This NebGuide contains information on identifying and managing stinging wasps and bees as well as the symptoms and treatment of stings. Sooner or later many of us will have the unpleasant experience of being stung by a bee or wasp.
Most insect stings occur during late summer and fall when stinging insects are most abundant.
Generally, these insects will not sting unless stepped on, touched or annoyed. Most stinging wasps and bees are beneficial and should be preserved unless they pose a direct hazard to humans. Some, including the honey bee, are important pollinators essential for the propagation of plants, including many agriculturally important crops. Honey bees also produce honey and beeswax. Most wasps and hornets are efficient predators and help regulate destructive insect populations which might otherwise adversely affect our health, homes, livestock or crops.