Pest Files - Wasps, Hornets, & Bees
Common Wasp
Wasps can be regarded as beneficial insects. As the nests develop during the spring and early summer the workers collect insect larvae and thereby help control garden insect pests.
Wasps are often considered a nuisance however, particularly at the end of the summer when worker wasps indulge in their passion for sweet materials e.g. jam, plums, apples, pears. It is the ability of wasps to cause painful stings that concerns most people and unlike bees, wasp can sting several times. A single wasp begins construction on a nest that may eventually house more than 500 adults.
The queen lays four or five eggs in a small comb protected by several layers of papery material. She forages for wood fibres that chewed and matted with saliva, will form new layers for her nest. The process is deliberate and precise: By the end of the summer, a large nest (bottom, right) contains males, female workers, and a number of specially nurtured new queens, which leave the nest to begin their own nests, come springtime. With the onset of severe weather the nests die out.
The Queens which are larger than the workers over winter in warmer undisturbed places like garden sheds, buildings, under loose bark and bird boxes. The Queens emerge in the spring and build their nests again and then start lay laying eggs. Four to six weeks after the eggs are laid, the first generation of wasps emerge and the life cycle begins again.
German Wasp
German wasp, 1, 9 cm long, is a predator, but it feeds on edible substances too. The wasp has three black spots on its clypeus.
This wasp is far larger than the common wasp seen in the U.K.
It does nest outside and can be extremely aggressive if approached. All other characteristics are similar to the common wasp.
Honey Bee
The honey bee begins life as an egg. The queen lays eggs, but only the "worker" eggs are fertilized with the drones’ sperm and develop into females. Queens are not hatched as queens; they become so when fed royal jelly, a substance produced by the hypopharyngeal glands of the workers. Eggs hatch in 72 hours into larvae that are known as grubs. All the grubs are fed royal jelly at first, but only the future queens are continued on the diet.
When fully grown, the grubs transform into pupae. These pupae develop through a process called Eggs hatch in 72 hours into larvae that are known as grubs. All the grubs are fed royal jelly at first, but only the future queens are continued on the diet. When fully grown, the grubs transform into pupae. These pupae develop through a process called metamorphosis into fully grown workers (emerge in 21 days), drones (emerge several days after the worker bees) and queens (emerge within 16 days). As there is only one queen for each hive, about a week before the new queen is hatched; the old queen is prepared for leaving the hive. Just before the new queen emerges, the old queen leaves taking with her at least half the workers and drones.
Bumble Bee
The bumble is round and furry and not at all like her more wasp shaped cousin. In fact as you can see from the photo there are three kinds of bumble bee, the large Queen, the smaller imperfectly formed female worker bee and the tiny male or drone bee. All are seen at different times of year. Only the Queen and the worker bees have a sting. Because they live in small nests bumble bees never swarm - so you can encourage a nest or two in the garden without fear of this happening.
Bumble bees do not produce enough honey for commercial use; just a few grams at a time to feed their young not all bumble bees have a sting. Drones (smaller male bees that hatch in mid summer) have no sting at all.
A bumble bee’s biggest enemy by far is a man armed with a pesticide spray. Like every other form of wildlife they are under serious threat from the chemicals we pour on the land.
Bumble bees are much less aggressive than honey bees. Generally they will not attack a human at all, unless their life is under threat. Don't wave your arms wildly in their presence, stand quietly and once they smell you are not a flower with pollen they will move gently away. Bumble bees do not lose their sting and die if they use it, as a honey bee will.
Common Wasp
Wasps can be regarded as beneficial insects. As the nests develop during the spring and early summer the workers collect insect larvae and thereby help control garden insect pests.
Wasps are often considered a nuisance however, particularly at the end of the summer when worker wasps indulge in their passion for sweet materials e.g. jam, plums, apples, pears. It is the ability of wasps to cause painful stings that concerns most people and unlike bees, wasp can sting several times. A single wasp begins construction on a nest that may eventually house more than 500 adults.
The queen lays four or five eggs in a small comb protected by several layers of papery material. She forages for wood fibres that chewed and matted with saliva, will form new layers for her nest. The process is deliberate and precise: By the end of the summer, a large nest (bottom, right) contains males, female workers, and a number of specially nurtured new queens, which leave the nest to begin their own nests, come springtime. With the onset of severe weather the nests die out.
The Queens which are larger than the workers over winter in warmer undisturbed places like garden sheds, buildings, under loose bark and bird boxes. The Queens emerge in the spring and build their nests again and then start lay laying eggs. Four to six weeks after the eggs are laid, the first generation of wasps emerge and the life cycle begins again.
German Wasp
German wasp, 1, 9 cm long, is a predator, but it feeds on edible substances too. The wasp has three black spots on its clypeus.
This wasp is far larger than the common wasp seen in the U.K.
It does nest outside and can be extremely aggressive if approached. All other characteristics are similar to the common wasp.
Honey Bee
The honey bee begins life as an egg. The queen lays eggs, but only the "worker" eggs are fertilized with the drones’ sperm and develop into females. Queens are not hatched as queens; they become so when fed royal jelly, a substance produced by the hypopharyngeal glands of the workers. Eggs hatch in 72 hours into larvae that are known as grubs. All the grubs are fed royal jelly at first, but only the future queens are continued on the diet.
When fully grown, the grubs transform into pupae. These pupae develop through a process called Eggs hatch in 72 hours into larvae that are known as grubs. All the grubs are fed royal jelly at first, but only the future queens are continued on the diet. When fully grown, the grubs transform into pupae. These pupae develop through a process called metamorphosis into fully grown workers (emerge in 21 days), drones (emerge several days after the worker bees) and queens (emerge within 16 days). As there is only one queen for each hive, about a week before the new queen is hatched; the old queen is prepared for leaving the hive. Just before the new queen emerges, the old queen leaves taking with her at least half the workers and drones.
Bumble Bee
The bumble is round and furry and not at all like her more wasp shaped cousin. In fact as you can see from the photo there are three kinds of bumble bee, the large Queen, the smaller imperfectly formed female worker bee and the tiny male or drone bee. All are seen at different times of year. Only the Queen and the worker bees have a sting. Because they live in small nests bumble bees never swarm - so you can encourage a nest or two in the garden without fear of this happening.
Bumble bees do not produce enough honey for commercial use; just a few grams at a time to feed their young not all bumble bees have a sting. Drones (smaller male bees that hatch in mid summer) have no sting at all.
A bumble bee’s biggest enemy by far is a man armed with a pesticide spray. Like every other form of wildlife they are under serious threat from the chemicals we pour on the land.
Bumble bees are much less aggressive than honey bees. Generally they will not attack a human at all, unless their life is under threat. Don't wave your arms wildly in their presence, stand quietly and once they smell you are not a flower with pollen they will move gently away. Bumble bees do not lose their sting and die if they use it, as a honey bee will.
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