging wasps are only about 1,000 of these species discovered. Hornets and yellow-jackets are the most popular stingers.

The non-stinging wasps can be used as a natural pesticide since no insect is safe from a wasp. They will eat flies to larvae of any kind. The agriculture industry uses them quite regularly to control parasitic larvae. Do not forget that they also pollinate flowers and trees. Some are specially designed for this purpose like the fig wasp.

If one comes across an angry wasp, stop and do not aggravate the situation worse. Back out of the way of the wasp and do not swat at it. If one lands on you, do not hit it. Let it leave of its volition. It will leave just as soon as it has inspected your skin. If you do not want to wait for it move along, slowly wipe it off with a napkin or piece of paper.

Make sure you watch the insect patterns so you will notice if there is a nest around. Swarming insects are often disturbed by heavy play in their area. Do not wear bright or patterned clothing because this is very attractive to the wasp population.

Wasps may sting and sting, but bees on the other, hand are a dying breed. If they sting once, they die. They do not sting over and over. The bee population needs all the help it can get. They are exposed to pesticides and the loss of pollen grounds. The bee has to fly further to find the pollen that it needs to produce the honey.

The pesticides are thought to be the biggest factor in the decline of the honeybee. 
There are certain combinations that may not kill the host bee, but kill the colony by lowering their defense against certain parasites and viruses. This can allow the parasites or virus to attack and kill the colony.

So as you are outside this summer and swatting at the flying insects take a moment and think about the insect you may be swatting. It could be a friend to the gardener and the consumer of honey alike. Be nice to the bees, because they are nice to our ecosystem.