New Hampshire is home to several species of stinging insects that all fall under the same family known as Vespidae; all with varying degrees of temperament around humans. One of the most common bouts of confusion surrounding stinging insects is identification, and the reference to such. Wasps are not the same as bees, and hornets are not the same as solitary wasps. Understanding the differences between species and genus is paramount to determining whether the stinging insect you’ve encountered poses a safety threat.