Bee and Wasp Control

The different types of bees and wasps include:

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• Paper Wasps - Paper wasps usually build their nest suspended under an eave of a house or in a tree, but they can put their nest under any horizontal surface such as a railing or in the rafters of a shed or garage.  Paper wasp nests can range in size from a few inches to 8 inches in diameter.  These nests can also contain anything from just a few wasps to several hundred.

• Yellow Jackets - Yellow Jackets are some of the most aggressive wasps on Long Island.  They get their name from their distinct yellow and black coloring.  While they have the same colors as bees, they are more narrow and longer than a bee.  It is easy to differentiate between the two.  Yellow Jackets build their nest underground in holes build by small animals or by sprinkler heads.  Once the nest fill the available space, they will spread. Yellow Jackets can also be found in wall voids, attics, or crawl spaces.  They usually do a good job at hiding their nests from view.  Each nest can hold up to 5,000 Yellow Jackets!

• Bald-Faced Hornets - The bald-faced hornet is not a true hornet but is a relative of the yellow jacket and other wasps. It gets its common name from its largely black color and mostly white face and is commonly referred to as a hornet because of its large size and aggressive nature. Their nests are often found hanging in a tree or bush. They are large grayish carton-type nests often resembling a soccer ball.  A bald-faced hornet infestation is clearly visible with the presence of a nest, which would be suspended above the ground. There will also be worker bald-faced hornets flying around the nest and nearby area if there is an infestation. 

• Honey Bees - In the wild, honey bees are vital for pollination and are not overly aggressive by nature.  However, if they get into your home, they can cause significant damage.  Just like Yellow Jackets, they get into wall voids through tiny cracks in walls and by windows or doors.  Once they start to build a hive, they will not stop expanding.  Some hives have been found to take up entire walls requiring significant effort to remove.  Hives that grow unmolested can contain upward of 50,000 bees!  They may be great for flowers and the environment, but you don't have to stand for damage to your home.

• Carpenter Bees - During the spring, you may notice large, black bees hovering around the outside of your home. These are carpenter bees, named for their habit of excavating holes in wood, in order to rear their young. Carpenter bees prefer unpainted, weathered wood, especially softer varieties such as redwood, cedar, cypress, and pine. Painted or pressure-treated wood is much less susceptible to attack. Common carpenter bee nesting sites include eaves, rafters, fascia boards, siding, wooden shake roofs, decks, and outdoor furniture.  Carpenter bees do not live in colonies like honeybees or bumblebees.  The entrance hole in the wood surface is perfectly round and about the diameter of your little finger.  They will burrow in a short distance, they make a 90 degree turn in the direction of the wood grain for a protected place to procreate.