Wasps vs Bees – How to Identify Them Before Arranging Pest Control in Morton
Several harmless insects wear wasp colours, so spotting the lookalikes can save you worry and an unnecessary call-out.
Not every striped insect is a wasp
Yellow and black is nature’s warning sign, and plenty of insects borrow it. Some are stinging insects, and some are entirely harmless. Before concluding that a nest is on the way, it is worth ruling out the common mimics.
This is useful to anyone in Morton and the surrounding area who has seen a handful of striped insects around the garden and is wondering whether to book pest control.
The most common source of false alarms is the hoverfly, followed by the honeybee and the bumblebee.
Gardeners will know that the garden is full of striped creatures at this time of year, most of them doing good.
A few seconds of careful looking can save a great deal of worry. The skill is not hard to learn, and once you have it, you will find yourself spotting hoverflies everywhere.
The hoverfly test
Hoverflies are flies, not wasps, and they cannot sting. Several species are coloured to resemble wasps closely, which is clever and confusing.
There are three easy checks. First, count the wings: a hoverfly has one pair, whereas a wasp has two, though they fold together and are hard to see. Second, look at the eyes: a hoverfly has large eyes that often meet on top of the head. Third, watch the flight: hoverflies hang motionless in the air, then dart sideways.
- Short, stubby antennae on a hoverfly; wasps have longer, bent antennae.
- A hoverfly settles on flowers and feeds with a little tongue; a wasp is more restless.
- A hoverfly does not make a nest, so a lone insect hovering by your window is not a sign of one.
It is worth remembering that being fooled by a hoverfly is common, and nothing to be embarrassed about.
If you have a camera with a good zoom, a still photograph of a hovering insect often shows the large eyes and single pair of wings that give a hoverfly away.
Bees that get mistaken for wasps
Honeybees are often taken for wasps because of their stripes. The giveaways are their golden-brown colour, softer banding and light covering of hair, together with their calm manner around flowers rather than your dinner.
Bumblebees are rounder and furrier still, and they rarely cause any trouble. A bumblebee that bumbles into a room is usually looking for a way back out.
Both kinds of bee are valuable pollinators. If you have a colony that concerns you, contact a local beekeeper or a bee organisation. We do not treat bees.
Honeybees may also be mistaken for wasps when they are wet or cold. A damp honeybee looks darker and sleeker, but its slightly rounded outline remains.
Bumblebees sometimes appear smaller in early spring, when queens are searching for nest sites. Even then, their fur gives them away.
What a true wasp looks like
A wasp is slim, smooth and hairless, with a sharply pinched waist and bold, crisp black and yellow bands. Its legs trail beneath its body in flight, and it moves with a restless, purposeful energy.
What really identifies a wasp problem is persistence. Look for repeated flights to one hole, crack or gap, and for papery grey material at the entrance. A nest can hold as many as 2,000 wasps by August, so the traffic becomes impossible to miss.
If only a single striped insect appears occasionally, you are probably seeing a visitor, not a colony.
If you notice the same insects visiting the same place over several days, treat it as suspicious.
Patience is your friend. Watch a suspect insect for a few minutes in good light and you will usually see enough to decide. If it keeps returning to the same hole in a wall or bank, take that as a more reliable sign than any stripe.
Other things that look like a nest
Even once you are sure the insects are not hoverflies, you may find that the object you suspect is a nest is something else. Bird nests in eaves, clumps of spider egg sacs and balls of dried grass can all be mistaken for the work of insects. A papery structure that gives off a steady stream of flying insects is the one to worry about.
Wasp nests are made of a thin, layered grey or buff paper, and they hang from or fill a sheltered space. A bird’s nest is built of twigs, moss or mud and may be occupied only briefly. If the object is silent, with no insects approaching it, treat it as inactive.
Do not poke it to find out. Even an apparently dead nest may still hold a few insects, and a clumsy prod can provoke them.
Take a photograph from a distance and, if in doubt, describe what you see when you ring. We would rather give you a quick opinion than have you worrying over a harmless clump.
It is perfectly fine to ring and ask for an opinion before booking. We would rather you were sure.
When to pick up the phone
Call when you can see steady traffic into one spot, when insects are entering the house, or when a nest is near a door or play area. Keep your distance, and do not block the entrance.
Treatment is a fixed £80 per nest, with another nest on the same property at £40 extra, and no call-out charge. We cover homes and businesses seven days a week and offer same-day service, with a fully insured and qualified technician.
To book, ring 07916 322 280 or fill in the online form. If you are unsure, describe what you saw, and we will say honestly whether it sounds like wasps.
Bear in mind that a single sighting does not require action, but a pattern does.
Wasps on your property in Morton?
Fixed price £80 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.