Bees, wasps, hornets and yellowjackets

The Honeybee can become a serious pest when it establishes a nest within a structure. Problems result when a swarm of wild bees locates a small opening in an exterior wall, chimney or behind some flashing of a home then nests in a wall void or some other interior area. Honeybee nests are made up of many wax cells which the workers construct and use to store honey. It is important to remove all wax and honey in addition to eliminating the honeybees themselves. If at all possible, a local beekeeper should be contacted to make an effort to relocate the colony.

Wasps, hornets and yellowjackets are social insects which build nests of paper-like material, called carton, which is a mixture of wood fibers and the salivary secretions of the female wasp. The only members of the colony to over winter are inseminated queens. Queens are inactive during the winter, hiding in protective areas under tree bark, or in stone walls, attics, or other sheltered places. They emerge during the first warm days of spring, select a nest site, and build a small paper nest in which they lay their eggs. When the eggs hatch, the queen feeds the young larvae for about 18-20 days. The larvae then pupate and later emerge as small, infertile females called workers. Once the first five to seven workers appear, they take over the rearing and feeding of the brood. The queen rarely leaves the nest from this point on. Depending upon the species, there may be up to 4,000 workers with a nest of 10,000 to 12,000 cells when maximum size is attained in September. About this time, reproductive cells are built and new males and queens are produced. They emerge, mate, the males soon die, the mated queens seek sheltered overwintering sites, and the cycle begins again. The abandoned nests are not used again and rapidly decompose and disintegrate during the winter.

Control: The specie of Yellowjacket/bee, the location and size of nest, and the time of year play a very crucial role in the decision to eliminate a colony. Some people are very allergic to bee stings (even to the point of death) and should remain far away from any encounters. Unless you have proper protective clothing and a hood, do not perform this procedure. All Seasons Pest Control technicians are properly protected and trained to eliminate your bee nest problems. Call today for immediate service.