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Bees & Wasps
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Pest Management for Bees and Wasps
There are many different flying insects that are often called bees and wasps. Each of these insects have different behaviours, diets, and functions. Some of these creatures are a protected species due to their beneficial behaviours in nature. In the case of honey bees and bumblebees, it is appropriate to call a beekeeper or your local health department for more information.
Advantage Pest Control can safely handle any wasps and hornets found on your property in Whitby, North York, Scarborough, Toronto and surrounding areas. Reach out to us for pest management services today.
European Honey Bees
Common Name: Honey Bee Scientific Name: Apis Mellifera Colour: Typically shades of brown, black, or brown and yellow. Physical Characteristics: Large hairy bodies with more hair on the thorax and fewer hairs on the abdomen. Often, the abdomen appears banded. There are several different types of honey bees that are somewhat distinguishable by colour and size, but they can interbreed. Geographic Range: Honey bees are found on every continent except Antarctica. Commercialized European honey bees are most common in North America, while the more aggressive Africanised honey bee has been identified in isolated sightings across temperate parts of Canada bordering the United States. Habitat: Hives are usually located in hollow trees, walls and attic voids, or other sheltered areas. Diet: Worker bees sustain themselves mostly off of pollen and nectar, feeding honey to the larvae and reserving royal jelly for queens and queen larvae. Social Structure: Honey bees are social insects. Colonies contain queens, non-reproductive female workers and males with the sole purpose of reproducing with the queen. Life Span: Queens lay eggs, which hatch four days later as larvae. They are fed by the worker bees and go through several stages before pupating. Future queens and drones (males) require bigger cells to grow, and are much larger than the rest of the colony. Only one queen is usually present but if she ages, dies, or the colony becomes too large, the workers use a royal jelly diet to develop a queen from the larva. These queens will leave their own colony with drones before forming a new colony. This is called swarming, and it is seen when swarms of bees fly together as they look for a new nest location. Queens live between 3 to 5 years, drones die before the winter, and workers generally live for a few months. A typical colony consists of between 20,000 and 90,000 individuals. Interesting Behaviours: honey bees communicate with other bees and the hive using dances to indicate locations, distance, and direction. Honey bees communicate with sound and pheromones, and are considered to be beneficial insects. They pose some risk to allergic humans but may only sting once as the barb remains in the target, along with their internal organs. Honey Bees sting defensively, only when they or their nests are threatened. Evidence of Infestation: Infestations can be seen in swarming behaviour and in locating established nests. Service Types: Honey bees are a protected species in Ontario and may not be killed. Only licensed beekeepers may handle, own, or relocate bee nests. DIY Products: None
Bald-faced Hornets
Common Name: Bull wasps, black jackets, spruce wasps Scientific Name: Dolichovespula Maculata Colour: Black with white markings Physical Characteristics or Attributes: Typically 13mm to 15mm long, with distinct white patterns over a black body. Habitat: Nests are usually in trees, but may also be attached to the sides of structures. Diet: Baldfaced Hornets feed on fruits, nectar, pollen, honey dew, fruit juices, carrion and other insects, particularly insect larvae. Social Structure: These are social insects. A colony consists of a queen, approximately 200 to 400 female workers, immature eggs, larvae, pupae, and reproductive males. Chronological Development: Eggs are laid by the queen and are fed and hatched by the workers. When the eggs hatch, the larvae go through several stages before pupating. In late summer, mating occurs, and reproductive females (new queens) hide to survive the winter - the rest of the colony does not survive. Interesting Behaviours: Bald-faced hornets can remember the faces of perceived attackers, and have even been reported avoiding bystanders to sting particular individuals. They are social animals numbering in the hundreds to thousands, and capable of stinging people multiple times. Evidence of Infestation: The main evidence is usually a visible pear-shaped nest attached to the home, surrounding greenery or harvesting activity around garbage areas. Service Types: Colony Elimination, Nest Removal, Home Protection Plan DIY Products: KONK Wasp Foam
Paper Wasps
Common Name: Umbrella Wasps, Jack Spaniard Scientific Name: Polistes (there are 22 species in North America and 300 species worldwide) Colour: Paper wasps vary in colour depending on the species; some are brown with yellow markings, and some are reddish brown. Physical Characteristics or Attributes: They are typically 10mm to 25mm long. They have narrow waists and black wings that fold lengthwise when the wasp is at rest. Geographic Range: Paper wasps are found on most continents except Arctic regions. Habitat: Wasps are found in gardens, especially those with flowers. They prefer to nest in eaves or other protected areas. Diet: Fruit, sweet fluids, nectar and other insects, especially insect larvae. Social Structure: Paper wasps live in colonies containing workers, the queen, and reproductive males. Life Span and Chronological Development: The queen lays eggs between early spring and late summer. Eggs will hatch larvae, undergoing several stages before pupating. Worker ants will feed the young and defend the nest. Mating occurs in the fall and results in new queens hiding in protected habitats until spring when they will begin building a nest. New queens are the only survivors of the nest; the rest of the colony dies in the winter. Interesting Behaviours: Paper Wasps gather fibres from dead wood, using them to construct water-resistant nests made of grey and brown paper-like materials held together by saliva. These nests can be found in sheltered areas such as eaves of a house, branches of a tree or open pipes. In most cases, paper wasps only sting when they or their nests are threatened. Stings from paper wasps can be painful and can result in anaphylactic reactions in some people. While female paper wasps can sting repeatedly, the stinger is not present in males. Evidence of Infestation: Paper wasps are usually identified by viewing wasps going in and out of holes or by finding a visible nest. Service Types: Exterior, home protection plan (Spray, Foam, and/or Dust treatments available) DIY Products: KONK Wasp Spray, KONK Wasp Foam
