Bees, Wasps and Hornets

We Do Not Kill Honey Bees!

Honey bees are gold in color or some may even be brown (as opposed to yellow jackets which are very yellow in color). Workers follow their queen so sometimes they swarm and it looks like a cloud of bees flying around. If they find a location to nest they will go in and out of a hole and also congregate on the exterior of their entrance/exit. If you are seeing honey bees, we would refer you to a known beekeeper that will extract the bees and keep them safe and alive. We want honey bees to survive, just not in our homes.

Bumble bees nest in the ground and oftentimes in spaces where you see a separation between concrete structures like garages or patios. They are non-aggressive so we try to advise people to leave them be, however we can take care of them if the problem is excessive.

Carpenter bees look much like a large bumble bee. They bore into wood making a perfect dime to nickel sized hole. They will then make their nest inside that hole. When their life cycle is over they die inside making queens want to reuse that area in the following spring seasons (due to pheromones).

Paper wasps make honeycomb shaped nests that appear identical to a honeycomb. You can usually find these nests under eaves, soffits, and sometimes fences. They will also sometimes nest under siding or decoratives in the yard, and even your BBQ grills. They are not as aggressive as yellow jackets or hornets but they will still sting protecting their nests if you are too close.

Yellow Jackets are yellow and black in color and usually smaller in size. They are typically much more aggressive and protective of their nests. Because store bought chemicals are often repulsive, those chemicals can force the yellow jackets into the structure, which if the nest is large can create hundreds of stinging insects in your home or work place. There are different species that nest in the ground, under eaves, soffits and even in trees (also paper mache). In spring, queens find holes in structures and the ground that snakes/chipmunks/mice and other rodents create. Numbers in the nest can get quite large by mid July thru early Aug which can make mowing or doing other things in the yard almost impossible. Again, Yellow jackets are aggressive and they can sting over and over again.

Bald faced Hornets are aggressive just like yellow jackets. They make large hanging paper mache style nests that are ball shaped or teardrop shaped often found in trees, under soffits, and in eaves. They are larger and black and white in color.

Bald faced hornet and yellow jacket nests can look very similar. It is very important to note their aggression and never use liquid chemicals on these nests.

Wasps/hornets/yellow jackets will not reuse their nest. The males die off in fall and females hibernate in cracks and crevices or in the ground, some becoming queens and starting new nests in future years to come.