Bees in all of their varieties are most often quite beneficial
to nature and man. The honeybee, best known for producing
sweet honey, and its distant cousin the bumblebee, are also
incredibly valuable as pollinators of flowers and fruit trees.
Wasps are scavengers and predators, not pollinators. They
often prey on other less beneficial insects. The Wasp family,
unlike bees, do not have body hairs or specialized structures
for gathering and carrying pollen.
Wasp and bee stings can be life threatening if one is
allergic to the venom. The presence of a nest in or near the
home should be a cause for immediate concern and professional
assistance should be sought at once.
**See
"Bee Cautions" Section Below
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Honey Bees
The
vast majority of adult honeybees in any colony are female worker
bees. The job of worker bees are tending and feeding young bees
(larvae), making honey, making royal jelly and beebread to feed
larvae, producing wax, cooling the hive by fanning wings,
gathering and storing pollen, nectar and water, guarding the
hive, building, cleaning and repairing the comb, and feeding and
taking care of the queen and drones.
When a bee colony starts to become too crowded, some of the
individuals split off to form a new colony. This activity,
called swarming, occurs when part of the colony breaks off with
the old queen in search of another place to call home. The bees
engorge themselves on honey reserves before leaving to have
sufficient energy to make it to a new location. There can be
multiple swarms from one hive, since new queens can also emerge
and fly off with part of the worker force.
Bee swarms should not be killed indiscriminately.
Bees are beneficial insects, helping pollinate flowers and
vegetables. Unless a swarm is causing a distinct problem and
cannot be tolerated, it should be left alone. Most honeybee
swarms will leave a resting site within a few hours. Eliminating
possible points of entry to buildings and removing other
potential nest sites is the best way to prevent serious problems
with bees around structures.
The average worker honeybee makes 1/12th of a teaspoon of
honey in their lifetime.
Most honeybee swarms will leave a resting site within a few
hours. A swarm or hive of bees can be destroyed through physical
removal (vacuuming) or by using a pesticide (see Chemical
Controls). Either way, great care must be exercised because any
disturbance around a nest can cause multiple stings. It is best
to have a professional pest control operator remove the hive.
Adequate protective clothing and proper procedure can
minimize problems and stings.
It is important to wear protective clothing when removing hives.
Complete body coverage is essential because bees can find even
the smallest exposed area.
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Bumble Bees
The bumblebee and her distant cousin the honeybee are often
confused, however, in comparison the "humble bumble" is
gentle and slow. As she trundles around the garden
collecting pollen and nectar she is quite different to her
streamlined relative who dashes about everywhere. Even her
body shape is different as you can see from the pictures.
The bumble is round and furry and not at all like her more
wasp-shaped cousin. In fact, as you can see from the photo,
there are three kinds of bumblebee, the large Queen, the
smaller imperfectly formed female worker bee and the tiny
male or drone bee. All are seen at different times of year.
Only the Queen and the worker bees have a sting.
Because they live in small nests bumblebees never swarm
- so a nest near your home is not an immediate cause for
concern. Bumblebees are much less aggressive than honeybees.
Generally, they will not attack a human at all, unless they
sense a grave threat. Don't wave your arms wildly in their
presence, stand quietly and once they smell you are not a
flower containing pollen, they will move gently away.
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Wasps
Wasps and hornets are prolific breeders. If you see them in
your flowers, garbage or picnic area there is probably a
nest close by. The two species most common in the Hudson
Valley area are Bald Faced Hornets and Paper Wasps.
Bald-faced hornets are actually wasps. They are black with
white or yellow stripes around their thorax and abdomen.
They're about one inch long, can fly very fast and are
aggressive. Bald-faced hornets create a nest, which is grey
and round, and ranges from softball to beach ball size.
These nests are made from cellulose and are quite strong.
Likely nest sites include trees, shrubs and around overhangs
of buildings.
The paper wasp builds clusters of hexagonal paper cells.
Mixing masticated wood pulp with adhesive saliva, these
paper nest cells act as larval nesting chambers for the
young wasps. The Chinese inventor of paper was inspired
by observing paper wasps.
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Yellow Jackets
Nearly
everyone has been stung by an insect at one time or another, an
unpleasant experience that people hope not to repeat; but for
most people the damage inflicted is only temporary pain. Only a
very limited portion of the population (one or two people out of
1,000) is allergic or hypersensitive to bee or wasp stings.
