Whats that buzzing sound in your yard? You might have a nest located on your property. It’s important to know the difference between stinging bugs like bees, wasps, and hornets if you want to figure out what kind of pest problem you may have.
People often think that carpenter bees are bumble bees, but they are a little bigger and have a smooth abdomen attached to their furry thorax. Carpenter bees are usually orange or yellow, and they rarely sting people. If you find holes in the soft wood of your home, you may be housing carpenter bees. Carpenter bees like to drill holes in pine, redwood, and cedar that hasn’t been treated, making a home for themselves. They create many channels that allow them to move around inside the wood, which ultimately causes structural damage. If you think you have carpenter bees, you should call the professionals at Greenix right away, before the damage gets too bad.
One thing many people dont realize is that all hornets are wasps, but not all wasps are hornets. Neither one has the same kind of furry body that bees have. Hornets are easy to spot because they are more than twice as big as a typical wasp and their colors aren’t as bright. Their colors may look closer to white and black instead of yellow and black stripes. There is poison in all three of these bugs that can sting, but hornets are known to have the most painful sting. While they are usually not aggressive unless provoked, they are incredibly territorial. For those who live near a nest, be aware that you might be seen as a threat and get stung. Calling in for pest control is a safe and easy way to reclaim your backyard.
As a homeowner, you may encounter bees and wasps around your property. Two insects you are likely to see are carpenter bees and yellowjackets Although they are both black and yellow striped insects that can deliver a painful sting, carpenter bees and yellowjackets have distinct differences. Learning how to identify carpenter bees versus yellowjackets can help you take appropriate actions to control them and avoid getting stung.
Appearance: Size, Shape, Coloration
The most obvious difference between carpenter bees and yellowjackets is their size and body shape.
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Carpenter bees are robust, ranging from 1/2 inch to 1 inch long. They have a very round, smooth abdomen. The top of the abdomen is black and the bottom is pale yellow.
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Yellowjackets have more slender, elongated bodies with a narrow “waist” and are smaller, approximately 1/2 inch long Yellowjackets’ abdomens are black with yellow bands.
Yellowjackets can sometimes be confused with honey bees. However, honey bees are hairy all over while yellowjackets have little hair. Honey bees are also more softly rounded while yellowjackets have distinct yellow and black bands.
Nesting Habits
Carpenter bees and yellowjackets create very different types of nests
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Carpenter bees drill holes in exposed wood to lay their eggs inside galleries in the tunnels. Favorite nesting spots include eaves, railings, shutters, wooden lawn furniture, and fences. The holes are perfectly round.
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Yellowjackets build large, enclosed paper nests from chewed wood pulp. Nests can be located underground, inside wall voids, in shrubs or trees, or in attics. The nest entrance is a small hole about 1/4 inch wide.
Behavior and Diet
The behaviors of carpenter bees and yellowjackets also differ:
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Male carpenter bees are very territorial. They hover in front of the nest and may investigate any insect that gets close. However, the males do not have stingers. Female carpenter bees are not aggressive and rarely sting unless directly threatened. They visit flowers for nectar and pollen.
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Yellowjackets have short tempers and are more likely to sting when disturbed. They can sting repeatedly. Yellowjackets scavenge for meat and sweet substances. They carry insects, fruit and other prey back to the nest to feed larvae.
Identifying Stings
Carpenter bee and yellowjacket stings cause similar reactions – burning pain, swelling, redness at the wound site. However, a carpenter bee usually leaves behind a stinger attached to a venom sac. Yellowjackets do not lose their stinger and venom sac, allowing them to sting numerous times. Carefully remove any stingers left behind.
Control and Removal
It’s best to take preventative measures to discourage carpenter bees and yellowjackets from nesting on your property. Here are some tips:
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Seal or paint exposed wood susceptible to carpenter bee nesting. Install screens or plug holes once bees have left in fall.
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Eliminate food sources like garbage cans, compost piles and fallen fruit that attract yellowjackets.
