Surely the most feared of flying insects, no one likes to share their home, garden or outbuildings with bees and, in particular, wasps – and it is no wonder why…

Wasps

There are a variety of species of wasps and it is true to say that no species seeks the company of humans; social insects, they build and live in colonies together in great numbers. Coloured yellow and black to warn off other insects, animals and humans, wasps can deliver a nasty sting if agitated, excited or if they feel their colony is under attack.

Their life cycle is finite:

  • Some females from the colony will be mated in late summer, leaving the colony to find somewhere to hibernate safely over the winter; as the warmer months of spring arrive, these waking mated queens will fly off and look for somewhere to build her colony
  • Chewing a variety of materials, she will use these materials to build her nests; once she has so many small pockets made, she will lay her eggs and feed the emerging pupae
  • Slowly over the summer months, the wasp colony will increase to great numbers in some cases.
  • But, when the queen leaves in late autumn, the colony will die; the majority of wasp species follow this life cycle but, some species will continue to grow their colony for many years, providing there is always a queen wasp in residence

Providing they are undisturbed, the wasps will go about their daily business without coming in to contact with any humans. However, when the queen has made her nest hanging in the porch, the garage or close to a property, the wasps can feel under threat; they can send out workers to defend the colony, which means a nasty sting or two for you!

The problem with this is that many people, without being aware until they are stung, are actually allergic to wasp sting venom. Some people suffer a nasty localised reaction around the sting area but other people suffer anaphylaxis – a reaction that unless treated immediately, is fatal.

NEVER interfere with a wasp nest – call Mr Pesty!

Bees

An important part of ecology, the bee is not seen in quite the same way as wasps; although they do deliver a nasty sting, they only do so in defence, rather than as an aggressive act like wasps do.

People also think that bees are protected which is not the case; bee hives or colonies can be exterminated but, most pest control companies prefer to relocated the hives if possible. This depends on a number of factors such as the species of bee; honey bees, of course, have great value and many local bee keepers will happily accept a new hive in to their numbers!

Bees prefer not to use their stinger simply because if they do so, they will die but, in all cases, if you think you have a problem with a wasp nest or a bee colony, do not make any attempt whatsoever to deal with the issue yourself. Agitating either wasps or bees is recommended.

Mr Pesty is a pest control company in Lincoln that has extensive experience of dealing with both bees and wasps; with the right knowledge and the correct equipment, the colony can be safely removed without any harm coming to you, your family or your pets.