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Bees, Hornets and Wasps
People often mistakenly call all stinging insects "bees".
It is important to
distinguish between these insects because different
methods may be necessary to
control them if they become a nuisance.
  Wasps have a slender body with a narrow waist, slender,
cylindrical legs, and appear smoothed-skinned and shiny. Yellowjackets,
boldfaced hornets, and paper wasps are the most common types of wasps
encountered by people.
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Bees are robust-bodied and very hairy compared with wasps.
Their hind legs are flattened for collecting and transporting pollen. Bees
are important pollinators.
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Control of Nests
The first step in wasp or bee control is to correctly identify the insect and
locate its nesting site. An experienced pest control service may provide wasp or
bee control service or you can use the following information to attempt to
control them yourself. (
Directory of Canadian Pest
Professionals)
Wasps
The best time of the year to control wasps is in June after the queen has
established her colony and while the colony is still small. But because nests
are small, they are also harder to find. The best time of the day to control
wasp nests is at night, when they are less active.
Wasp nests that are visible and near human activity can pose a potential problem. If there is
a concern about stings, you should eradicate the nest.
Apply a ready-to-use aerosol "wasp and hornet spray" into the entrance of the
nest during late evening according to label directions. To avoid pesticide
falling down on yourself do not stand directly under the nest and spray up. Plan
your escape route. Be very careful if you must climb a ladder. If live
wasps are still observed the next day, repeat the treatment.
Mechanical control without insecticides is possible for small, exposed nests.
At night, cover the nest with a large, heavy, plastic bag and seal it shut. Cut
the nest from the tree and freeze it. Use caution: there is more risk involved
in this procedure than in spraying the nest.
When yellowjackets are found nesting in the ground, first try
pouring a soap and water solution into the entrance. Many types of soap will
work, including dish and laundry soap. (Do this at night)
If that doesn't work, apply an insecticide into the nest opening. Be sure you
use a product that is registered for use in lawns or soil. After you
are sure all the wasps have been exterminated, cover the nest entrance with
soil.
The most challenging nests to control are those that are concealed in voids
behind walls or in attics. Often, the only evidence of the nest is wasps flying
back and forth through a crack or hole in the home.
It may be wise to hire someone experienced to exterminate a wasp nest. Contact a
pest professional service listed in
our directory.
Aerosol insecticides usually do not work very well on hidden nests.
Old nests are not reused by wasps. Wasp nests found during winter or early
spring are old nests from the previous summer. There are no live wasps in the
nest; they have already left or died inside it. The nest can be safely
removed and disposed of if desired.
Honey bees are normally housed in manufactured hives and managed by
beekeepers. In some instances wild colonies of honey bees may nest in hollow
trees or in wall voids. Honey bees may become a nuisance in the spring at bird
feeders and swimming pools as they forage for water. They seldom, if ever, are a
nuisance in summer or early fall.
Wild colonies can be treated with the same insecticides and methods as
described for exposed or concealed wasp nests. Control of honey bee nests can be challenging. Consider hiring an
experienced pest control service if a honey bee job appears too difficult. (
Directory of Canadian Pest
Professionals)
When a bumble bee nest is a nuisance, treat it with the same insecticides and
methods as described for ground-nesting or concealed wasp nests.
There are other types of bees you may encounter that do not form colonies.
Solitary andrenid bees are common ground-nesting bees. They are also important
pollinators of native plants. They usually nest in sun-exposed, dry areas of
yards. Although there is just one bee per nest, many of these bees typically
nest close to each other. They are usually most conspicuous to the public during
spring. Although many ground-nesting bees may be found flying around their nests
in the spring, they are gentle and very rarely sting people. Sprinkling the area of their nests with water may be enough to encourage them
to move as they avoid damp areas. The same insecticides that control
ground-nesting yellowjackets and bumble bees are effective against andrenid
bees.
 Bald Faced Hornet Nest
 Wild
Bees
Description
These small- to
medium-sized bees may be any of a wide range of colors: metallic red, black,
blue, green, or copper. Usually no distinctive spots or bands are present.
Length ranges from 8.5 to 17 mm.
Biology
Several wild bee species
build nests in the soil. They are
most common, in soils with sparse to moderate plant growth, little organic
matter, and good drainage.
Essentially beneficial insects, wild bees
feed on the nectar of many plants and gather pollen for the larvae to feed upon
and are excellent pollinators of vegetable and fruit crops.
They prefer to nest in soils with a sparse
vegetative cover, As the bees tunnel in the soil, the excavated dirt forms
mounds 1.5 to 6.0 cm wide and 0.25 to 1.5 cm high. The bees are often
exterminated out of fear of their stinging but Wild bees seldom sting unless
stepped upon or squeezed.
