BEES AND WASPS

BEES AND WASPS

Honey Bees get their name from the sweet yellowish to brownish fluid they make from the nectar of flowers and use as food.  Honey Bees not only provide honey and wax, but as pollinators are of far greater importance.  They are responsible for a large share of insect stings, although many stings blamed on bees are actually done by yellowjackets.  More
people die of allergic reaction to Bee stings than of rattlesnake bites each year.  Bees can only sting you once.  After stinging, they pull away and leave the back half of their abdomen, with the poison sack and the stinger imbedded in your skin.  This action kills the insect
that stung you.  This poison sack can continue to inject poison into your body for a few minutes after the sting.  Bees and wasps are best controlled at night using dusts and contact sprays.  Queen Bees lay as many as 1,500 to 2000 eggs per day, and may live as long as 5 years.  Worker Bees only live 5 to 7 weeks in the summer and shorter during the winter.

The Paper Wasp gets its name from the paper like material of which they construct their nests.  This wasp is recognized by its 5/8 to3/4 inch brownish to black bodies, with yellow or red markings.  The Paper Wasps hang their comb nests under twigs and branches of trees and shrubs which can cause concern when ornamental shrubs and hedges are trimmed or fruit is being picked from trees.  They also like to hang their nests from porch ceilings, the top member of window and door frames, soffits, eaves, attic rafters, deck floor joists and railings, play ground equipment, almost any protected place imaginable.  If the nest is contacted or disturbed, the Paper Wasps on the nest at the time will defend the nest vigorously and the offender of the nest will probably be stung.  If in a breeze or wind,when the Paper Wasps is disturbed, stand still and the wasps will fly around but will not follow you.  If you run, the vacuum of wind from your movement will lead the wasps to you and you will be stung.  These wasps are beneficial insects helping to control many types of insect pests.  If you need to control these wasps, it is essential that you control and kill the adults early in the morning or at night when all the wasps will be tending to the nest, then remove the nest.

The Mudd Dobber Wasp gets its name from the fact that they construct their nest of mud.  They are typically a nuisance pest, building their mud nests on sheltered sites like eaves, porch ceilings, garages, sheds, barns, open attic, or any protected wall or structure.  The
Mudd Dobber Wasp is recognized by its ? to 1 inch very slender metallic black body.  The nest looks like a clump of mud stuck on to the side of a structure and as the young adult Mudd Dobbers emerge from the nest,they leave small holes in the nest, showing the nest is old or
inactive. The Mudd Dobber Wasp does not defend their nests, and only rarely sting.  These wasps are beneficial insects and help control spiders.  If control is needed, first treat and control the female Mudd Dobber Wasp and then remove the nest from the structure with a putty knife or scraper.  Activity can be discouraged in a given area by an application of a micro-encapsulated material on the structure.

Call, 239-455-4300, Collier Pest Control today for a free estimate and a complete explanation of any of our services, or look us up on our web site at www.collierpestcontrol.com  Don't let unwanted pests spoil your beautiful Southwest Florida lifestyle.  Remember, Florida does not have to be shared with insects!

Posted via OnFast - http://www.OnFast.com