Embracing the Buzz When Wasps Attack
Wasps, including yellowjackets and hornets, are also out and about, scavenging for anything they can get, making the chances you’ ll cross their path inevitable. However, wasps, bees and hornets get a bad rap— and if you happen to find a nest on your land, there’ s a great chance those little guys are picking pests off of your crops.
Bees, Yellowjackets, Wasps: Which Is Which?
Hornets, bees and wasps are all members of the same order, Hymenoptera, which means“ membranous wings,” and is the planet’ s third-largest group in the class Insecta. While they look similar, their anatomy and behaviors are what differentiates them.
Honeybees: Honeybees are gold to orange in color and have stout, fuzzy bodies and while they will sting if threatened, honeybees are very rarely aggressive.
Wasps: Wasps are smoother and sleeker than bees and far more likely to sting without warning. While wasps come in a range of colors, many of the most common species are black and yellow, which only promotes the confusion between wasps and bees.
Yellowjackets: Among the pests most likely to disrupt late summer picnics is the yellowjacket, an aggressive wasp that is attracted to a wide range of foods, including sweets and rich sources of protein like hamburgers and hot dogs. They have wider bodies and black antennae and will absolutely attack, sometimes unprovoked.
What to Do If You Find a Nest or Hive
Honeybees are remarkable creatures, producing honey— a naturally made food that remains fresh indefinitely. While bees can induce slight hysteria, especially for those who may suffer from anaphylaxis, they should not be eradicated.
If you discover an unwanted hive of honeybees in your field, home or yard, it’ s best to just leave it alone— you’ re really quite lucky. However, if removal is necessary, call a local beekeeper to relocate them. The North American honeybee is an endangered species and is extremely beneficial, not only because of honey and beeswax but also because, without honeybees, we literally couldn’ t grow any fruits or vegetables. A knowledgeable beekeeper can safely remove the bees and create a new home for them where they won’ t cause problems and can still do their thing.
There are countless videos online demonstrating the chaos poised to unfold when any variety of a wasp nest is improperly disposed of by amateurs, so if you find a wasp nest, it might also be best to call a professional to remove or relocate it. If this is not an option, you can purchase commercial wasp and hornet spray to eradicate them yourself— just make sure you have someone record it. It’ s best to wait until nighttime, when wasps are less active. If you continue to see wasps in the area, reapply the spray every three days until they are gone.
AcreageLife. com July 2024 AcreageLife 19