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Bumble bees, honeybees, solitary bees and wasps can all be found in British gardens. The following information may be useful to distinguish between the species.
Bumble bees have round, furry bodies with football style black and orange coats and a bumbling flight making them easy to identify. Bumble bees are not kept in hives. The 'queen' hibernates over winter then will look for a suitable nesting site in spring (such as old bird's nest, compost heap etc.), where she will raise her offspring. Each nest consists of a large queen together with female worker bees and tiny male or drone bees. Only queen and worker bumble bees have a sting.
A bumble bee colony never amounts to more than a few hundred individuals and does not swarm. During late summer and autumn fully fertile male and females are produced which mate. The fertilised females hibernate until the following year while the remainder die in the cold weather.
Bumble bees are relatively harmless and normally don't sting unless their life is under threat. They are valuable to the environment as pollinators.
Honeybees are kept by beekeepers but can also live in the wild. They are similar in size to wasps but are mainly black (sometimes with a tan banding). They are always found in colonies (individuals cannot survive alone), are headed by a queen, and will survive over-winter.
Honeybees can be seen in the garden collecting nectar and pollen. They may also be seen around wet areas such as dripping taps and ponds - bees do need to drink. In most cases they are harmless and will fly away if disturbed.
Colonies totalling as many as 20,000 bees can and will swarm. The noise of a bee swarm can be alarming but the danger is not very great. The swarming bees will cluster, possibly on a tree branch, and should be collected by an experienced beekeeper (contact your local Environmental Health Department or the police if a beekeeper is not known to you). Honeybees can sting, especially if you venture close to their hive.
Honeybees are valuable as pollinators of a wide range of flowers and crops, they also produce honey and beeswax.
For useful information regarding local beekeepers and why bees swarm see |Bee Plus website.
There are around 250 species of solitary bee in Great Britain. They resemble honeybees but do not live in colonies.
They construct cells, usually in sandy soil, in which they lay a single egg, fill it with pollen and seal. When the larvae hatch they consume the pollen within the cell, pupate and emerge as a bee the following year.
Solitary bees are useful pollinators, they are harmless and do not swarm.
There are several species of social wasp in Great Britain. Common wasps have sharp tapered abdomens and are black and yellow striped. The hornet is the largest British wasp. All wasps have a reputation for stinging, however, the needle-like sting is possessed only by females and is concealed near the tip of the abdomen.
Queen wasps hibernate over-winter and emerge to build a nest in the spring. The nest will usually be located either in the ground or in cavities in trees, walls or buildings. Frequently wasps will nest in the roof space of a house. The nest is built up from wood pulp, which is moulded into the outer shell of the nest and many internal chambers.
The queen lays an egg in each of the chambers, which hatch into larvae. When fully grown the larvae pupate and emerge as workers who assist in rearing new larvae and new queens. Towards the end of the summer the queen lays a number of eggs which produce male wasps that mate with the new queens. In autumn all wasps die with the exception of the new queens that hibernate then emerge to build new nests the following spring. Old nests are not re-colonised the following year although a new nest may be established next to an existing nest.
It may be necessary to treat wasp nests, which pose a particular danger to you or your family. Unless such a danger exists, the nests are best left undisturbed. Where necessary, you can treat wasp nests yourself although care should obviously be taken in doing so. This can be done through the application of insecticidal dust at the entrance to the nest, preferably after dusk when the wasps have returned to the nest and are less active. Wasps will then carry the insecticide into the nest, spreading it to other wasps in the colony. Insecticidal dust is available from most DIY stores and garden centres. You should make sure that the product you buy is specifically intended for wasps. The directions on the product label must always be followed. As old nests are not re-colonised, treated nests need not be removed.
Foraging wasps can be a nuisance when they turn to food sources such as ripe fruit, sugary drinks, jam or honey. Individuals can be killed using an insecticidal spray designed for flying insects. Such sprays are available from chemists, hardware shops, DIY stores and garden centres. Care should be taken when using such sprays and the instructions on the package should always be followed.
Wasps can be useful pollinators and are beneficial in catching and killing garden pests (aphids) to feed to their offspring.
Elmbridge Borough Council provides a service for the treatment of wasp nests - a charge is made for this service. The treatment of bees is not undertaken, however, the Environmental Health & Licensing Division can offer advice and give details of local beekeepers or private pest control companies who can remove nuisance bees.
If you would like to take advantage of Elmbridge Borough Council's pest control service either:
Some useful advice:
| Related Pages: |
| Bees |Bee Keepers (Links) |
| |Env Health Leaflet - Wasp Advice (Documents) |
| Wasp control |Env Health Leaflet - Wasp Advice (Documents) |
| |Wasps (A - Z ) |
| |What should I do about a wasp nest? (FAQ) |
