Wasps and bees are beneficial insects, although they are generally considered to be pests because of
their ability to sting
These insects are beneficial in their activities, particularly as
predators of pest insects and as pollinators.
It is important to distinguish between these insects because different methods may be necessary to control
them if they become a nuisance:-
Wasps appear smoothed-skinned and shiny
Bees are fuzzy and more robust in appearance
Wasps are predators, feeding insects and other arthropods to their young
Bees feed on nectar and pollen from flowers
Wasps build nests out of a papery material. Wasps may nest in the ground, in trees and shrubs,
under horizontal surfaces such as eaves, and in buildings where they occupy wall voids and similar spaces
Bees build combs made of wax
1. WASPS -::- YELLOWJACKETS
Yellowjackets are banded yellow or orange and black and are commonly mistaken for honey bees, but they lack
the hairy body and are more intensely colored
Yellowjackets typically nest underground using existing hollows. Occasionally nests can be found in dark,
enclosed areas of a building, such as crawl spaces or wall voids
Yellow jackets are excellent predators of potential pest insects
When temperatures cool in late summer, yellowjacket numbers peak just as their insect food supply
begins to decline.They scavenge more aggressively at this time, taking food from trash containers and picnickers
When disturbed, yellowjackets can sting repeatedly; their stingers are not barbed nor lost after stinging like
those of honey bees
HORNETS
The so-called bald-faced hornet about ¾-inch long, black and white, with white face, is actually
a larger yellowjacket species
Its nest is the familiar basketball-size papery oval hanging from tree limbs and sometimes structures
Nests occur in trees and in attics and wall voids of structures near forested areas
Nests often attract attention because of their large size, but hornets rarely sting unless the
colony is seriously disturbed
Hornets feed their young live insects and do not share the scavenging habit of yellowjackets
Baldfaced hornets are beneficial because they capture other insects
PAPER WASPS
Paper wasps are about 0.7 to 1.0 inch long, slender and variously colored with brown, red and yellow
They build their single-comb unprotected nest from the eaves or porches of buildings or other sheltered locations
Paper wasps are beneficial predators of caterpillars and other insects and do not scavenge
MUD DAUBERS
Mud daubers vary in length from 0.5 to 1.25 inches and are very slender with threadlike waists
Mud dauber wasps are named for their habit of constructing tubular nests of mud plastered on
the exterior surfaces of structures
Its nests are about 2 inches long
Mud daubers usually sting only when pinned against the skin
CICADA KILLERS
The cicada killer wasp is 1.5 to 2.0 inches long, and is brownish black with yellow markings on
the abdomen and face
The female digs a burrow in the soil. It captures cicadas, paralyzing them by stinging, and places
them in the burrow
Inside it lays an egg on the cicada, then covers the burrow with soil
Larvae consume the paralyzed cicada and emerge as adult wasps the following spring
The only damage these wasps cause is the unsightly dirt piles dug out to create nests
BEES - HONEY BEES
Honey bees are about 0.5 inch long with a fuzzy light brown to black appearance, with striped brown
and black abdomens
They are considered to be the most beneficial species of insect because they pollinate plants and
produce honey and bee's wax
Honey bees live in extra large colonies of up to 50,000 individuals
The nest consists of several tiers or combs made of beeswax. It is located in cavities of trees, rock
formations and buildings
There is a lower risk of being stung around a swarm because it is a period of vulnerability and the colony has
no hive or honey to protect
BUMBLE BEES
Bumble bees are robust and densely covered with black and yellow hairs
They range in size from about 0.5 to 1.0 inch long
Bumble bees inhabit nests in old rodent burrows, under porches and in wall voids
Bumble bees usually are not overly aggressive, but they will sting if molested
CARPENTER BEES
Bumble bees are robust and densely covered with black and yellow hairs
They range in size from about 0.5 to 1.0 inch long
Bumble bees inhabit nests in old rodent burrows, under porches and in wall voids
Bumble bees usually are not overly aggressive, but they will sting if molested