Many of you must have seen wasps, particularly during the early season of April/May, but actually, they are honey bees and the pest control service usually does not prefer to treat these insects.
Many individuals in the UK often need proper clarification while identifying whether the busy creatures hovering around their homes are honey bees, wasps, bumblebees, or masonry bees.
You can always consult the representative of pest control Manchester in your nearby area to identify whether you are facing a honey bee or a wasp.
We have tried to put together simple tips that can help you identify the insects.
The difference between wasps and bees
The following are a few characteristics to recognize wasps and honeybees:
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Size and appearance
Typically, wasps are slimmer and also more elongated than bees. The common varieties of wasp found in the UK are:
- Common wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
- German wasp (Vespula germanica)
Both are about 10 to 15 mm. long. They have got a characteristic black and yellow pattern of colour on their body.
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Colour patterns
Usually, wasps in the UK have bright black and yellow stripes or bands present on their abdomen. Also, you will find their head and chest having black with yellow markings, while bees will be a little fluffier and rounder.
It is however important to note that all wasp species may not have the same patterns of colour, and there can be variations in their markings.
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Thin waist
They have constriction between their chest and abdomen or got a thin “waist”. This feature will be more noticeable in wasps when compared to bees.
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Shiny and Smooth body
Wasps have got smooth and shiny exoskeleton, which lack the dense hair that you can see on bees. Their bodies have got a sleek appearance.
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Nesting habits
Wasps may build nests by using certain paper-like material, which they will create by chewing wood and then mix with their saliva.
Typically, their nests can be found in sheltered locations such as:
- Trees
- Attics
- Sheds
- Underground burrows.
Just observe the nest entrances and wasps entering or exiting their nest site.
Bees and wasps will try to nest in similar places, however, when you will look at them closely, you can notice the difference between bees and wasps.
Wasps as mentioned above use wood pulp to make nests and will create papery ridged structures and roughly a shape and size of a certain rugby ball or football.
On the other hand, honeybees create beeswax sheets with hexagonal pods to enable them for incubation and honey storage.
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Food habits
Wasps tend to always hover around humans and their food, while bees always prefer flowers and plants. Also, honey bees tend to use the same hive for several years, while wasps will not use them next summer and prefer to abandon their old nest every summer.
Conclusion
In the UK, usually, people fail to distinguish between a honey bee and a wasp as apparently both of them may appear to be similar. You need to observe them a little more closely their habits. With more observations, you will be able to identify whether the insects moving around your area are really wasps or honey bees.
