When enjoying outdoor gatherings, many people notice insects buzzing around food, particularly meat dishes. While commonly referred to as “bees,” these visitors are typically a different group of insects with distinct dietary needs. This article explains why some insects are drawn to meat and how to distinguish them from beneficial bees.
Typical Bee Diet
Most bee species, including the familiar honeybees, primarily rely on plant-based food sources. They gather nectar from flowers, which serves as their main source of carbohydrates and energy, fueling their flight and metabolic activities. Bees also collect pollen, which provides essential proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals. This combination of nectar and pollen supports the bees’ growth, development, and overall colony health.
The Real Culprits
The insects observed around meat at picnics are not bees, but social wasps, primarily yellowjackets and hornets. Though related to bees, wasps belong to a different family with distinct dietary needs and behaviors. Yellowjackets and hornets are omnivorous scavengers, consuming both plant matter and animals. Unlike bees, these wasps have a diverse, opportunistic diet that changes seasonally. They are drawn to various food sources, including sweet and protein-rich items, often making them unwelcome guests at outdoor events.
Why They Seek Meat
Yellowjackets and hornets seek meat for their developing larvae’s nutritional needs. Early in the season, worker wasps seek protein-rich foods for the queen and growing larvae, which is crucial for their development. They hunt insects like caterpillars and flies, and scavenge meat from human food or animal carcasses.
Adult wasps cannot digest solid protein directly due to their narrow ‘wasp waist.’ They chew meat into a pulp for larvae, who then secrete a sugary liquid for the adults. This exchange, called trophallaxis, is vital for the colony. Later in the season, as larval protein demand decreases, adult wasps increasingly seek sugary substances for energy, such as ripe fruit and sugary drinks, especially when natural nectar sources become scarce.
Distinguishing Visitors
Distinguishing between honeybees and wasps attracted to meat can prevent unnecessary concern. Honeybees have rounded, fuzzy, golden-brown and black bodies. Their legs often appear dusted with pollen, collected in specialized pollen baskets. They are generally docile when foraging on flowers, rarely bothering humans unless threatened.
In contrast, yellowjackets have sleeker, shinier bodies with bright yellow and black stripes and a noticeable ‘pinched waist.’ They exhibit erratic, darting flight patterns. Yellowjackets are more aggressive and persistent when seeking food, especially around human gatherings, and can sting multiple times. Observing these differences helps identify the insect present.