Appearance

Wasps and bees are similar in size, although the shapes of their bodies distinuish them apart. Wasps have narrow waists and bright black and yellow banding, two pairs of wings and are approximately 1-2 cm in length. German wasps can also be seen in this country and look very similar to the common wasp. Honeybees, in particular the worker bees have a dark brown head, bees unlike wasps to the naked eye seem to be rather hairy, bees also consist of black and yellow striped bands but are not as bright as those on a wasp.

Honeybees new job as detector bees

In the UK researchers are harnessing the ability of Honeybees for trace vapour detection. It is a new idea under development. The system should offer a large range of possibilities from detecting early stages of dry rot, drug detection, diagnosing tuburculosis and even explosives. Thirty six bees are part of a handheld portable vapour device. When the bees are exposed to a particular type of air that they are trained to react to then the bees will stick their tongues out, the bees responses are calculated and translated showing the results on a PDA screen.

Habitat and Nesting

Wasps live in nests which are constructed from chewed bark and dried timber mixed with saliva, often a biege colour, these nests can be found anywhere but commonly in roof spaces, cavities, sheds, trees and gardens. Nests can be between 90-120cm in cicumference containing upto 10,000 wasps. The queens start nesting in spring and summer abandoning their nests to overwinter and start new ones the next year. Abandoned nests are never reused, meaning if you find a clearly abandoned nest in winter it is safe to be removed and disposed of.

Stinging

Wasps and honeybees are both capable of stinging. Wasps can become aggressive especially if disturbed or provoked, where as bees are rather docile insects and do not intend to cause harm, but if they believe they are under threat will sting. Stings can be painful and cause redness and swelling, stings are not normally serious. Some people take badly to stings and are highly allergic. Suffering from allergic reactions (anaphylactic shock) , in some cases can be fatal.

Controlling

If a nest is not causing a nuisance to you or your neighbours it is advisable to leave it. With wasps and bees turning aggressive easily it is advisable to get a professional pest control company to treat a live nest. If wasps or bees are causing a nuisance indoors insecticidal control sprays (knockdown sprays) can be purchased retail. These sprays kill the target almost instantly, and then safe removal of the dead insect is advised. Spray insecticides should not be used near non-target species, food, food preparation areas and humans. Always read the label.