Bee And Wasp Removal
Few things ruin a pleasant day outside faster than bees and wasps. While many species of bees and wasps are not overtly aggressive, they possess the ability to sting.
Knowing the best approach to bee and wasp removal is essential to keeping your outdoor fun sting free. Bees and wasps are pollinators and play an essential part in our ecosystem.
Without these little marvels, we would not have most foods or flowers. Recognizing what attracts pollinators, how bees and wasps live, and ways to support our pollinators while keeping them out of our living areas are just as important as knowing the safest methods of bee and wasp removal.
Bees Vs. Wasps
Colorado is home to a variety of bee and wasp species. Frequently lumped together, they have as many differences as they do similarities. Knowing which insect you are battling is key to successful bee and wasp removal.
Colorado’s Most Common Wasps
There are many species of wasp throughout Colorado. The most common are the western yellowjacket, European paper wasp, and baldfaced hornet. These wasps are all social wasps, meaning they build nests and live in colonies. These wasps often become aggressive when approached. Some people also have allergic reactions to wasp stings, making it essential for safe bee and wasp removal.
Additional wasps include the mud dauber, hunting wasp, and spider wasp. These solitary wasps do not build colonies. While they look scary and mean, they are mainly non-aggressive. It is uncommon that they sting unless directly threatened or handled.
Western Yellowjackets
A Common Picnic Nuisance
The western yellowjacket is smooth with bold black and yellow stripes. They have little to no hair and reach up to one-half inches in length. As well as drinking nectar, yellowjackets are carnivorous. They are abundant at picnics and outdoor gatherings where meat is present. They build paper colonies in hidden areas. Yellowjackets, like some bees, build their nests underground, further complicating bee and wasp removal.
Yellow and Black
European Paper Wasps
The European paper wasp closely resembles the yellowjacket. These wasps are vibrant black and yellow with a smooth and shiny body. However, they are more slender and elongated than the compact yellowjacket. Paper wasps build their open comb nests in sheltered areas. They are less aggressive than yellowjackets and baldfaced hornets, but their stings are still painful.
The Brash Baldfaced Hornet
Balfaced hornets share the compact body shape of the yellowjacket but are slightly bigger. They have a smooth black body with white accents along their abdomen and face. The baldfaced hornet is carnivorous and is very protective of its nest and food. Extreme caution is necessary when attempting bee and wasp removal of these more aggressive species.
Common Bees In Colorado
Bees are the superstars of the pollinating world. The honey bee is perhaps the most well-known bee as beekeepers keep them in hives worldwide. However, many wild bees continuously work, pollinating plants as they feed. Some species, such as the bumble bee, are widely known. Like wasps, some bee species are solitary, causing bee and wasp removal to be difficult. Bees are generally not aggressive unless they feel trapped or their hive threatened.
The Humble Honey Bee
Honey bees flaunt a pale yellow and black medium-sized body. Like most bee species, hair covers their bodies to help collect pollen as they visit flowers. Honey bees live in large hives containing upwards of 80,000 individuals. Because of their large hive size and the vast amount of stored honey, removing these hives is more challenging than an average bee and wasp removal. Honey bees can only sting once and die after stinging.
The Busy Bee Of The Pollinating
World – Mason Bees
The mason bee is a solitary bee that closely resembles the honey bee. A litter smaller in size, these productive pollinators have dense hair. Female mason bees reproduce by laying an egg in a tunnel, often in branches, old stumps, and nail holes. She then provides pollen as food and seals the tunnel with mud. While mason bees do not often nest in homes, their solo lifestyle makes mason bee and solitary wasp removal difficult.
Sweat Bees – Tiny But Mighty
The need for bee and wasp removal is apparent with large buzzing insects. However, sweat bees are tiny, about one-quarter inch in size. Some sweat bees are partially or entirely iridescent green. Attracted to the salt and moisture in sweat, they land on people to feed. These bees can sting multiple times. However, they only do so when trapped or threatened.
Famous Fuzzy Bumble Bees
The most lovable species of the bee family is the bumble bee. These fluffy giants amble from flower to flower, collecting nectar and pollen. Because of their size and loud buzzing, they rarely go unnoticed. Thus, while possible, stings from bumble bees are uncommon. Because they live in the ground, bumble bee removal is not often necessary.
Keys To Successful Bee And Wasp Removal
Once you have identified the nuisance species of bee or wasp, it is time to focus on bee and wasp removal. As with any pest, prevention is the best method of control. By eliminating the ability of these insects to move into your home and outdoor areas, you will avoid the need to attempt bee and wasp removal.
Wasp Removal
You may ask yourself, how do I control wasps around my home? Reducing food sources and nesting sites is the best place to start. Social wasps, such as the yellowjacket, paper wasp, and baldfaced hornet, build their nests in sheltered areas. Regularly inspect your home for cracks and holes used as entry points. Other common nesting sites are in eaves, under decks, and in shrubs and bushes. Cover any holes in the ground. Once nests exist in the ground, they are difficult to remove.
Reduce the need for bee and wasp removal by eliminating food. In addition to liking sweet, wasps are also carnivorous. Attracted to the same foods as humans, your picnic with hamburgers and sodas provides a buffet of sugary and meaty options. Cover uncooked and prepared food and drink. Once finished, dispose of waste in tightly covered trash cans. Keep your yard free of trash, debris, and dead trees.
Bee Removal
Professional Bee And Wasp Removal
There are many at-home methods of bee and wasp removal that people swear by. Largely unsuccessful, these methods make the problem worse, leaving you surrounded by angry bees or wasps with stingers ready to defend their home.
You will receive knowledgeable and effective assistance when you call professionals to battle your bee and wasp removal problems. In the case of wasps, professionals can safely approach, remove, and destroy nests and take measures to prevent their return. All while you remain a safe distance away. When battling bees, professionals will safely remove and relocate beneficial bees, including their honeycomb, which will attract more bees in the future if not removed.
For Trusted Bee And Wasp Removal, Contact OMNIS Pest Control
OMNIS Pest Control offers comprehensive pest management. Our professionals have the experience and training to handle your most challenging bee and wasp removal problems. We work hard to identify the problem, remove the threat, and set prevention measures. With the potential for severe reactions to stings, trusting your bee and wasp removal needs to the professionals at OMNIS Pest Control is the right choice. Contact us today for more information and to set up an appointment.
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