Wild bees generally overwinter in their soil
burrows as adults. They emerge by early April and begin digging new burrows. The
burrow consists basically of a vertical shaft 8 to 15 cm deep. The number and
size of side tunnels varies with the particular bee species. Unlike some bees,
soil-nesting species are not social in that each female makes her own nest,
provisions it with food, and lays eggs. There is no worker caste. The bees,
however, are gregarious and often nest closely together. However, there is no
"nest guarding" instinct.
Wild
bees first begin to fly in early spring. Mating takes place soon afterwards and
females begin storing pollen in burrows. Furnishing each cell of their burrow
with a pollen ball 3 to 5 mm in diameter, females then deposit a single egg on
each pollen ball. Eggs hatch in early May. Throughout the summer, the larvae
feed and develop within the burrows. Pupation occurs in later summer, usually in
August. With some species, adult bees develop sometime in the fall but remain in
their burrows to overwinter. Other species overwinter as larvae. A single
generation is completed each year.
Orchard Bees
Natures best pollinator
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Wasps and Outdoor Activities
During Late Summer and Fall
During late summer and fall, yellowjackets become aggressive scavengers and
frequently disrupt outside activities where food or drink is served. Control of
scavenging wasps is difficult, as there are no insecticides that effectively
repel or discourage them.
The best strategy is to minimize attracting them. Wait to serve food and
drink until people are ready to eat. Promptly put away food when done and throw
garbage into a container with a tightly fitting lid. Examine glasses, cans, and
other containers before drinking from them to check for wasps that may have
flown inside. If a wasp flies to your food, wait for it to fly away or gently
brush it away. If you crush them they will give off an alarm scent that
will attract others wasps.
Many people make the mistake of placing wasp traps in areas of human
activity. This of course attracts more wasps. Place the traps in a
wide circle 40 or 50 feet away from the area you want to be wasp free.
Sweet smelling liquids are the best attractant. (Carbonated soda pop)
Placing traps early in the season will have more effect at reducing the
population later in the summer.
To make a cheap and effective wasp trap see this page.
Wasps are beneficial because they prey on many insects, including
caterpillars, flies, crickets, and other pests. During late summer and fall,
they are more interested in collecting sweets and other carbohydrates. Some
wasps may become aggressive scavengers around human food and may be common
around outdoor activities where food or drinks are served.
Bees feed only on nectar (carbohydrates) and pollen (protein) from flowers.
Honey bees sometimes visit trash cans and soft-drink containers to feed on
sugary foods.
Nesting Sites
| Yellowjackets, baldfaced hornets, and paper wasps make nests from a papery
pulp comprised of chewed-up wood fibers mixed with saliva. Yellowjacket and
baldfaced hornet nests consist of a series of rounded combs stacked in tiers.
These combs are covered by an envelope consisting of several layers of pulp.
Yellowjackets commonly build nests below ground in old rodent burrows or
other cavities. They can also build nests in trees, shrubs, under eaves, and
inside attics or wall voids . Baldfaced hornets commonly build nests in the open
in trees as well as under eaves and along the sides of buildings.
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Honey bees make a series of vertical honey combs made of wax. Their colonies
are mostly in manufactured hives but they do occasionally nest in cavities in
large trees, voids in building walls, or other protected areas.
Bumble bees use old mice burrows, cavities in buildings, and other locations
to make their nests. Like honey bees, bumble bees make cells of wax.
Wasps and bumble bees have annual colonies that last for only one
year. The colony dies in the fall with only the newly produced queens surviving
the winter. The new queens leave their nests during late summer and mate with
males. The queens then seek out overwintering sites, such as under loose bark,
in rotted logs, under siding or tile, and in other small crevices and spaces,
where they become dormant. These queens become active the following spring when
temperatures warm. They search for favorable nesting sites to construct new
nests. They do not reuse old nests.
Honey bees are perennial insects with colonies that survive more than
one year. Honey bees form a cluster when hive temperatures approach 57° F. As
the temperature drops, the cluster of bees becomes more compact. Bees inside
this mass consume honey and generate heat so that those in the cluster do not
freeze. As long as honey is available in the cluster, a strong colony can
withstand temperatures down to -30° F. or lower for extended periods.
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YELLOWJACKET FACT SHEET
Yellowjackets are small yellow-and black-banded wasps that
build nests in the ground or paper-like nests in trees. The colony will
reach maximum size in late summer. Worker yellow-jackets are common around
picnic areas where they forage for food. |
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YELLOW JACKETS ARE ATTRACTED TO:
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WAYS TO DECREASE STINGS:
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Don't go barefoot
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Don't swat with your hands
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Use lids on soft drink cups
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Put tight-fitting lids on trash cans
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Empty trash frequently
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Health Threats to School Children from
Stinging Insects
Jerome Goddard, Ph.D.
