The Difference Between Bees and Wasps and How to Control Either Pest

Are they bees or wasps? Which is it? It doesn’t typically matter when it’s about to sting you, but it can matter quite a bit if you’re trying to eliminate an infestation in your yard. Luckily, this quick guide can help you tell the difference between bees and wasps and help you get rid of either on your property.

Bees

Bees are about two and a half centimeters in length. Bees, though, have a variety of colors. They can be entirely black, or you may see brown ones. They can have striations across their body in either orange or yellow. The key difference in appearance, though, is that bees are hairy.

Bees usually live in colonies that are quite large. Populations can number nearly 75,000 in a healthy bee colony. In the colony setting, the worker bees maintain the hives. They don’t hibernate over the winter. Instead, they live in the hive on any food reserves they’ve stored and maintain their heat thanks to the body heat of the other workers.

Bees can typically only sting once in their lifetime. They often die after they sting a person. Their stingers are attached deep inside their bodies, and when they sting, that stinger is embedded in the person’s body. When it rips away from the bee’s body, it kills the bee.

Bees usually feed on nectar and pollen from flowers. Sometimes they’ll search trash for leftover sweet bits, as well.

Wasps

Wasps are a bit longer. They tend to be nearly four centimeters in length. They are almost entirely black, and they have a smooth texture. Often you can see the shine of their skin. Their waists are narrow, and they usually have a black and yellow pattern across their body.

Wasps live in fairly small colonies. The queen builds the colony and maintains it for the other wasps. They hibernate in the winter. That doesn’t make wasp nest removal any less difficult, though.

Wasps can sting multiple times. A sting does not damage a wasp’s body.

Unlike bees, wasps can feed from a number of different sources. They will feed on nectar and pollen like a bee might, but they’re also carnivorous creatures, and they capture other insects to feed to the young in their nests. They’ll also feed on sweet, rotting fruit.

The reality is that the difference between bees and wasps doesn’t matter when you’re facing an invasion on your property. Instead, professional bee and wasp pest control becomes an absolute must. We can help – no matter what type of stinging insect you’re facing. To learn more, contact Slug-A-Bug today.