Bees, Wasps, Hornets

Bees, Wasps and Hornets

What are bees, wasps and hornets? Bees are fuzzy, flying insects with yellow and black stripes. There are 924 different species of Bees in Canada, (http://beesofcanada.com/home) and 550 different species of wasps and hornets (https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en). Wasps and hornets have similar hairless bodies. The major difference between wasp and hornets is size and colour. Wasps are about one-third inch (one centimeter) to one inch (two and one-half centimeters) long. Hornets are larger. Wasps have black and yellow rings, while hornets have black and white rings. Bees are beneficial to humans because they pollinate plants, whereas wasps and hornets help out by eating other insects. However, all three can be hazardous. Stings can be dangerous to those allergic to their venom , there are an average of 54 deaths in Canada from these stings. Bees die after they sting, but unlike bees, wasps and hornets will not die after they sting.

Where do Bees, Wasps and Hornets Live?

Where do bees, wasps and hornets live? The areas surrounding houses provide a number of ideal homes for bees, wasps and hornets. Some of these areas include verandas, ceilings, attics, walls, trees and shrubs.The insects will find holes and small burrows and set up nests, because holes and burrows are often near food sources (such as fallen fruit, flowers or nectar-producing plants.)

How do I know I have a bee, wasp or hornet problem?

The presence of many bees, wasps or hornets flying around your home is themain indicator. These insects will be hunting for food and protecting their nests. If their presence becomes a nuisance to humans, then you have a problem.

Life Cycles

What are the life cycles of bees, wasps and hornets? Each colony of these insects has a queen. The queen can give birth to between1,000 and 30,000 offspring, depending on the conditions of her surroundings. If the nest is located in a cool, damp place with plenty of food, the number of offspring will be high. The queen is the only member of the community that can give birth. Most wasp and hornet colonies are considerably smaller for most of the year. They reach peak size in September before frosts kill off most of the colony. Queens can live up to five years. Drones, the males in the colony, can live for 40 to 50 days. Worker bees, the females in the colony, live between one and four months.tructive. What are mites’ favorite hosts? Most often these pests will select a bird as their host, and spend their entire life on the host they choose. Mites are not capable of surviving without a food source for more than a few days, so when a host bird dies, thousands of mites go on the hunt for a new host. Humans can occasionally receive a mite bite from these critters, but bird mites cannot infest a human and will move on quickly, so they are mostly harmless.

Favourite Foods

What do bees, wasps and hornets feed on? Pollen and nectar are the main sources of food for bees. Pollen is a fine powdery substance found in the head of flowers. Nectar is a sugar-rich liquid producedby plants. Wasps and hornets are general scavengers feeding on other insects, food left lying around and decaying fruit.

Once bees, wasp or hornets become a problem in your home or place of business, then it is time to call in a professional.

When the pests infest, TruTech Pest Control is the best!