How To Tell The Difference Between A Wasp And Bee Nest

How To Tell The Difference Between A Wasp And Bee Nest

Are you feeling swarmed by wasps and bees? I know I do. There are so many misunderstandings and misgivings about wasps, bees and wasp nests. Hopefully, I can help clear things up for you! Read my article to find out how to tell the difference between a wasp and a bee nest.

It’s the height of summer, which means it’s prime season for wasp and bee nests. And if you’re anything like me, that doesn’t bode well for outdoor activities. Unless you enjoy being stung. I don’t. In fact, I don’t even particularly enjoy the buzzing or worrying about a nest near my home or business. So let’s go over what to know about wasp and bee nests, including how to tell them apart (hint: they’re not that different).

How To Tell The Difference Between A Wasp And Bee Nest

There are a few ways to tell the difference between a wasp and bee nest. Bees are more likely to build their nests in wood, whereas wasps prefer to build in the ground.

Bees also tend to have larger bodies than wasps, and their nests have a stronger smell.

Bee and wasp nests both look like little globes of mud and twigs, but you can tell the difference with a few simple tests.

First, look at the nest from above. A bee nest will be more oval-shaped, while a wasp nest is more cylindrical. If you can see any holes or gaps in the nest, it’s a bee nest; if there are no gaps, it’s probably a wasp nest.

Bees and wasps are both insects that make nests, but they do so in very different ways. A bee nest is made of wax and is circular in shape, while a wasp nest is made of paper and is more flat and rectangular.

Bee nests are usually built by multiple bees (and sometimes their larvae), while wasp nests are usually built by one female wasp alone.

When you come across a nest on your property, it’s important to know whether it contains bees or wasps so you can take the appropriate steps to remove it from your home or yard.

How To Tell The Difference Between A Wasp And Bee Nest

Bees and wasps are both members of the insect world. They have similarities but also major differences in the way they live, reproduce and survive to the next season.  One interesting aspect of their lives is nesting. Bee nest vs Wasp nest.  In some ways they seem similar, but there are many differences as well. Among the many types of bees and wasps some are social insects.  They live together in groups and share the burden of raising young from eggs laid by one reproductive female.  This includes our honey bee and bumble bee of course because they live in colonies.

Social vs Solitary Bees and Wasps

Wasps are defined by the same characteristics.  Some types of wasps (and bees) are solitary with the reproductive female selecting a site for a home and laying eggs.  After provisioning the nest with food, she never meets her young.Others live in small social groups or colonies. It is the social insects that most often notice when we are discussing the differences of a bee nest vs wasp nest. These colonies are most noticeable to us.

How to Tell the Difference between Bee Nests and Wasp Nests

Seeing a group of insects close together in one location seems to indicate a nest.  This is where young are being reared. Regardless of the type of insect, it is a wise idea to stay respectfully away from any such nest.  They will feel protective of their home and young and may chase you away. Even the hard working honey bee will sting to defend their home.

Is it a Bee Nest or a Wasp Nest?

The most common nests we find are wasps nest. A small grey oval structure hanging from the eaves of a roof or old building with a few protective wasps on the surface.An entrance to a cavity with a steady stream of bees coming and going is likely a honey bee hive. But, there are many kinds of living arrangements for both.

Honey Bees Live In Large Families

Most honey bees live in large colonies in cavities. These social insects live in hives provided by a beekeeper or empty cavities in trees.  Sometimes, they choose other enclosed spaces such as the walls of a home.However, some solitary bees burrow in the ground.  Even Bumble Bees use abandoned rodent burrows to build a home for their small colony. However, honey bees are not ground dwellers.  They can make beeswax with special glands on the underside of their abdomen.  Using wax to construct sheets of honeycomb, they store food and rear young inside the hive.

Solitary Bees Live Alone

Most of the bees in the world are solitary bees that nest alone. While you may find many nests in one central location, each queen maintains her own home. Here she lays eggs and provisions it with food.Mason bees are a good example of a beneficial solitary bee. They are great pollinators and often live in cracks in masonry, hollow stems or tubes provided by homeowners.

Different Kinds of Wasps Nests

One of the major differences between bees and wasps is their nesting characteristics.  Wasps build aerial nests, ground nests or nests inside cavities.Wasps do not have wax glands and cannot make honeycomb.  Their grey nests of paper-like material are made with chewed wood.  The exception is the solitary Mud Dauber wasp who builds a home with mud.The queen wasp begins the nest on her own and cares for her young.  Once new adults emerge, they take part in care of the young and the nest expands.  It can grow quite large. However, they are not reused.  When the season winds down and all the young are mature, the site is abandoned.The most common types of wasp nests that we notice are those of the paper wasps.  Several different types of wasps build these grey paper homes.

Yellow Jacket Wasp Nest

Another member of the wasp family that is commonly called a bee is the Yellow Jacket Wasp.  These insects routinely live in the ground. They colony can grow quite large and is often unnoticed until mid-Summer when colony population is at its peak.Though they serve a useful purpose in pest control, they are not one of the most loved insects by most people.Using yellow jacket traps early in the season may reduce the number of colonies later on – you can even make your own trap.

 

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