How do I tell if they're honey bees? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

kerry · #1 07-08-2008, 08:27 PM

Got a bee's nest in a tree at a rental. It's near a sidewalk so I'd typically spray it with a pesticide but given the honey bee problems, I don't want to kill honey bees if I don't have to . How do I tell what kind of bees they are?

Wodnek · #2 07-08-2008, 08:30 PM

If its got 1 large hole right on the bottom and has a "swirled" paper look then they are paper wasps. If this doesnt sound like what you have then post a picture.

Chad300tdt · #3 07-08-2008, 08:58 PM

I've only ever seen honey bee hives in boxes or once between the roof rafters of my dad's house. They always build in layers.

I did a google image search for a wild hive and came across this photo that shows what they look like when in a tree.

Very interesting.

KarTek · #4 07-08-2008, 09:03 PM

Could also be hornets. Sometimes they are very aggressive so be carefull. Here's a shot of a hornet's nest:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:CopperNest.jpg

TMAllison · #5 07-08-2008, 09:43 PM

Don't all bee's make honey.......... Assuming they are bees and not bumble bees, hornets or wasps.

You've probably got a tyipcal bee swarm that is out looking for a new home. Happens when a colony gets too big and half follow a new queen for greener pastures.

Leave them alone for a day or two and they'll find a hole in someones siding or a good tree knot hole and will be gone.

Wodnek · #6 07-08-2008, 10:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TMAllison

Leave them alone for a day or two and they'll find a hole in someones siding or a good tree knot hole and will be gone.

Now that is a true horror story, having a hive in your walls!

pawoSD · #7 07-08-2008, 11:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wodnek

Now that is a true horror story, having a hive in your walls!

We did, of yellow jackets! They only had one small opening by a faucet to get in and out, so we caulked it shut, they ate their way back out after about 1 day......so, I had the brilliant idea to stick our industrial (carwash vac with 13Amps of power!

) vacuum hose nozzle right by the hole....and powered it up....sure enough, they got sucked up as they came out, and as they came back from being (pun!

) away from the hive......so I left the vac on for about 3 hours and came back, removed the hose from the tank while it was running, got duct tape ready, turned it off, and taped the nozzle port shut SUPER well. Checked back on it about 1.5-2 weeks later......I'd captured about 400-500 some yellow jackets....all dead in the bottom of the vac....nice thick layer....tons of them! Scariest part of all.....when I took the duct tape off the nozzle port, the part they could get at was completely covered in stingers.

a LOT of stingers.

Oh, they never came back to that hole again.....

We caulked it shut extra extra good.

These were the type of bees:

TMAllison · #8 07-08-2008, 11:45 PM

One pair of wings is a fly, two pairs a bee or other nasty. So my entomoligist father taught me. Lots of agressive look-a-likes out there so better to be cautious.