Bees, wasps, yellow jackets and hornets generally do not sting unless handled, disturbed, threatened, or harmed. But when they do sting, it can be dangerous! Allergic reactions to stinging insects can range from minor irritations to life-threatening anaphylaxis. Did you know, according to the Center for Disease Control, more people die from wasp or bee stings in the United States each year than from shark attacks, alligator encounters, and dog bites… combined.
Store-bought and DIY solutions may knock out the nest, but any wasps, bees or hornet that are flying around won’t be killed. When it comes to getting rid of these pests, plan to call Ramer Pest Control rather than tackle it on your own.
What’s Buzzing Around My Space?
Wasps vary greatly among the more than 100,000 species. Some are wingless, some dig in the ground, but nearly all prey on or parasitize pest insects. Beeps have Long and thin, dangling legs, two pairs of wings, often brightly colored. Beeps are More aggressive compared to bees. Wasps can sting multiple targets.
Bees are flying insects closely related to wasps and ants and are known for their role in pollination and for producing honey and beeswax. Bees have Long and fat, dangling legs, two pairs of wings, often brightly colored. Non-aggressive, don’t usually prey on other insects.
Hornets are larger and tend to be black or brown with yellow markings. Hornets have a reputation for being more dangerous than other wasps, but they are not always more aggressive. The most common distinction between yellow jackets and hornets is that hornets build nests aboveground, while yellow jackets tend to build nests underground.
What Is The Difference Between Bees, Wasps, And Hornets?
- Bees are fuzzy pollen collectors with yellow and black stripes.
- Wasps are members of the family Vespidae, which includes yellow jackets and hornets.
- Wasps generally have two pairs of wings and hairless bodies.
- Wasps are about 1/3” to 1” and some species have black and yellow rings on their bodies.
- Common wasps are paper wasps and yellow jackets
- Hornets are a large species of wasps and can be extremely aggressive.
- The only true hornet found in North America is the European hornet or brown hornet. Common wasps referred to as hornets include the bald-faced hornet.
- Hornets are larger and typically brownish and have dull orange stripes on their bodies.
WHY IS THERE A NEST IN MY HOUSE?
- Wasps and hornets build nests in protected and easy to get into places, such as attics and under eaves.
- Wasps like other insects cannot regulate their body heat. They depend on the surrounding environment to warm them up. They are active at warm temperatures and slow down otherwise.
CAN MY HOUSE BE DAMAGED BY BEES, WASPS, OR HORNETS?
- Yes, some wasp species can damage your home.
- Carpenter bees can tunnel into decks, porches and other wood structures. If you see what looks like a bumblebee emerging from a hole in your porch or the siding of your house, it may be a carpenter bee.
- Wasps and bees can nest inside wall voids and make a hole in the wall to enter or exit from.
- Also, wasps that nest inside may damage the wallboard or ceiling.
- Another problem associated with nests inside wall voids is the possibility of scavenger pests that infest abandoned wasp nests.
WHY DO BEES, WASPS, AND HORNETS STING PEOPLE?
- Generally, bees, wasps, and hornets do not sting unless handled, disturbed, threatened, or harmed.
- Wasps sting to defend themselves, to subdue prey to feed their developing larvae, or to defend their nests
- Due to their barbed stingers, honeybees sting only once and die because they leave their stingers in the victims’ skin.
- Wasps can sting more than once because they have a lance-like stinger without barbs; thus, wasps are able to pull out their stinger without injury to themselves.
- Only female wasps and bees have stingers.
- When they sting, wasps and bees inject venomous fluid that creates allergic reactions to sensitive people. Individual response to a sting may vary from a brief swelling of the immediate area of the sting to a more severe, and potentially fatal, allergic response involving the entire body.
- It is estimated that close to 100 people die annually in the United States from the reactions produced by wasp and bee stings.
WHERE DO WASPS LIVE?
- There are two types of wasps and bees, solitary and social.
- Solitary bees and wasps, by far the largest subgroup, do not form colonies. Depending on the species, solitary wasps live in holes that are already in existence, build nests from materials they collect, or dig a hole in the ground for their nests.
- Social wasps build nests of chewed up fibers or decaying wood mixed with saliva. The nests are usually found in sheltered areas outdoors in gardens, hedges, forest edges, and other similar locations.
- In urban settings, wasps can also nest under stairs, in fence posts, in brick walls, under eaves, under porches, and in discarded mattresses, carpet, or boxes.
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