Are bees afraid of wasps?

Bees are not necessarily afraid of wasps in emotional sense, but they do have defensive behaviors against wasps because wasps are predators that attack bees and raid hives for larvae and honey, so bees have evolved responses to wasp threats. Wasps, particularly yellow jackets and hornets, prey on bees, catching them in flight and eating them, and they also invade honeybee hives to steal honey and larvae, which can destroy colonies, so bees have developed colony defense mechanisms against wasps, such as guard bees at hive entrance that check incoming insects, balling behavior where honeybees surround wasp and heat it to death, and propolis sealing to block entry. Some bee species have evolved to detect wasp pheromones and increase defense. While bees do not feel fear as mammals do, they do perceive wasps as threat and respond defensively, with increased aggression and alarm pheromones when wasps attack. Solitary bees are vulnerable to wasp predation and may avoid areas with many wasps. So bees are not afraid in emotional sense, but they recognize wasps as predators and have evolved defensive behaviors to protect colony, and beekeepers often need to protect hives from wasp attacks in late summer when wasps seek sugars. So bees respond to wasps as threat with defensive behaviors rather than fear emotion.