BEES & WASPS

BEES & WASPS

1. Yellowjackets (Wasps)

• Appearance: Yellow/black banded, often mistaken for honey bees, but smoother and more intensely colored.
• Nesting: Typically underground or in dark areas of buildings.
• Diet: Predators of insects; more aggressive scavengers in late summer.
• Stinging: Can sting repeatedly.

2. HORNETS

• Appearance: Larger yellowjacket species, black and white with a white face.
• Nesting: Found in trees, attics, and wall voids.
• Diet: Feed on live insects, not scavengers.
• Stinging: Rarely sting unless disturbed; nest is large and papery.

3. PAPER WASPS 

• Appearance: Slender, 0.7 to 1.0 inches long with brown, red, and yellow coloring.
• Nesting: Build single-comb nests under eaves or porches.
• Diet: Predators of caterpillars and other insects.
• Stinging: Do not scavenge.

4. MUD DAUBERS

• Appearance: Slender, 0.5 to 1.25 inches long, with threadlike waists.
• Nesting: Build tubular mud nests on building exteriors.
• Diet: Typically do not scavenge.
• Stinging: Rarely sting unless provoked.

5. CICADA KILLERS

• Appearance: Large (1.5 to 2 inches), brownish-black with yellow markings.
• Nesting: Dig burrows in the soil, capturing and paralyzing cicadas.
• Diet: Feed on paralyzed cicadas placed in burrows.
• Stinging: Do not cause significant damage, just unsightly dirt piles.

6. BEES – HONEY BEES

• Appearance: Small (0.5 inches), fuzzy with brown and black stripes.
• Nesting: Large colonies in cavities (trees, buildings).
• Diet: Pollinate plants and produce honey and wax.
• Stinging: Less likely to sting around a swarm, as they are vulnerable.

7. BUMBLE BEES

• Appearance: Robust, black and yellow, 0.5 to 1 inch long.
• Nesting: Often in old rodent burrows or wall voids.
• Diet: Pollinate flowers.
• Stinging: Not aggressive, but will sting if disturbed.

8. CARPENTER BEES

• Appearance: Similar to bumble bees, but with a shiny, bare abdomen.
• Nesting: Bore into wood to create nests.
• Diet: Pollinate plants.
• Stinging: Less aggressive than other bees, but can sting if provoked.