Most bees and wasps live solitary lives, their behavior is more
likely to be flight than fight. Yellow jacket, bumblebee and
honeybee colonies have individuals whose task it is to defend
the nest. If the nest is disturbed, these individuals will
defend it vigorously. In addition, foraging members of the
colony will also sting if they are disturbed or injured as they
go about their activities. Yellow jackets are much more
liable to attack than others wasps or hornets
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Carpenter Bees
Carpenter bees are large (18-20mm in length) and resemble
the bumblebee, except that the dorsal surface of the abdomen
only has yellow hairs on the first abdominal segment, while
the rest of the body is bare. Bumblebees have yellow hairs
on the other abdominal segments as well.
In the
late spring and early summer, homeowners often notice large,
black bees hovering around the outside of their homes. These
are probably carpenter bees searching for mates and
favorable sites to construct their nests. Male carpenter
bees are quite aggressive, often hovering in front of people
who are around the nests. The males are quite harmless,
however, since they lack stingers. Female carpenter bees can
inflict a painful sting but seldom will unless they are
handled or molested.
Carpenter bee tunnels are about 4-6" long and 1/2" in
diameter. They frequently re-use old tunnels for pollen
storage and over-wintering chambers and they prefer rotten
or seasoned wood.
Hornets
Photo by:
Andrew Parsley/Oxford Scientific Films
Hornet, name
commonly applied to the members of a group of social wasps that
make nests of papery material composed of chewed plant foliage
and wood. The nest is often surrounded by a football-shaped
paper envelope.
The bald-faced,
or white-faced, hornet, widely distributed throughout North
America, is about 3 cm (about 1.2 in) long and is black with
white markings on most of its segments and on its face. Its gray
nest is usually suspended from a tree limb. Yellow jacket is a
name applied to a number of species that have extensive yellow
markings. Yellow jackets construct their nests close to or under
the ground; a single nest may contain up to 15,000 individuals.
Yellow jackets are often found near humans, and their sting can
be serious for people sensitive to their venom, or if a person
is stung many times simultaneously.
The European
hornet first appeared in the eastern United States about 1850.
This hornet is reddish brown streaked with yellow and attains a
length of more than 2.5 cm (1 in). Its brown nest is built in
hollow trees, in rock crevices, or on human structures. Like the
smaller hornet species, it eats insects and their larvae and
ripe fruit.
In several hornet
species, no workers are produced. Instead the female lays its
eggs in the nests of other wasps, where the eggs hatch and the
young are fed.
Scientific classification: Hornets belong to the family
Vespidae, of the order Hymenoptera. The bald-faced, or
white-faced, hornet is classified as Vespula maculata. The
European hornet is classified as Vespula crabro.
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Bee
Cautions Around your Home
-
Listen
for buzzing indicating a new or swarm of bees
-
Use
care when entering sheds or outbuildings where bees may nest
-
Examine
work area before using lawn mowers, weed cutters, and other
power equipment
-
Examine
Areas before tying up or penning pets or livestock
-
Be
alert when participating in all outdoor sports and
activities
-
Don't
disturb a new hive or swarm - contact a pest control company
or an emergency response organization
-
Teach
children to be cautious and respectful of all bees
-
Check
with a doctor about bee sting kits and procedures if
sensitive to bee stings
-
Develop
a safety plan for you home and yard
What To Do
If Stung
-
Go
quickly to a safe area
-
Remove
stinger as soon as possible
-
Don't
squeeze stinger; pressure will release more venom
-
Scrape
stinger out with fingernail, knife blade or credit card
-
Wash
sting area with soap and water like any other wound
-
Apply
ice pack for a few minutes to relieve pain and swelling
-
Seek
medical attention if breathing is troubled, if stung
numerous times or if allergic to bee stings
-
Normal
honey bees will not aggressively attack as a group. If
multiple bees are attacking, assume that they will continue
to attack and act immediately to leave the area. CALL 911 to
report all unusual bee activity.
-
Your
Fire Department is equipped and trained to perform rescue
and first aid for bee attacks.
-
Move to
a safe location In a house In a vehicle with windows up Turn
on air conditioning
-
If you
cannot get inside of a safe location; Run and continue
running away from the bees for at least 1/4 of a mile, more
if possible and do not stop if the bees are still chasing
you.
-
Do not
try to hide in a swimming pool, the bees will wait for you
to surface.
-
If you
locate a bee swarm; Move all people and pets to a safe
location. Dial 911 and report the activity
-
If a
person is under attack, encourage them to run to a safe
location, do not attempt to rescue them as you will become a
victim in need of rescue
Swarming
Bees
As a general rule, stay away from all honey bee swarms and
colonies. If bees are encountered, get away quickly. While
running away, try to protect face and eyes as much as possible.
Take shelter in a car or building. Water or thick brush does not
offer enough protection. Do not stand and swat at the bees;
rapid motions will cause them to sting. If attacked by bees,
leave the area quickly and find shelter in a building or car!
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