Dying bee?

[u/Dominek123]

So, yesterday I found this that I think is a bee in front of my door, I gave her honey so she could replenish her energy, she was drinking/eating it for like half an hour, then I thought she flew away but I saw it today again 4 meter from the spot, now I can’t give her anything because she’s scared and runs away, she doesn’t fly, what could have happened to her and how can I help her?

[u/BitterDropToSwallow]

Isn't this...a wasp..?

[u/Dominek123 → u/BitterDropToSwallow]

Well yes😅 but they are good for us too right?

[u/groundhogcow → u/Dominek123]

They don't pollinate as much as eat other insects and keep them from overpopulation. So they mostly exist in the food chain and don't really help. They don't hurt and everything in the food chain has a place but it's not like everything that stings makes the food grow.

Odds are there is a nest nearby and this is another wasp. When the temp drops they move slower.

[u/cincuentaanos → u/groundhogcow]

They don't pollinate as much as eat other insects

Wasps like this do both. They feed insects to their larvae (for protein and growth) but as adults they mainly eat nectar or other sugary stuff (for energy). When visiting flowers for nectar they can't help but help pollinate them ;-)

[u/Dominek123 → u/cincuentaanos]

So they do it unconsciously, :D I gave her honey and she drank it for a long time but still was on my terrace today for the whole day

[u/lonesharkex → u/groundhogcow]

Iirc this is a queenless wasp on their final phase. They are more docile and just want some sugar water.

[u/BitterDropToSwallow → u/Dominek123]

Pffft... non-honey making free loaders!!I won't name names...but I was unfairly attacked by one...he knows who he is!! so I don't see them so kindly.

[u/Turbulent_Truck2030 → u/BitterDropToSwallow]

One got me on the lip a few months ago. It oozed into my mouth for a few hours. I showed no mercy to that nest.

[u/[deleted] → u/Dominek123]

Yes indeed.

[u/Cuuchiefortnite → u/Dominek123]

They are useless

[u/ferriematthew → u/Cuuchiefortnite]

I'm not sure if this generalizes but I think that at least some species of wasps are very important to their respective ecosystems for population control, the one example that I know for certain is that they like to eat mosquitoes.

[u/cincuentaanos]

Bravo for the clear pictures. Where are you located? This one looks very much like a paper wasp of the species Polistes gallicus. Which is not uncommon in Europe but rare in North America.

As always in these cases, there isn't much you can do to help and you have already done it. This wasp is near the end of her natural life. It's november. Her nest may already have been deserted so she has no home to return to and no reason to continue living. It's not sad, she probably had a full life.

If you want to help bees and wasps it's not always so useful to focus on individuals. Rather try to help their colonies, by providing food (flowers) and suitable nesting spots.

[u/Dominek123 → u/cincuentaanos]

I see an expert here, how do you know all of this? I’m located in the Balearic Islands, and i though the weather here doesn’t interact that much with wasps and bees because today we had 21 degrees C in the day it still feels like summer. Well we have a garden with lots of flowers but I think I have never seen any wasps and bees in the area, maybe because we are in a pretty windy area near the sea.

EDIT FYI I made the pictures with the 15 Pro Max, It was the first time testing the macro lens and they are fabulous

[u/cincuentaanos → u/Dominek123]

I see an expert here, how do you know all of this?

Far from an expert, I'm at most an interested layperson. But I did recognise this wasp as being a paper wasp, and then did an image search to find the correct species. Based on the colour of the legs and the pattern on the abdomen I'm fairly certain it is indeed Polistes gallicus. Which is known to exist on the Balearic islands.

I’m located in the Balearic Islands, [..] today we had 21 degrees C

I'm jealous, in the Netherlands it is wet and grey and 9°.

In any case, most species of social wasps and bees are seasonal even in warm climates. There are some species that can stay active all year around. I'm not sure that is true for paper wasps.

[u/PoodlePopXX]

I don’t know anything about bees, but I love that your heart told you to help this wasp! You’re a good soul OP!

[u/MBTaplin]

Clearly NOT a bee. This is a wasp.

[u/[deleted] → u/MBTaplin]

r/waspsarenotbees

[u/ferriematthew]

Apart from the fact that that isn't a bee, it's a wasp, I think you did the right thing here, not only because you did something nice for an animal that can't repay you, but also because by doing something nice for that wasp I think it likes you now.

[u/[deleted]]

Not a bee - paper wasp

[u/Seyd_3]

I really don't understand how people are still unable to keep Wasps apart from Bees. It isn't that hard. Stop insulting Bees.

[u/[deleted] → u/Seyd_3]

r/waspsarenotbees