You are sitting outside on a beautiful summer day when you notice wasps flying around. It is never good to have wasps that close or attached to your home. So you look around and you notice that you have a wasp nest attached to your home. Sometimes it is hard to identify what type of wasp you have. Bat, Bee & Hornet Removal will talk a little bit about what a paper wasp is and how they behave.

What Do Paper Wasps Look Like? What are the Markings?

A paper wasp may get confused with a yellow jacket, but they are slimmer than a yellow jacket and have a smaller waist. They have six long legs, wings, and an antenna. Paper wasps are brownish in color and usually have yellow markings but they can also be found with red stripes. They are about .75 to 1.5 inches. There are about 22 species of paper wasps. They are also known as umbrella wasps.

Paper Wasp Nest

Many people call them umbrella wasps because of their nests. Their nest often looks like an upside-down umbrella. It can look and feel like papier-mâché. Their nests are not completely covered. They are somewhat open, unlike a yellow jacket. The nests are attached horizontally by a single stock and can grow depending on the size of the colony. You will find these on the attic rafters, porch ceilings, or high in the trees. They like to build their nest up higher in places.

Are Paper Wasps Good for Anything?

Paper wasps like to eat insects and spiders. They can be very beneficial in helping control insect populations. They also will kill many of the bugs that like to damage trees and crops. They are actually one of the top predators for killing bugs, like aphids that destroy crops. They will also kill houseflies and blowflies. They will help with pollination by feeding on the Nectar from flowers. They do not do it as much as bees, but they do feed on the nectar. Because paper wasps will eat insects and feed on nectar, they are actually good for your garden.

Should I Worry About Paper Wasps?

Paper wasps will sting you. Like many other insects, they will only sting you if they feel threatened. If you are by their nest or in their territory and they feel threatened, then they will sting you. They do this to protect the queen. They are considered aggressive and will sting repeatedly if they feel threatened. Their stings can be extremely painful. That is why you do not want to disturb their nest. It is best to leave it to a professional to get rid of paper wasps.

Is there a Queen in a Paper Wasp Nest?

The reason they protect the queen is because a single fertilized queen can start a new paper wasp nest. Once that wasp matures, they will expand the nest to as big as they need it. These wasps are called the Brood which become workers that search for food and care for the new larva. Once winter comes, the nest is abandoned and usually, the only one to survive is the queen until spring, and then a new colony is established.

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Even though paper wasps can be good for crops and gardens they can be dangerous if you have a nest near your home or attached to your home. If you do have one you need to remove call Bat, Bee & Hornet Removal to come and remove the paper wasp nest, so that nobody in your house or coming to visit will get hurt.

Throughout the years moviegoers across the country have enjoyed box office hits in a variety of different genres. Movies have been made produced on just about every topic you can think of. We bet you will not be surprised to discover that here at Bat Bee and Hornet Removal we frequently take a particular interest in movies that are about pests and rodents. Years ago, Disney produced “The Bee Movie.” As you would expect, this movie is all about bees. Millions of people have enjoyed learning about bees as they watched this box office hit. Today Bat Bee and Hornet Removal is going to teach you even more about bees.
 

Bees Make Honey

When you mention bees the first thing that many people think of is honey. Bees are indeed known to produce honey. They produce honey that they store in their hives to help keep them alive during the winter months. Bees are so efficient that they are able to produce more honey than they consume. This allows us to enjoy some of their delicious honey. Honey bees are actually the only insect that produce food that is eaten by man. Honey actually has a large variety of uses. Many people use honey for medicinal purposes. It can be used to help with sore throats, digestive disorders, skin issues, hay fever, and more. Since honey has antiseptic properties it can be used to treat burns and cuts. When we eat honey, it gives us a natural energy boost.
 

Bees Pollinate

In “The Bee Movie” a bee’s ability to pollinate flowers was highlighted. Pollinating flowers, fruits, and vegetables is an extremely important function of bees. When bees pollinate these other plants, they are actually helping them grow. If there were not bees to perform this function flowers, fruits, and vegetables would be in danger.
 

