Don’t let the bees and wasps in New York disrupt your summer fun. If you have a stinging insect problem near your home or business, Assured Environments can help. Bees, wasps, and hornets in New York build hives and nests along eaves, under porches, and in trees. They enter structures through gaps in doors, windows, foundations, or walls. If you see one bug, chances are its whole family is somewhere nearby.
The best way to deal with wasps and bees of all types is to remove or destroy the nest. However, without the proper gear and knowledge, you may find yourself the target of aggressive insect stings. Assured Environments has experienced technicians who provide safe bee, wasp and hornet nest removal services for New York. Read on to learn more!
Did you know that there’s only one “true” hornet in North America? That would be the European hornet, introduced to North America around 1840. Colloquially, though, many bugs here are still known as “hornets.” These include bald-faced hornets and yellow jackets – both of which are actually wasps.
The most noticeable difference between bees and wasps is that bees have rounder bodies that are covered with short downy hairs. These hairs attract pollen granules while the bees sip flower nectar. Bees subsist on nectar and store it in a special stomach that breaks down the nectar’s complex sugars into simpler ones. This becomes honey, which the bees store as a winter food source for the hive.
Unlike bees, wasps have smooth, slim bodies with narrow waists. Their streamlined design makes them better suited as hunters. They do still contribute to pollination but to a lesser degree than bees. Wasps tend to prey upon other insects and will scavenge anything from carrion to garbage. They adapt quickly to whatever food sources are available.
About half of the bee species in New York are eusocial beings, which means they live together as one hive or “super organism” and have clearly defined caste roles. Queens produce eggs, drones mate with queens, and workers maintain the colony. The remaining native bees of New York state are solitary varieties like digger bees which nest underground.
New York wasps also divide into social and solitary species. The social variety of wasps are eusocial like bees and function as a colony. They build large papery nests from regurgitated wood pulp and operate as a caste system. Solitary wasps often live underground and are less aggressive. In the fall, social wasp nests collapse and all members become solitary. This is why you see more wasps foraging on their own during this time of year.
With so many different species to deal with, it can be hard or impossible for the untrained eye to tell these bugs apart.
There are over 20,000 species of honey bee in the world. They are divided into seven families, categorized in the clade Anthophila within the larger superfamily Apoidea. The most common honeybee, the Western or European honeybee, is apis mellifera. Honeybees are smaller and less round than bumblebees.
There are 46 species of bumblebee in North America. The most common in New York is the common eastern bumblebee (bombus impatiens). Bumblebees are the more round, fuzzy variety of bee. They feed on nectar from plants and are important pollinators.
“Wasp” is a broad term for any insect in the order Hymenoptera and the suborder Apocrita that is not a bee or an ant. All eusocial wasps and most commonly known wasps belong to the Vesipidae family of wasps. This family includes the common wasp or European wasp, Vespula vulgaris. You may also encounter the Eastern yellow jacket (vespula maculifrons), which is a popular type of wasp found in eastern North America.
All bees and wasps undergo similar metamorphosis through their development stages which include egg, larvae, pupa, and adult.
A queen bee spends the majority of her life in the honeycomb laying eggs. These eggs take around 3 days to hatch. Newly hatched larvae remain in their cells, where they’re fed by workers until they pupate. Pupation takes anywhere between 15 days to a month. After pupating, adult bees emerge ready to perform their role within the hive.
Eusocial wasps undergo a life cycle similar to bees. A wasp queen will live for as long as a year and can lay up to 25,000 eggs in her lifetime. After they hatch, wasp workers feed larvae for 1 to 3 weeks, at which point they pupate.
Solitary wasps will mate and forage alone. These wasps may lay eggs on prey, so their offspring can consume the prey as their primary food source when they hatch.
Both bees and wasps deliver painful stings to people. Bees only sting defensively, but wasps may act aggressively. Honeybees die after using their stinger, while bumblebees and wasps can sting repeatedly. This is because honeybees have barbed stingers that stay in their target’s body, but the stingers on wasps and bumblebees are smooth.
If you’re stung by a bee or wasp, you’ll probably experience a mild burning sensation in the affected area. Bee sting kits also work for wasp stings. If you’re allergic, stings can be dangerous – even life-threatening – and cause you to go into anaphylactic shock. If an allergic person is stung, call for emergency help right away.
For normal stings, keep the area of the sting clean and use a cold compress to ease discomfort. Apply hydrocortisone or calamine lotion to stings that itch. If the sting becomes infected, or you have severe symptoms, consult a doctor immediately.
There are many measures you can take to keep buzzing intruders from ruining your next company picnic or BBQ. Here are a few steps to keep bees, wasps and hornets away from your business:
Plant natural insect repellents. Stinging insects don’t like flowers like marigolds, citronella and geraniums or herbs like peppermint, lemongrass and lavender. You can also make a natural insect spray with herb oil to spray around your yard and deck.
Plant flowers strategically. We all love a beautiful flower garden in summer. By planning flower beds away from decks and porches, you minimize insect traffic to those areas.
Avoid bright colors and fragrances. Bees are attracted to bright colors and flowery smells. By wearing muted tones and using a plain table linen, you avoid calling unwanted attention.
Cover food and drinks. Covering your food and drinks while eating outside will make it so they don’t attract bugs.
Create a bait station. Pour a sweet liquid like sugar water or fruit juice into a bowl and place it away from your activities. Hopefully, bees and wasps will be drawn away.
Look for hives and nests. If you experience a lot of stinging insects near your business, you may have a hive or nest nearby. A pest control professional can help locate and eliminate these wasp and bee nests.
If bees or wasps in New York are keeping you indoors this summer, contact us. Our professional team can find, remove and prevent bees and wasps from invading your yard. Take the sting out of summer pests with a breath of fresh air from Assured Environments!
If you’re dealing with an infestation from any of these bugs, give us a call – we’ll get you started with a free inspection.
All wasps will sting if provoked or feel threatened. The most common type of wasp in New York and the rest of the United States are yellowjackets followed closely by paper wasps.
Yellowjackets have distinctive gold or yellow patterning. Paper wasps tend to be more brown or reddish with thinner wastes and longer legs. Paper wasps have yellow tipped antennae while yellowjacket's antennae are black.
Bees use a waxy substance to build their nests while wasps use regurgitated wood pulp. Bee nests will have a smooth sheen to them while wasp nests tend to be gray and papery.
Connecticut has the same common types of wasps as New York: paper wasps, yellow jackets and white faced hornets.
Yes. If you see a black wasp in New York, it’s likely a great black wasp. This is a variety of wasp common to much of the U.S. They prefer dry, sandy soil to burrow in.
For fast and reliable identification and elimination of Wasps in the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut area, contact Assured Environments.