Wasps: Not as cute as bees

The break-up of the USSR was a tough one for Russia, being the jilted republic. For the entire decade after, the country plunged into a type of controlled chaos, with a rampantly corrupt kleptocracy taking the place of the toppled socialist society.See omnystudio.com/listener for ... Show More

Today we dive in to celebrate the international treasure that is Dolly Parton. Why is she nearly universally loved? Listen in to find out.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

The US has an unusual number of outbreaks of food-borne illness going on in the summer of 2026, and the star of the show is cyclospora. How does this parasite make people sick, where does it come from? You may not want to know.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

Why do wasps exist? While many see them as unfriendly bees who sting out of spite, their aggression could be interpreted as a fierce form of family protection. They are hugely understudied and even more underappreciated, with hundreds of thousands of different species carrying ou ... Show More

"What’s the point of wasps?" asks listener Andrew, who is fed up with being pestered. For this series, with lockdown learning in mind, Drs Rutherford and Fry are investigating scientific mysteries for students of all ages. Do wasps do anything to justify their presence as a picni ... Show More

Honeybees are great. At least, that's what Betty the honeybee thinks. But does that mean that they're better than all the other insects? Written especially for this podcast by Alice. If you enjoyed this story, please do leave us a review. And, if you'd like to suggest an animal f ... Show More

Rob's become a bee keeper but there's something more unpleasant to this hobby than being stung. Find out how a sting in the tail doesn't just come from bees! 

Billy the bee is having a very hard time defending his hive's honey, until Mother Nature gives him a stinger! Now he can defend the honey really well. Maybe too well... If you would like to support Stories Podcast, you can subscribe and give us a five star review on iTunes, head ... Show More

Brian Cox and Robin Ince tackle one of the most important questions posed by science: which is better, bees or wasps? To defend bees, ecologist Dave Goulson joins the panel, while entomologist Seirian Sumner comes to the defence of wasps. Although both species are known to delive ... Show More

Today's episode is about a hornet named Kemba. He spent his days flying around, looking for delicious things to eat, and settling arguments among the other bugs. Follow along as Kemba is called upon to settle an argument between the bees and the wasps. Draw us a picture of what y ... Show More

New research shows that bees “buzz” in more than the way you might think. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices