Hornets/Bees
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European Hornet

 

 

Plants Attacked

Lilac, boxwood, Viburnum, fruit trees, birch, willow, poplar, Ligustrum, Rhododendron, dogwood and other trees and shrubs.

 

Description of Damage

The most conspicuous damage is due to the premature browning of leaves on individual branches in August and September. European hornets girdle smaller twigs and gnaw holes in the bark of larger branches. The hornets chew off the bark in order to feed on the sap that flows from the wound. Some of the bark fibers may be used for nest construction. Often the portion of the twig above the girdled area dies. Usually before the twig dies it tries to regrow, causing an abnormal swelling above the wound. Although injury becomes most noticeable in the fall, European hornets may have been removing bark and collecting sap for a month or more.

 

Identification

The European hornet is a stout hornet approximately 1-inch long. The color of the head and thorax is dark reddish brown with deep yellow and brown black markings on the abdomen. The markings on the abdomen are similar to the markings found on yellow jackets. The European hornet resembles the cicada killer wasp but is more robust and has more hair on the thorax and abdomen (but is not as hairy as a bee). The European hornet, Vespa crabro germana, is in the order Hymenoptera and family Vespidae.

 

Life History

Damage is most extensive in late summer and early fall when large colonies have developed. The hornets build their nests in protected areas such as hollow trees, hollow posts, partitions in sheds, barns, porches, and attics. Mature nests generally consist of 6- 8 horizontal combs, without the papery covering associated with many other hornets' nests. Nests can be very large, up to 2-3 feet in length, 20 inches in diameter and may contain 800-1000 workers. Nests are annual and die out in winter. These hornets have a large stinger and large poison sac and the sting can be painful, but they do not appear to be particularly aggressive or vicious.

 

Control

There is no known insecticidal control for use on host plants. Attempt to locate the nest by following the hornet in its flight to and from the nest. Wear protective clothing and destroy the nest at night by placing an insecticidal dust into the nest entrance, although even at night it is still possible to get stung. European hornets fly at night and are attracted to lights and windows.

 

Remarks

European hornets abandon their nest at the end of the year. A single queen starts a new nest in the spring and this nest is at first small and has few workers. The limited number of twigs and branches that are damaged in the spring usually go unnoticed. By the end of the summer when many workers are active the damage is more prevalent and easy to spot, especially since girdled areas are highly attractive to other foragers, such as flies and sap beetles, which come to the wounds to collect sap, sometimes in great numbers.

 

 

 

 

BEES

HONEYBEES

They can become a serious problem if they find an opening to nest in like :an opening in an exterior wall, faulty flashing of a home ,or chimney .After finding the opening ,they nest in a wall void or some other interior area.The nest can survive throughout the winter if well protected. The nests are made of wax cells that may contain many pounds of reserved honey. If the bees are alive, they have a built in "air conditioner", by fanning their wings to keep the wax from melting. If they are killed however, this wax will begin to melt in the warmer months, causing the reserved honey to seep out. This may or may not cause a unsightly damage, but it would attract other insects. It is advisable to have the complete nest removed.

 

 

CARPENTER BEES

Carpenter bees many times resemble the Bumblebees .The Carpenter bee is black and has markings of yellow hair. The Carpenter bee build nest in wood,where the Bumblebee build their nest in the ground. They bore perfectly round holes in wood, making long interior tunnels, with the grain of the wood to develop their larvae. The entrance hole is usually round, but the "galleries" run with the grain of the wood. Common sites they choose to "drill" include eaves, siding, window sills, under decks and railings. They prefer untreated wood or well-weathered wood. Look for sawdust under the holes.

carpenter bee






IDENTIFICATION

Adult body length is about 1/2 to1 inch (12.5 to 25 mm). They are robust, resembling bumble bees, but larger, with the top surface of abdomen mostly bare and shiny. 

The male has a yellow face. The female's is black.

They can resemble bumble bees, but the upper surface of their abdomen is bare and shiny black, while bumble bees have a hairy abdomen with at least some yellow markings.

Bumble bees don't nest in the wood, but rather on the ground.

To see pictures of both, click here:  Pictures of carpenter bees and bumble bees  

carpenter bee

Carpenter Bee

bumble bee

Bumble Bee

 

SIGNS OF CARPENTER BEE INFESTATIONS

You will see round holes and a coarse sawdust-like substance called frass underneath the holes. The holes are perfectly round and are about 3/8 inch in diameter. You may find old holes near the newer ones. Old nests can be used year after year by the carpenter bee.

HABITS

During the spring, the males seek out the females, hovering around females that found some unfinished wood, such as under eaves, railings, etc. The males are territorial and will confront you if you enter their territory, but they are incapable of stinging. Females have a stinger, but are very docile. Females will nest in a all types of wood, but prefer weathered and unpainted wood.

Male carpenter bees tend to be territorial and can buzz around you if you approach closely, sometimes hovering a short distance in front of your face or buzzing around your head. Since males have no stinger, these actions are just for show and intimidation.

The female bee can squeeze through incredibly tiny places to bore into untreated wood.

 

 

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