These flying insects can be a real nuisance especially during the later summer months. There are over 430 different types of bee species in NY. Nests can be built underground, attached to the exterior of your home or even in inside walls hidden by drywall and embedded within insulation. Bees common to Long Island are Carpenter Bees, Honey Bees, and Bumble Bees. Common Wasps are Yellow Jackets, Hornets, Mud Daubers, and Cicada Killers.
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BEES
Carpenter Bees:
Fairly large bees and inhabit the U.S. Canada and are located worldwide.
There are over 500 species are Carpenter Bees found throughout the globe and share the same common nesting techniques. Nests are typically built in dead wood, structural timber, bamboo.
Identification among the species is very difficult with many being all black or a tinge of yellow across their heads.
Body is rather large and sometimes shiny.
Sometimes mistaken for Bumble Bees, they oftentimes hover in a stationary position investigating their surroundings.
Males are harmless since they lack a stinger. Females do not generally sting and are fairly docile unless provoked.
Wood damage is typically near the surface.
Carpenter bees make nests by tunneling into the wood, vibrating bodies as they engage their mandibles against the wood and drilling a perfect hole approximately 16mm in size.
WASPS
Yellow Jackets
Yellow Jackets are a type of predatory wasp, common across the U.S. and world.
Most are yellow and black such as the Easter Yellow Jacket.
They are found in colonies and have a distinct flight patter prior to landing by hovering side to side.
All females are very capable of stinging. They are primarily predators of other insects and pests.
The typical yellow jacket is 1/2" in length. Queens are generally 3/4" in length.
Stingers contain small barbs and these bees will sting various times until the lance/barb of the stinger becomes lodged in a human and will separate from the bee's body.
Yellow Jackets will build nests in protected human made structures, soil cavities, shrubs, mouse burrows, and trees.
Nests are built from wood that has been chewed up into a paper like substance (pulp)
