Bees and Wasps

Hornets, yellow jackets, bumble bees, bees and wasps can all be quit the pesky neighbors to have in your area. While none of them are particularly aggressive, some of them are far more defensive than others and will attack when they feel they or their hive is in even the slightest of danger. Never attempt to remove a hive yourself without professional grade equipment, let the experts like MasterGuard do the hard work and safely remove and relocate the hive to a safer area away from your property and other public areas. We ask you never attempt to kill a any wasp, bee, hornet, yellow jacket or otherwise as they are crucial to the ecosystem and our way of life!

WASP REPRODUCTION BEHAVIOR

The various species of wasps fall into one of two main categories: solitary wasps and social wasps. Adult solitary wasps live and operate alone, and most do not construct nests or even mate as all adults are fertile. By contrast, social wasps exist in colonies numbering up to several thousand individuals and build nests—but in some cases not all of the colony can reproduce. In some species, just the wasp queen and male wasps can mate, whilst the majority of the colony is made up of sterile female workers. 

WASP NESTING BEHAVIOR

Wasps build their nests in a variety of places, often choosing sunny spots. Nests are commonly located in holes underground, along riverbanks or small hillocks, attached to the side of walls, trees or plants, or underneath floors or eaves of houses. Wasp nests are most easily found on sunny days at dawn or dusk as the low light levels make it easier to spot the Wasps flying in and out of their nests.

Wasps will attack and sting humans, particularly if threatened, so care should be taken around Wasps and their nests. Wasp nests found in dangerous places (such as in houses or in commonly used public spaces) should be reported to the local council or wasp control service for wasp removal. 

YELLOW JACKET APPEARANCE

Yellow jackets are sometimes mistakenly called “bees”, as they are similar in size and appearance and both sting, but they are actually wasps. Yellow jackets may be confused with other wasps, such as hornets and paper wasps. A typical yellow jacket worker is about 1/2 inch long, with alternating bands on their abdomen.

The queen is larger, about 3/4 inch long. Workers are sometimes confused with honey bees, especially when flying in and out of their nests. Yellow jackets, in contrast to honey bees, are not covered with tan-brown dense hair on their bodies, they do not carry pollen, and do not have the flattened hairy hind legs used to carry it.

YELLOW JACKET DEFENSES

These species have a lance-like stinger with small barbs, and typically sting repeatedly, though occasionally the stinger becomes lodged and pulls free of the wasp’s body. The venom, like most bee and wasp venoms, is primarily only dangerous to humans if allergic, unless a victim is stung many times. All species have yellow or white on the face. Mouthparts are well-developed with strong mandibles for capturing and chewing insects, with a proboscis for sucking nectar, fruit, and other juices.

YELLOW JACKET NESTING BEHAVIOR

Yellow jackets build nests in trees, shrubs, or in protected places such as inside man-made structures, or in soil cavities, mouse burrows, etc. They build them from wood fiber they chew into a paper-like pulp.