Avoiding summer’s sting
Stinging insects—especially those with a predilection for our picnics—can be the sting in the tail of summer. But knowing a bit about the biology and behaviour of stinging insects can help us coexist for the brief period we’re together outdoors, says bee researcher Morgane Nouvian, member of the Zukunftskolleg and the Cluster of Excellence “Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour”.
Nothing says summer like warm weather, outdoor BBQs—and pesky black-and-yellow insects. These are the offenders of outdoor dining. They crawl on our food and fall into our drinks for as long as the weather is warm enough to eat outside.
Bees, wasps, and flies make up the collection of striped insects that are conspicuous during the warmer months. But each has unique behaviours, especially in relation to interactions with people. Only wasps pose a nuisance when food is about, and the risk of getting stung can be easily managed with a bit of knowledge about their biology.
“If you don’t bother them, they won’t bother you. The best thing to do is to stay calm and move away if you can,” says biologist Morgane Nouvian, Research Fellow at the Zukunftskolleg who studies stinging behaviour of bees. Or, she says, just share. “Letting them feed on a bit of food at a distance can distract them enough to leave you alone.”
The sting in the tail
According to Nouvian, bees and wasps will never sting if unprovoked. “Swatting them away is the worst thing we can do as it triggers their defensive behaviour. Similarly trying to kill or catch them will also lead them to sting.”
If they feel the colony is in danger, bees and wasps also engage in other non-stinging defensive behaviours.
Read more in campus.kn, the online magazine of the University of Konstanz.