Rappahannock Beekeepers Association
2024 VSBA Fall Meeting - Postponed
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The Honey Bee is the great pollinator. It spends its day going from flower to flower endlessly collecting nectar, pollen and water. But there are other flying things out there that go buzz in the daylight. And most of those guys are not even bees. In fact, they are carnivores preying on the larvae of others including honey bees. Knowing who's who in the flying insect world can be the difference between a good day or a very bad experience. Granted, most bees and wasps are capable of producing a painful sting but usually don't unless provoked or feel threatened.
The Good Guys: Not easily provoked
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The Honey Bee - They have soft bodies with fine hairs and can look yellow to black with black stripes.
The Bumble - Ground dwellers.Round, black and yellow, fuzzy. Social.
The Carpenter Bee. Can be confused with the bumble. The difference being a smooth abdomen. More of a nuisance than anything. Loves to bore into wood.
The Bad Guys: Easily provoked, very temperamental
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European Hornet - We start with this guy as he is the number one enemy of the honey bee. No mistaking him. He is huge! Just a few of these guys can wipe out an entire honey bee colony.
Yellow Jacket - Small, yellow and black armored body. Lives in the ground. Very mean. Breathe wrong around them and you may feel their sting.
Bald-Faced Hornet - Black body with white accents. Makes paper nests in trees. Generally will leave you alone unless you disturb them.
Paper Wasps - Variety of species ranging from solid brown to black/brown yellow striped. Semi-social. Tolerant of you being near but will zap if you get too close.
Asian Hornet v. European Hornet
The big buzz in the bee world lately has been that of the Asian Hornet (a.k.a The Murder Hornet). This guy was recently found in Washington state. Scientists and environmentalists are quickly trying to find their nests and eradicate them before they get established (if not already). The Asian hornet can quickly decimate a honey bee hive in a matter of hours. Just like the European hornet, they decapitate our little girls then make off with their torsos.
The main differences between the two are size and color with the Asian hornet being slightly smaller and darker than the European hornet. Also, the European hornet will fly at night where as the Asian hornet never does.
What can you do about these guys? First off, in the event (but hopefully never) you suspect you have seen an Asian hornet, contact your local Department of Agriculture immediately! As mentioned previously, they have only been sighted in Washington state, so there should be no cause for concern here in Virginia.
For the European hornet, our first line of defense is setting traps in early Spring. The goal is to catch as many queens as we can when they emerge from the ground. If you see them flying around in the summer, there is an established nest out there somewhere. If you find a nest, it is best to contact a local pest control company to have them remove it. These guys can pack a very powerful punch!