Wasps and Bees
These seasonal pests can disturb your family and damage your house. Professional treatment is recommended.
Wasps
While there are many varieties of wasps in Ontario the most common wasps are yellow jackets, hornets, and paper wasps. The queen is responsible for nest establishment and egg laying. Only one queen is present during most of the season. Most of the colony’s inhabitants are female Workers equipped with stingers. Wasps are fast moving, with with the ability to sting repeatedly. Wasps are typically feared as more people die in North America each year from bee and wasp stings than from all other venomous bites such as snakes and spiders combined.
Yellowjacket Wasps
Bald Faced Hornet
Paper Wasps
Carpenter Bees
Wasp and Carpenter Bee Treatment
Our technician will inject insecticide into the nest to kill all stages of wasps within the nest. We ask that you stay away from the area for 24 hours after treatment. Please note: do not seal the hole of active wasp nests. Once the nest has been exterminated and you are sure it is inactive, it is OK to then seal the hole.
Wasp Prevention
- Strong perfumes and colognes will attract bees and wasps.
- Pick up fallen fruit under fruit trees if possible.
- Keep garbage cans and bins washed.
- Keep food covered, especially when outdoors.
- Trim shrubs and hedges near your home
Yellow Jacket Wasp
Yellowjackets are social insects that live in nests or colonies with up to 4,000 workers. They are most active in the late summer and early autumn when a colony is at its peak. Yellowjackets feed on sweets and proteins, and therefore these pests commonly invade outdoor events.
They can be found almost anywhere in their peak months and are known to be territorial. Some people may develop an allergic reaction upon being stung.
Paper Wasp
Paper wasps get their common name from the paper-like material out of which they make their nests. Paper wasps are sometimes called umbrella wasps, after the shape of their distinctive nests.
Paper wasps often build nests in residential yards, so one of the main signs of an infestation is the physical sighting of the nest itself and nearby wasps moving around the nest.
Bald Faced Hornet
The Bald Faced Hornet is a relative of the yellowjacket and gets its common name from its largely black colour and mostly white face. This stinging insect is named a hornet because of its large size and aerial nest.
A bald-faced hornet infestation is clearly visible with the presence of a nest, which would be suspended above the ground. There will also be worker bald-faced hornets flying around the nest and nearby area if there is an infestation.
Carpenter Bees
The carpenter bee is often confused with the bumble bee. The key difference is that the carpenter bee’s abdomen is hairless and it is metallic blue and black in colour. The damage seen by the naked eye is almost perfectly round holes approximately ½” across.
The carpenter bee normally makes its home in facia, siding, porch beams, exterior columns, fence posts and trees. The female will bore into wood and quickly excavate at a right angle to the entrance hole to create a brooding chamber. The female will provision approximately 6 cells with pollen and food for egg and larval development. It takes about 36 days before the egg and larvae emerge as adults. The males do not have stingers, but will hover and attempt to intimidate to defend the nest, while the females will only sting if mishandled or molested, or to defend the nest.
Carpenter Bee Prevention
- Carpenter Bees attack unfinished wood under decks, sills, and decks first. Varnish or paint these wood surfaces to make them less attractive to these bees. A fresh coat of paint is unattractive to a Carpenter Bee.
- Seal as many exterior openings as possible. The Carpenter Bees are looking for cracks that will protect entrances. Seal and caulk these cracks and crevices.
- Carpenter Bees will reuse holes from the previous season. Cauk these holes in the fall, after the carpenter bees have emerged.