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Bees and wasps

How to tell the difference between bees and wasps

Many people think they see wasps, especially in April and May. But these are often honey bees or solitary bees like mortar bees and mining bees. Here’s how you can tell the difference:

If you see an insect going into holes in the brickwork of a wall, watch closely. Are they going into a single hole or checking out several holes? Wasps usually use just one hole, but mortar bees check many holes
Another way to know is to see if the insects are active on cloudy, cool days or only on warm, sunny days. Mortar bees will only come out on sunny days.

Swarms of bees

A swarm of bees is easy to spot:

A big group of bees hanging in a tree, hedge, or on a post
About the size of a football
The bees are small and all brown.

Only honeybees swarm; bumble bees, solitary bees, and wasps do not.

Swarms in North Lincolnshire usually show up from late April until mid-July. Bees often swarm between 11am and 4pm. They fly around in the air and then land on a fence, tree, or bush for a while before finding a new home. The buzzing noise can be scary, but it’s not very dangerous.

We don’t usually deal with bees because they are important for the environment. We only treat them if there’s a big risk to people’s health and as a last choice. Honey bees are helpful to nature, and we try to save swarms and move them to safe places.

For further information including beekeeping and swarms of bees visit the North Lincolnshire Beekeepers website.

Wasp nests

Wasp nests cause a nuisance during the summer months due to their location. The council does not offer a pest control service to treat a wasp nests. This service would be offered by private pest control companies.

Wasps can also be left alone if they are not bothering anyone. Before you think about destroying a wasp nest, try these tips:

Put beer or jam in a jar to attract wasps away from certain parts of the garden
When the weather gets colder, the wasp nest will be abandoned and not used again
The remaining wasps will die naturally in the cold weather, so you won’t need to use insecticides.

Wasp

Wasps are fascinating insects belonging to the order Hymenoptera, which also includes bees and ants. They are known for their slender bodies, narrow waists, and ability to sting. While wasps may appear similar to bees, they have distinct characteristics that set them apart.

Honey bee

Honey bees are a species of bee known for their crucial role in pollination and their production of honey and beeswax. Belonging to the genus Apis, the most common species is Apis mellifera, also known as the European honey bee. Honey bees have a hairy body that aids in pollen collection and a distinctive yellow and black striped pattern serving as a warning to predators.

Bumble bee

A bumble bee is a large, fuzzy, and robust bee belonging to the genus Bombus within the family Apidae. Easily distinguished by their black and yellow striped bodies, bumble bees are vital pollinators for many types of plants and crops. Unlike honey bees, bumble bees have a more docile nature and are less likely to sting unless provoked.

They typically build their nests in the ground, often in abandoned rodent burrows or dense grass. Bumble bees are particularly known for their ability to “buzz pollinate,” a technique where they vibrate their bodies to release pollen from flowers, playing a crucial role in the ecosystem.

Mortar bee

Mortar bees, also known as mason bees, are solitary insects known for their habit of nesting in the mortar joints of brick walls. Unlike social bees that live in large colonies, mortar bees operate alone, each female creating her own nest. These bees are important pollinators and are typically active in spring and early summer. They are non-aggressive and rarely sting, making them harmless to humans. The adults can be seen investigating multiple holes in brickwork, a behaviour that distinguishes them from wasps which usually use a single entry point. Mortar bees are only active on sunny days, as opposed to cooler, overcast days.

Contact

customerservice@northlincs.gov.uk

01724 297000