Wasps

Not all wasps can sting though but those that can often die once they have used their sting has it is joined onto their rear end of often becomes dislodged. When a wasp dies it releases a smell (called a pheromone) which warns the other wasps of danger and that it needs help.

Like many other insect species, the wasp is social insect and many wasps, as many as 10,000, inhabit just one nest. The queen wasp is the only breeding female and she builds the nest from a papery substance that is made up of chewed wood and plants. Typically, the wasp only lives for 12 – 22 days.

Wasps are omnivorous animals and therefore eat a mixture of plants and other animals. As with bees, the wasp prefers the sweeter plants and primarily eats nectar, fruits and honey. Wasps also eat insects and even large caterpillars.

Despite their bright colours to deter predators, wasps are eaten by a number of different animals around the world including birds, amphibians, reptiles and various species of mammal.

The queen wasp lays her eggs inside the nest which hatch in a number of days. When the wasp larvae hatch they are cared for by the other wasps in the nest and begin to hunt for food to bring back to the nest. Wasps are known to travel nearly half a mile away from the nest in search of food.

Wasps frequently build their nests indoors, both in attics and inside houses, however it is unusual to find a nest in a part of a house that is used regularly but it does happen. Most of the time nests are built in lofts, sheds, gardens and garages etc. If you are finding wasps inside your home on a regular basis, there is a good chance that you have a nest within your home. Wasps can squeeze through the smallest of gaps and can even get through the gap in down lights (flush fitting lights in the ceiling).

Common wasps and hornets will nest in the ground in old vole or mouse holes, rabbit burrows etc, they will also use any other suitable underground space to build their nests. Cavities in walls and voids behind wooden sleepers are also favorite places.

Honey bees differ from wasps, and although they are not a protected species at the moment, where ever possible every effort must be made to save them. Most pest controllers will not have the means or motivation to extract honey bees from awkward to reach places. Increasingly beekeepers are arming themselves with new methods of getting bees out of cavity walls and lofts etc. If you find yourself with a honey bee swarm or colony, find your local bee collector and speak to them about the problem before taking the decision to kill them. If for some reason the colony cannot be removed and has to be destroyed, there are some regulations about treatment. After a colony has been treated and killed, all entrances must be blocked as soon as possible to prevent other foraging bees coming into contact with any insecticide. Preferably all honey combs should be removed (but sometimes this is not possible or financially viable).