Bees Live in a Colony Inside a Hive

Most people know that bees live in colonies. These colonies are called hives. Inside the hive the bees are broken into three different groups: queen bee, workers, and drones. In every hive there is only one queen. The queen’s job is to lay the eggs. These eggs help the next generation of bees to be born. Worker bees are always female. Their job is to forage for food; build the hive; and protect the hive. When we run into bees flying outside the hive we are typically seeing worker bees. The last category of bee is the drones. Drone bees are all males. Their job is to mate with the queen. Each type of bee must perform their job in order for bees to continue living. Bees fly around from spot to spot to perform their duties. There are many interesting facts about bees and their flying abilities. Honey bees can fly for up to six miles in one flight without stopping. They can fly as fast as 15 miles per hour. They beat their wings up to 200 times per second.
 

Stinging Insect Inspection, Control & More in Glen Allen, Mechanicsville, Sandston, Chesterfield, Midlothian, Bon Air & Greater Richmond, Virginia

Hopefully you have learned something new about bees today. If you find bees on your property you will want to enlist the help of Bat Bee and Hornet Removal to help you get rid of them. You can call us at 804-745-6000 for more information about our services.

Birds are winged beauty, poetry in motion and masters of air and sky, but they can pose a problem. Yes our winged friends can be pesky as well. Bat, Bee & Hornet Removal list some common nuisance birds and the problems they can cause.
 

Feral Pigeons

They nest in the eaves of your homes seeking shelter from sun and rain to build their nests and in the process deposit and spread their droppings all over your roof. This bird waste contains mega doses of uric acid which can eat at the structure of your home causing expansive and expensive damage. Pigeon’s have an innate homing instinct, which transfers into “if they move in, it is to stay” and it is difficult to get them to move out. How to get rid of them? There humane and effective products, like predator simulators, usually owl, figurines that emit screeches and sounds of these hunters. Spikes, coils, barrier and wire can be used to discourage pigeons. Also trapping and relocation maybe used as a last resort. Some have described them as “rats with wings.”
 

Seagulls

Gulls are master scavengers living on nearly anything eatable and available. Gulls usually represent a ‘community’ problem rather than an individual home owner problem. Keep lids and tops on trash bins and cans and clean up around the house may alleviate the home owner any of these problems. Gulls are beneficial birds and feast on insects and rodents as well. But as with most birds there is a high concentration of uric acid in their droppings that his high corrosive to street lamps, signs and are of concern to boat, car and building owners. Bird Spikes, grid wire systems, bird coils and shock tracks can discourage these pests that are protect species in many coastal states. Noise producers and predator figures and other visual and audio devices can humanly dissuade gulls from your property.
 

House Sparrows

House sparrows are indirect nuisance pests as they can block rain gutters and pipes with their nests. Water backup caused by sparrows can lead to water damage and even electrical fires. Of course sparrow droppings contain concentrations of uric acid as well as fungal agents and parasites posing a health risk. Sparrows are prolific breeders and lack natural predators in the US and are an introduced species, not a native bird. A ¾ inch mesh net if properly installed can be an effective deterrent. Electrified edge striping will also disrupt perching and trapping can be used to control the problem.
 

Starlings

Closely following pigeons and house sparrows the starling is the next grievous species to be considered. Flocks of starlings are huge in numbers and represent another introduced species brought to the US in the 19th century. Starling flocks number in thousands of individuals and they may overwhelm buildings and trees. Large scale build up of Starling droppings, rich in uric acid can degrade metal, stone and masonry. Gutters and pipes are clogged causing similar problems to the House Sparrow. Bacterial and fungal agents are in this dropping build up as well and parasite species are present.
 

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As can be determined from the above sampling, our feathered friends are not as benign as many believe. Health concerns and property damage are of major concern for not only the homeowner but the community as well. Have a bird problem, call Bat, Bee & Hornet Removal, we be glad to manage all your pest control problems, on the land or in the air.