What type of bee do I have?

Bumble bees:

• Often seen on flowers, pollinating plants and gathering nectar.
• Bumblebees are not really aggressive, they are more interested in flowers.
• Bumble bee nests are simple and disorganized nests in; dry grass clippings, piles of dried leaves, porch furniture cushions, insulation, or other loose “fluffy” material.
• Bumble bees can also nest underground or under exterior concrete slabs such as patios or sidewalks.

Yellow Jackets:

• Yellow Jackets are the ones that show up at every family picnic or backyard barbeque like an uninvited and very unwelcome guest.
• Yellow Jackets nest in trees, shrubs, under decks, or high in the eaves, their nest is very visible and easy to identify; a "football" or upside down teardrop-shaped nest constructed from gray paper.
• When yellow jackets nest inside a structure (such as your home) the nest is not at all visible. You’ll see them flying in and out at some small gap, crack, or crevice on the exterior of your house. Note: Please do not seal this entrance hole shut.
• When yellow jackets nest inside, listen to your wall or ceiling for a crackling, tickling, "rustling-leaves" sound. Those are yellow jackets going about the business of building their hive and slowly chewing through your plaster or drywall.

Ground Bees:

• Ground bees build hives two inches to two feet underground often using abandoned mole or mouse burrows.
• Ground bees are fairly aggressive and can become very easily agitated – especially with a giant lawnmower rumbling overhead.
• Pouring gasoline into their hole is not at all safe! Contact your Albany bee removal professional.

Wasps:

• Wasps have the most painful sting.
• Wasps are long and thin particularly at the waist. Wasps long droopy legs hang below as they fly back and forth along eaves and gutter lines to their favorite harborage site, attics.
• Wasps prefer nesting in attics but will nest practically anywhere; in eave peaks, behind shutters, under deck railings, in gas grills, swing sets, mailboxes, and light fixtures.
• Wasps nests aren’t very large and can be tucked into any little nook or cranny.

Carpenter Bees:

• Do you see those holes in the wood along the eaves?
• Carpenter bees drill perfectly round 3/8 inch hole with her mandibles.
• They do not eat the wood but rather make tunnels through it in which to lay eggs and raise young.
• Carpenter bees are strictly considered “wood-destroying” insects, the damage they do is typically limited to surface wood and they are not likely to do any damage to the structural or weight bearing wood of a house.
• Carpenter bees left untreated can grow to large numbers and eventually completely destroy the wood in which they are nesting and tunneling.

Hornets:

• Hornets nests are entirely exterior; trees, shrubs, under decks, and high in the eaves.
• Hornet nests construct a “football” or upside down teardrop-shaped nest from gray paper.

Honey Bees:

• Honey bees are also one of the most beneficial insects on the planet.
• Honey bees pollination is vital to all sorts of fruit and vegetable crops.
• Honey bees are capable of producing massive hives containing tens of thousands of workers and weighing hundreds of pounds.
• When honey bees nest inside a structure (such as your home) the nest is not at all visible. You’ll see them flying in and out at some small gap, crack, or crevice on the exterior of your house. Do not seal this entrance hole shut.
• Honey bees are so beneficial to man and the environment, every effort is made to take these bees alive and transport them to a safe, more suitable location. In a situation where this is not possible, the bees will be destroyed and their nest removed. This is probably one of the most involved, tedious, and time-consuming jobs I do. It’s certainly the stickiest!

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