Bees, Wasps, Hornets & Yellow Jackets: Know the Difference
One of the most common misconceptions is that Bees, Wasps, Hornets & Yellow Jackets are all the same. In reality, however, there are more differences than similarities.
What is a Honey Bee Colony?
A honey bee colony is a “family” of bees that depending on the time of year and its health will contain between 15,000 (winter) to 50,000 (summer) bees. There are only three types of bees in a colony: queen, drones and worker bees. The queen is the colony’s egg layer, she is the mother of all the other bees, and she will lay up to 2,000 eggs a day. The queen’s life expectancy is up to three (3) years, and while the queen has a stinger, she does not use it to defend the hive. Drones are the male bees in the hive whose sole purpose is to mate with a queen. Drones do not have stingers and therefore cannot sting. Bees mate while in flight, and a queen will mate with up to 24 drones during a single mating flight. After the drones mate, they die. The vast majority of the hives population is comprised of worker bees, which are the non-reproductive daughters of the queen. Over the course of their lives, which is only approximately 42 days, a worker bee will have many jobs, most of which are contingent on their age. These jobs can range from nurse bees that care for the eggs and larvae, to attendants that look after the queen, to guard bees that patrol the hive, and finally to the foragers that leave the hive to collect nectar and pollen. Honeybees are about a half inch long with black and amber body that is covered with small hairs, making them look “fuzzy”.
Swarming
A swarm is a natural occurrence of colony reproduction. Swarming usually occurs in the spring and early summer. Typically when the colony becomes too crowded for the hive, the queen and up to half of the worker bees will fly off from the original hive in search of a new hive. There are other factors that can contribute to swarming such as an older queen or an overly rainy spring season, but only a healthy colony will swarm.
Should I be worried if I see a swarm?
NO, when bees swarm, they are in a very gentle state. Just prior to swarming, the bees that are leaving the hive will gorge themselves on honey. They do this because they don’t know how long it will be until they eat again. Being full of honey, their bodies are bloated and they are somewhat lethargic, making it very unlikely they will sting. Additionally, since they don’t have a hive to defend, they don’t have a reason to sting. (Bees are defensive creatures, and they will only sting to defend their hive or their lives.) Unless provoked or directly threatened, it is extremely unlikely that swarming honey bees will sting.
When a hive swarms, the bees leave the original hive in masse and “cluster” together on a nearby tree, shrub, side of a building, utility pole, car, or even a mailbox. The cluster can range in size from a softball to a basketball. The cluster will usually remain in place until the “scout bees” find a suitable location for a new hive. The cluster can remain in its temporary location for as little as 15 minutes or as long as several days. When a new hive location is found, the cluster will fly off in masse.
What should I do if I see a swarm on my property?
Do not disturb it. You should contact a qualified beekeeper such as myself, as soon as you see the swarm. The honey bee is New Jersey’s state insect, and it is unlawful to harm them. Honey bees and other pollinators are very valuable to our way of life and to the environment. It’s very important to help sustain honey bees and other pollinators, as they are responsible for pollinating up to 70 percent of our food supply! In New Jersey, crops like blueberries, cranberries, pumpkins, apples and cucumbers rely on Honeybees for pollination. Without pollinators, we will have less food and we may have to resort to manual pollination by way of a cup and a paintbrush dipping it in pollen and hand pollinating each flower and plant. If you contact a qualified beekeeper, they will save the honey bees and either relocate the swarm into one of their own hives or donate the bees to a member of the New Jersey Beekeepers Association. Please help us to help you and the environment by protecting and helping honey bees.
Guilt by Association
Honey bees get a “bad rap” when it comes their reputation. Nearly everyone knows someone, if not themselves, that have been “stung by a bee”. However the reality is that most stings are from yellowjackets and other wasps. Honey bees are not scavengers like other insects. Yellowjackets, on the other hand, are attracted to sugary sodas and some picnic foods. Honey bees will only sting to defend their hive or when their life is in danger, as a honey bee dies if it stings. This is in direct contrast to other stinging insects such as wasps, hornets, and yellowjackets that can sting multiple times and survive, which is why they’re responsible for the vast majority of stings. Many times, people say, “bee sting,” when in reality the “guilty party” is actually in the wasp or hornet family.
Wasps & Hornets are similar but there are numerous species and types. Unlike Honeybees, Wasps and Hornets are NOT fuzzy, and look like they have a hard plastic-like shell. (A good rule of thumb is: Fuzzy is Good and Plastic is Bad.) Generally speaking, Wasps and Hornets are larger than Honeybees, can be up to an inch long and have segmented bodies. Yellow Jackets are quite common and are about a half inch long with bright bands of yellow and black on their abdomens. Yellow Jackets very aggressive in nature and are most likely to be responsible for stinging someone. Most nests are located in the ground or stone/masonry walls, places Honeybees would never build a nest. However, some species of yellow jackets are known to build their nests in building walls or attached to building.
Bees in the News
NY Times: The Super Bowl of Beekeeping Aug 15, 2018
Links
New Jersey Beekeepers Association
Northeast New Jersey Beekeepers Association (A branch of the NJBA)
Mann Lake, Ltd. Beekeeping Supplies
New Jersey Department of Agriculture-Beekeeping
Bee Math
In its lifetime, 1 bee will make 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey.
So that means:
- 12 bees = 1 teaspoon of honey
- 1,150 bees = 1 pound of honey
- 115,000 bees = 100 pounds of honey
- 250,000 bees = 200 pounds of honey
Now think about the time it took for the bees to do all this work.
In New Jersey, Bees have from mid-April to early July to make all their honey.
That’s only about 100 – 120 days to collect nectar and make honey.
So that means that a hive that is only able to sustain itself is still making about 1 pound of honey per day.
Compare that to a super-hive that gives you several 100 pounds of honey, as that means the bees are making about 3 pounds of honey per day!