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Bee, