Wasps and bees are
beneficial insects, although they
are generally considered to be pests because of their ability to sting.
Wasps, in particular, can become a problem in
autumn when they may disrupt many outdoor activities. Some people often
mistakenly call all stinging insects "bees".While both social wasps and bees live in colonies ruled by queens and maintained by workers, they look and behave differently. Wasps can generally become more of a nuisance than Honeybees, as they have a liking for different types of food. (Photographs shown below are not all to scale)
 Wasps begin in the spring with a solitary
queen. The queen's offspring grow into adults  throughout the summer, then die
in the Autumn as short days and cold nights arrive. Only Queens survive over
the winter until the next spring. Mated Queen wasps hibernate in Winter and
emerge around April. In the Autumn, she leaves the nest and
finds suitable shelter in a protected crack or crevice to spend the winter. Old
nests can be removed in the late Autumn or Winter without danger of being
stung. The wasps will not return the next year to the same nest. It is during the Autumn that Wasps
generally cause problems to the Beekeeper. This year however, there has been a
distinct shortage of Wasps and the Bees have been left alone.
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All common wasps are
striped in black and yellow with sharp, pointed abdomens.
Bumblebee
Inside a wasps nest...
