Early the next spring, the new queens will come out of hibernation and seek a location to form a new nest. The old queen and all of the workers and drones of that hive will die and the paper nest will not be used the following year. After mating, these queens leave the nest and find a protected location to hibernate. Queen yellow jackets are raised in a paper nest beginning in the late summer to early fall. Knowing its life cycle and habits will help you decide whether to remove the insect and its nest or to simply live with it in your wall or in your yard. It would be helpful to review the yellow jacket's life cycle before you tangle with this insect. Take a digital photo and send it to the SEMBA.You may find a beekeeper to help identify the insect in question.There may be a cost for this examination. A licensed pest control firm may have the resources to help you identify your insect problem.Other stinging insects use wood fiber to build paper nests, or they may use mud as a building material. If you can see any part of the nest, it may help with the identification.Pictures on the Internet or in insect identification books may be helpful in making a determination. All bees have hairs while yellow jackets are smooth. If you can find a dead insect, check to see if it is hairy.If you see the insects flying from the entrance of the nest cavity in the spring (April to June in the north), then honey bees are a real possibility.Here are some tips to help you decide whether you have honey bees or some other insect: Honey bees like the protection of wall cavities, especially in older homes that lack insulation between the wall studs. Yellow jackets will build their paper nests in wall cavities, holes in the ground, or in the attic (or crawlspace) of your home. For example, bumble bees typically will not nest in a wall cavity, but often find suitable nesting in materials such as insulation, foam pads, and/or seat cushions. The solution to the problem can be quite different for each species of insect that takes up residence your home. Identification of the insect or its nest can provide valuable information needed to assess the situation. What should the homeowner do?įirst, identify the insect. The destruction of honey bees should be a last resort, if possible. In the United States approximately 1/3 of our food crops benefit either directly or indirectly from honey bee pollination. Keep in mind that you might also call an electrician or a plumber if safety or accessibility is an issue. Properly completing a honey bee nest removal may involve a beekeeper to remove the insect, a carpenter to dismantle/reassemble the wall, and/or a licensed pest control company to eradicate the insects if removal is impractical. The following information is designed to give guidance about what needs to be done to accomplish honey bee nest removal and what considerations should be given when choosing a course of action. Just remember that there is no Pied Piper of Hamlin that can wave a magic wand or play a magic flute to draw the insects out of their hiding place.Īlthough many of the observations and suggestions provided are specific to situations found in Michigan, much of this information is general enough that it would apply to any area of the United States. Often, a great deal of coordinated planning is needed. Such advice is difficult to give because each case requires first hand information, and no two responses are alike. Every year beekeepers are called upon to give advice regarding the removal of honey bees (and other insect pests) from homes and buildings.
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