Bees and wasps can often be mistaken for one another. They’re both stinging insects, after all, and can both be a pain to deal with and around your home. But how do you tell when you’re being beset by the helpful honey bees and not the malicious, aggressive wasps?
Understanding What They Look Like
To start off with the differences between bees and wasps , it’s important to consider the physical appearance. Of course, bees and wasps look different, especially if you take the time to consider your bugs before swatting them. Bees are smaller, with hairier bodies and their traditional, well-known black and yellow stripes. Wasps have longer, smoother bodies that look much sleeker than bees.
In addition, wasps can sting multiple times, and so can some types of bees- but honey bees can only sting once. Where bees are built to collect pollen , wasps are built to hunt- and that can make them several times more dangerous for you and your family.
Nesting Habits
It’s not strange to see bees and wasps buzzing around your garden or flower bed in the summer months. They’re just there for your flowers and plants and are actually really helpful to your vegetation. If you leave them alone, they’ll probably leave you alone- unless you touch their nest. Both beehives and wasp nests vary in size and shape from one to another, but they look very different from one another. Even the different species of bees and wasps’ nests can look totally different from one another.
For example, while paper wasps build umbrella-shaped nests, yellowjackets typically nest in the ground, and even different species might make round nests out of a paper-like substance. Beehives usually look like a waxier nest and make their home inside of a hollow tree or other protected voids. If you mess with a nest, bees will usually swarm out to protect it.
Keeping Them Out of Your Space
Bees and wasps really are two totally different creatures- and they both need to be dealt with. Call CAPE Pest Control if you need help with bee control, wasp control, or wasp nest removal , before attempting it yourself.