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Medical Importance.
Wasp, bee, yellowjacket, and fire ant stings are serious health
considerations for school children in two primary ways: 1) the
direct effects of stings -- pain, itching, swelling, etc., and 2)
the indirect effects such as allergic reactions to the venom.1
Direct effects are bad enough, with many children experiencing
severe pain and localized swelling after an insect sting.2,3
In others, the direct effect may be even worse with extensive
swelling that may be debilitating for days or weeks (termed a large
local reaction). Indirect effects of stings -- primarily allergic
reactions -- vary from mild systemic (all over the body) reactions
such as hives, itching, runny eyes and nose, and wheezing, to severe
systemic reactions such as sudden swelling of the respiratory tract,
crash in blood pressure, collapse and death within 15-30 minutes.4,5
Contrary to what people think, there are more deaths each year in
the U.S. from bee and wasp stings than from snake bites.6
In addition, fire ants have increasingly become a costly medical
threat to adults and children in institutions, schools, and day care
centers.7-11
For example, in 1998, there were an estimated 660,000 cases of fire
ant stings in South Carolina, of which approximately 33,000 sought
medical treatment for an estimated cost of $2.4 million.12
Biology of the Pest Species Involved.
Paper wasps (including yellowjackets and hornets) build their nests
in protected places such as hollow trees, thick bushes, holes in the
ground, and the like. The problem is they often build them under the
eaves of human dwellings, in wall voids or in attics. Paper wasps
begin their nests in the spring with a single mated female wasp
(queen), and gradually enlarge the nest, producing more and more
worker wasps until winter kills most of them. Accordingly, the worst
problems with paper wasps occur in late summer and early fall
(unfortunately, this coincides with the start of school). Paper
wasps will aggressively defend their nest when disturbed, stinging
repeatedly (honey bees sting only once; paper wasps can sting
multiple times).
Honey bees (including both the European variety and the newly
arrived "killer bee") build their nests in hollow trees, but may
also build nests in wall voids. They do not construct a paper nest,
instead making a waxy, comb-like structure. In addition, honey bees
can overwinter -- cold weather does not kill the hive. Accordingly,
a honey bee hive could remain inside a wall for several years.
Honeybees also aggressively defend their nest when disturbed.
Interestingly, killer bees are no bigger in size or more poisonous
than regular honey bees -- only more aggressive. They are more
easily alarmed, more of the hive emerges to chase intruders, and
they chase intruders much further.
Fire ant stings can even be more serious than bee stings. There are
some native fire ants in the U.S., but the imported ones are the
worst pests. At least 300 million acres in the U.S. are now
infested. Imported fire ant sting aggressively and inject a
necrotizing venom to paralyze or kill their prey. The ants
characteristically boil out of their mounds in great numbers at the
slightest disturbance. Worker imported fire ants attach to the skin
of their victim with their mandibles and lower the tip of their
abdomen to inject the stinger forcefully; therefore, fire ants both
bite and sting, but their stings cause the subsequent burning
sensation and wheal. As is the case with any stinging insect,
hypersensitivity to fire ant venom may result in severe allergic
reactions from just a few stings.
Outdoors, fire ants are best recognized by the appearance of their
mounds, which are elevated earthen mounds 3 to 36 inches high
surrounded by relatively undisturbed vegetation. In some areas,
there are as many as 300-400 fire ant mounds per acre of land,
greatly interfering with any outdoor activity. But fire ants may be
present in an area even in the absence of visible mounds, because
some soil types make mound building difficult. In addition, foraging
tunnels 50 to100 feet long are used by workers to collect food for
the colony. Children at play may not see these feeding trails and
inadvertently get into them. Foraging tunnels are excavated just
below the soil surface and extend outward from the mound in all
directions. Worker ants travel through these tunnels, emerge from an
opening, and search for a food source. Once a food source is
located, the foraging worker returns to the tunnel laying a trail of
pheromone for other worker ants to follow.
Control Options and Health Effects from Non-use of Pesticides.
