Most people would agree that nothing will put an end to an outdoor hangout with friends or family session quicker than a swarm of wasps or hornets. Even if they are not being overly aggressive, one wrong move could leave you running for cover to avoid their painful stings.
Keeping your beautiful London garden a safe place to spend time with friends and family, free of wasps and hornets, doesn’t just happen by itself. It takes thought and action to make your garden less attractive to wasps and hornets, but trust us when we say that taking the time now to minimize the number of these pests on your property later is worth the effort.
Keeping your beautiful London garden a safe place to spend time with friends and family, free of wasps and hornets, doesn’t just happen by itself. It takes thought and action to make your garden less attractive to wasps and hornets, but trust us when we say that taking the time now to minimize the number of these pests on your property later is worth the effort.
The Most Common Types Of Wasps And Hornets In The United Kingdom
When it comes to stinging insects, there are hundreds of different stinging insect species around the world but only a few of them are considered real pests here in the United Kingdom. In fact, the Honey Bee is actually a valuable part of our ecosystem. If you suspect that there is a honey bee swarm in your garden you need to contact The British Beekeepers Association.
Below you will find the list of common species in the United Kingdom.
Honey Bee
The cute and furry honey bees are well-known hard workers, living in large hives made of wax honeycombs. In the wild honey bees usually build their nest in hollow trees. They live in large colonies with one queen, many sterile female workers, and some male drones. Honey bees are similar in size to wasps but they are furrier and mostly black in color. An interesting fact about the honey bees is that their colony size can often be greater than 30,000 individual honey bees. In fact, many times honey bees are mistaken for wasps (though, unlike wasps, honey bees will not attack you unprovoked).
Bumble Bee
Often there is confusion about the difference between Bumblebees and honey bees. Bumblebees are furrier and bigger in size than honey bees. Also, bumblebee species have darker wings. If you’re able to see a bee at a close and also safe distance, all of these physical differences should make it easier for you to tell if it's a bumblebee or honey bee.
Common Wasp and German Wasp
These are the two most commonly found wasp species in the United Kingdom and the ones responsible for causing painful wasp stings.
The cute and furry honey bees are well-known hard workers, living in large hives made of wax honeycombs. In the wild honey bees usually build their nest in hollow trees. They live in large colonies with one queen, many sterile female workers, and some male drones. Honey bees are similar in size to wasps but they are furrier and mostly black in color. An interesting fact about the honey bees is that their colony size can often be greater than 30,000 individual honey bees. In fact, many times honey bees are mistaken for wasps (though, unlike wasps, honey bees will not attack you unprovoked).
Bumble Bee
Often there is confusion about the difference between Bumblebees and honey bees. Bumblebees are furrier and bigger in size than honey bees. Also, bumblebee species have darker wings. If you’re able to see a bee at a close and also safe distance, all of these physical differences should make it easier for you to tell if it's a bumblebee or honey bee.
Common Wasp and German Wasp
These are the two most commonly found wasp species in the United Kingdom and the ones responsible for causing painful wasp stings.
Once indoors, these wasps prefer to build their nests in sheltered areas with easy access to the outside, such as lofts, garages, and wall cavities. Outside they prefer to build the nest in old rodent burrows, hollow trees, and bushes. The painful though rarely life-threatening sting involves the injection of a complex venom containing amines (catecholamines, serotonin, histamine, tyramine), peptides, and proteins, including many hydrolases.
European Hornet
European hornets are considered beneficial insects since they usually prey on damaging insects. The European hornet is regarded as a pest by those humans who come into close contact with it. As a matter of fact, the European hornet stings in response to being stepped on or grabbed, but most of the time they will avoid conflict. These honest also are aggressively protecting the nest and can be aggressive around food sources. Keep in mind, extra care should be taken when they are found in these circumstances, as they may sting without warning.
European hornets are considered beneficial insects since they usually prey on damaging insects. The European hornet is regarded as a pest by those humans who come into close contact with it. As a matter of fact, the European hornet stings in response to being stepped on or grabbed, but most of the time they will avoid conflict. These honest also are aggressively protecting the nest and can be aggressive around food sources. Keep in mind, extra care should be taken when they are found in these circumstances, as they may sting without warning.
DID YOU KNOW?
Hornets are a subset of wasps. Particularly, hornets are a breed of social wasps, living in large and highly organized colonies.
