What is a wasp and what it's not?
Wasp
European Hornet
The Wasp and Hornet, a member of the wasp family, have a very narrow waist. Hornets have a much more orange and brown tint to their skin but are noticeably similar to regular Wasps.
The Vespula Vulgaris is the most common wasp local to the UK.
This insect has 4 noticeable features:
-
Yellow Legs.
-
Bright Yellow and black strips.
-
Relatively quiet when flying. (noise would generally indicate Bees and not Wasps)
-
Narrow Waist.
Wasps appear from late May - early November
The queen of this species finishes her hibernation cycle in early spring, around March. She will then fly from her present location to a suitable location for her first nest of the season.
Having scavenged the local area for suitable building materials, such as wood and foliage, she will start building her nest. Soon afterward she will produce worker (drones) wasps that will finish building the nest for her. During this period, wasps can be found stripping wood off fences and facia boards.
Very often, individuals will think they have a "wasp problem" when in fact it is another species of flying insect that has a likeness to the Vespula.
Wasps DO NOT appear in huge swarms suddenly.
Hoverfly
Bumble bee
Honey Bee
Many fly insects can look like wasp. It is good to be informed so the correct insect can be identified. This especially applies when seeking professional help in resolving a pest issue.
The Chrysotoxum festivum hoverfly, for example may appear to look similar to generic wasps but it is far from a wasp; It doesn't have a hive, nor is it aggressive - it doesn't even have a stinger!
Some species of bee look remarkably similar to the common wasp. They may fly in a similar manner, have similar markings and colours but as you can see from the images above, they are different.
For example, some bees are big and fluffy whilst others are brown and black.
Bees also make more noise than wasps, can appear in huge numbers suddenly and be found in different places around the property.
Bees appear from late April - June/July.
Honey bees are very common through May, swarming in huge numbers and making a spectacular appearance.
Bumble bees are very active through May due to their mating season. Watch for fluffy bees flying around an entrance of a roof, wall or bush in a figure of 8.
We will happily discuss with you any possible solutions to a bee problem just by ringing us.
Whilst there are no laws against the removal of bees, there are pieces of legislation to abide by when dealing with Honey Bees specifically.
Alternatively, contact a bee keeper. We have provided a link to help you find local bee keepers in your Area: South Yorkshire Bee Keepers list