Paper wasp nests can be mechanically removed (knocked down),
especially early in the spring. However, there are obviously some
health risks to the person doing the nest removal. A few of the
"green" pesticides or other products may also work on paper wasp
nests. For example, a soap/water mixture does effectively kill wasps
and bees. Nonetheless, there are many instances in which traditional
pesticides are needed. Some of the synthetic pyrethroids, packaged
as long-range sprays, provide instant knockdown of wasps, hornets,
yellowjackets, and bees. In addition, insecticidal dusts are
extremely effective tools in controlling hard-to-reach wasp or bee
nests in wall voids. Fire ants pose a different problem, being
extremely difficult to control without a combination of insecticidal
baits (broadcast in the school yard) and individual mound treatments
using traditional, residual insecticides. In a recent study of
health effects from fire ant stings, the authors (all physicians)
recommended pesticidal control of fire ants according to Clemson
University Cooperative Extension Service guidelines.12
Alternative, non-pesticidal control measures were mentioned in the
official Extension Service guidelines, but were said to be "not very
effective."
If traditional pesticides are not available to pest control
personnel for the removal of wasp, ant, or bee nests in/around
schools, then successful elimination of the nests -- and their
associated health risks -- will be extremely difficult, if not
impossible. Pesticides should be considered as important "public
health tools" in the removal of such pests. Failure to have such
tools available will ultimately lead to children being exposed to
stinging insects, and possible liability on the school's part for
not having provided a safe, pest-free environment.
References
1.
Goddard J: Physician's Guide to Arthropods of Medical Importance.
3rd ed. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 2000.
2.
Keegan HL: Some medical problems from direct injury by arthropods.
Inter Pathol 1969; 10: 35-45.
3.
Alexander JO: Arthropods and Human Skin. Berlin: Springer-Verlag,
1984.
4.
Kunkel DB: The sting of the arthropod. Emerg Med 1996; (May 1996
Issue): 135-141.
5.
Reisman RE: Insect stings. N Engl J Med 1994; 331: 523-527.
6.
Parrish HM: Analysis of 460 fatalities from venomous animals in the
U.S. Am J Med Sci 1963; 245: 129-145.
7.
deShazo RD, Williams DF, Moak ES: Fire ant attacks on residents in
health care facilities: a report of two cases. Ann Intern Med 1999;
131: 424-429.
8.
deShazo RD, Butcher BT, Banks WA: Reactions to the stings of the
imported fire ant. N Engl J Med 1990; 323: 462-466.
9.
deShazo RD, Banks WA: Medical consequences of multiple fire ant
stings occurring indoors. J Allergy Clin Immunol 1994; 93: 847-850.
10.
Levy AL, Wagner JM, Schuman SH: Fire ant anaphylaxis: Two critical
cases in South Carolina. J Agromed 1998; 5: 49-54.
11.
Kemp SF, deShazo RD, Moffitt JE, Williams DF, Buhner WA: Expanding
habitat of the imported fire ant: a public health concern. J Allergy
Clin Immunol 2000; 105: 683-691.
12.
Caldwell ST, Schuman SH, Simpson WM: Fire ants: a continuing
community health threat in South Carolina. J SC Med Assoc 1999; 95:
231-235.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jerome Goddard holds a Ph.D. in medical entomology from Mississippi
State University. He is a public health entomologist and a Clinical
Assistant Professor of Preventive Medicine at the University of
Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Mississippi. Dr. Goddard has
written a medical entomology textbook, "Physician's Guide to
Arthropods of Medical Importance" which is now in its Third Edition
and is used by physicians worldwide. In addition, Dr. Goddard has
written two other books on medically important pests, three book
chapters, and 80 scientific articles. He has been a visiting
professor in the Department of Dermatology at the Mayo Clinic, as
well as a member of a National Institute of Health panel convened to
study the future of tick taxonomy in the U.S. In 1999, he testified
before a congressional committee on the public health benefits of
pesticides. |
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See Also:
Bee,
Wasp and Hornet Stings |
Ordinarily, Hymenoptera stings will only cause local pain and swelling.
However, some individuals may be allergic to Hymenoptera stings. An allergic
reaction to Hymenoptera stings occurs once the victim becomes sensitized to
the venom from a previous sting. The allergic reaction is caused by the
immune system, which has now been oversensitized to the venom and releases
histamines into the bloodstream. Histamines dilate blood capillaries,
causing the skin to appear red and feel warm, and also makes the capillaries
more permeable, which allows fluid to escape into the tissues. This causes
swelling, which is manifested as rapidly appearing hives, accompanied by
severe itching. In a severe allergic reaction called anaphylactic shock, the
tissues of the throat swell and the victim may have difficulty breathing
and, unless promptly treated, death may result
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Other Reference Sources
The Life of the Bee
http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/insects/ahb/inf27.html
Excerpts from: The Life of The Honey Bee, Its Biology and Behavior with an
Introduction to Managing the Honey-Bee Colony, by C. L. Farrar. This paper
originally appeared as three articles in the American Bee Journal
Pesticides
Always read pesticide labels carefully before buying and again before
using.
The label is the final authority on how you may legally use any pesticide.
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