Wasps and bees
Wasp or bee?
How to tell a wasp from a honey bee or bumblebee in Auckland, and why a honey bee colony should go to a beekeeper rather than being destroyed.
The short answer
Wasps are smooth, shiny and sharply narrowed at the waist, and they nest in enclosed cavities, banks and roof spaces. Honey bees are furry, browner and not narrow-waisted, and they form either a temporary hanging swarm or a comb colony inside a cavity. Wasps are treated. Honey bees should not be: a swarm is collected free by a beekeeper, and a wall colony needs a bee removal specialist who will take out the comb.
Telling them apart
German and common wasps are the yellow and black insects most people mean by wasp. They are smooth and shiny with very little hair, and the waist between thorax and abdomen is sharply pinched. They can sting repeatedly, and they become noticeably bolder around food and drink in late summer.
Paper wasps, both the Asian and Australian species, are slimmer with longer legs that trail visibly in flight. They build the small open umbrella-shaped nest you see under eaves and window reveals, with the cells exposed from below. Colonies are much smaller and they are far less aggressive.
Honey bees are furry, browner and more golden, rounder in outline, and they do not have the pinched waist. They die after stinging, so they are far less inclined to do it. They will be visibly carrying pollen on their hind legs at certain times.
Bumblebees are large, very furry, loud in flight and extremely placid. They nest in small numbers in compost, under decking and in old rodent burrows, and the colony dies out naturally at the end of the season.
Why honey bees should not be exterminated
There is the obvious reason, which is that honey bee populations matter and beekeepers actively want swarms. A swarm hanging in a tree or on a fence is a colony in transit, it is usually docile because the bees are gorged on honey and have no nest to defend, and it will be collected at no charge by someone who is pleased to have it.
There is also a practical reason that people underestimate. A honey bee colony established inside a wall cavity or a roof space may hold several kilograms of comb and honey. If the bees are killed and the comb is left, the honey is no longer being maintained at temperature by the colony. It ferments, it liquefies, and it leaks through the wall lining, staining and damaging it.
The abandoned comb then attracts wax moth, ants, cockroaches and rodents, and the cavity becomes a secondary pest problem that lasts for months. Removing a wall colony properly means opening the cavity and taking out the comb, which is a bee removal specialist's job.
The wasp season in Auckland, and the mistake people make
Vespula nests are founded by a single overwintered queen in spring, grow through summer, and peak in size and aggression between February and May. Almost all stinging incidents happen in that window, and it is when a nest that was invisible in December suddenly becomes obvious.
In most of New Zealand the colony dies over winter and the nest is not reused. Auckland's mild climate occasionally allows a nest to overwinter and become very large, so if you have watched traffic at the same hole across two summers, mention it.
The mistake, and it is a genuinely dangerous one, is blocking the entrance of a cavity nest. Sealing the outside hole does not kill the colony. It forces the wasps to chew an alternative exit, and there is nothing determining that the new exit will be on the outside of the building rather than into a room. Treat first, seal afterwards.
Questions
Related questions
There is a swarm of bees on my fence. What do I do?
Nothing urgent, and do not spray it. A swarm is a colony in transit, it usually moves on within a day or two by itself, and it is generally docile because the bees are full of honey and have no nest to defend. Contact a local beekeeper or a swarm collection service, who will take it free of charge. Keep people and pets at a reasonable distance in the meantime.
Can you get rid of bees in my wall?
We will not destroy them, and it would not solve your problem if we did. A colony in a cavity holds several kilograms of comb and honey, and killing the bees leaves that behind to ferment, liquefy and leak through the lining, attracting other pests for months afterwards. You need a bee removal specialist who will open the cavity and take out the comb. Send us a photo and we will confirm what you have.
How fast can a wasp nest be dealt with?
Usually same day or next morning, particularly if the nest is beside a door, over a path or near where children play. Treatment is applied at the entrance, ideally at dusk when the colony is home, and the nest is normally dead within about twenty-four hours.
Should I block the hole the wasps are using?
Not before treatment, and this is important. A colony that cannot use its entrance will chew a new one, and the direction it chooses is unpredictable, including into the room on the other side of the wall. Treat the nest, wait until activity has fully stopped, then seal.
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