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Keep ground covers trimmed to remove hiding spots for yellowjacket nests.
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Install traps in spring to catch queens before large colonies develop.
If large numbers of carpenter bees or yellowjackets have already established nests, it is safest to call a professional pest control company to treat infestations. Attempting DIY removal risks getting stung.
When to Call a Professional
Contact a pest management professional if:
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Large numbers of carpenter bees are hovering around your home. This indicates an active nest that needs removal.
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You spot a carpenter bee nest hole higher than your reach. Professionals have equipment to safely inject insecticide dust into the galleries.
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Yellowjackets exhibit overly defensive behavior, such as stinging without provocation or chasing people. This suggests a large, threatening colony nearby.
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You are allergic to stings. It is vital to eliminate nearby nests.
With proper identification and control measures, carpenter bees and yellowjackets don’t have to ruin your enjoyment of your landscape. Stay alert and call in the pros when needed to safely manage these painful pests.
What’s Up with Wasps?
People say that yellow jacket wasps are brighter than hornets, even though they are a bit smaller. These, too, have no fur on their bodies. It might seem like a good thing that wasps eat other bugs, since no one wants bugs running around their house. The problem with wasps is that they tend to be more likely to come after you without provocation. Wasps (unlike hornets) are attracted to sweet, sugary foods and drinks. Thats why avoiding wasps while having a picnic outdoors in the summer feels nearly impossible. Also, these bugs are poisonous and can sting you more than once without killing you, so you should have a professional pest control company get rid of them quickly.
Our team of experienced pest control experts is here to help! We treat for carpenter bees, remove wasp nests, and remove hornet nests so you can enjoy your yard without worrying about being stung by bugs all the time. Our pest control professionals can find the source of your problem, get rid of it, and help you keep it from happening again. Our professionals will have to come out more than once to do these treatments properly and safely get rid of carpenter bees, wasps, and hornets from your property. Book your next pest inspection with Greenix today to get started.
What’s The Difference Between Bees, Wasps, Yellow Jackets, and Hornets?
FAQ
What is the difference between yellow jackets and carpenter bees?
How can you tell if it’s a yellow jacket or a bee?
Does carpenter bee spray work on yellow jackets?
Do carpenter bees sting or bite?
Are Yellow Jackets the same as bees?
Yellow jackets are confused with bees because they have a very similar appearance. With a black and yellow body, it’s difficult to tell the difference between the two at first glance. Yellow jackets are a type of predatory wasp. Most are black and yellow, but some, like the bald-faced hornet, are black and white.
Are European hornets bigger than carpenter bees?
They are in the same subfamily as yellow jackets, but are larger and often colored black and white, whereas yellow jackets are black and yellow. European hornets have started showing up in North America, and are as big or bigger than carpenter bees. In fact, they are large enough that their stinger is visible.
What does a yellow jacket bee look like?
They tend to look like wasps but are slightly thicker in the body and head and are often slightly darker in color. Yellow jackets are also classified as wasps. They tend to be smaller and brighter than their wasp and hornet cousins. What are Bees?
Is a yellow jacket a wasp?
Yellow jackets are also classified as wasps. They tend to be smaller and brighter than their wasp and hornet cousins. What are Bees? Bees are black and yellow flying insects who are typically gentle creatures out in search of nectar and pollen to return to the hive with.
What does a carpenter bee look like?
Carpenter bees, like honeybees and bumblebees, have pollen baskets on their legs. They also have a black body with dense yellow and black hairs on their head and thorax and a bald abdomen. If you’ve ever had a large bee swoop down and hover in front of your face, it was probably a carpenter bee.
What does a yellowjacket look like?
Yellowjackets and other wasps tend to have more slender bodies with a “waist,” while bees almost look plump in comparison. Up close, you might notice that bees have hairier bodies and a pollen basket on their hind legs, but you probably don’t want to get that close. Most yellowjackets have vivid yellow and black markings.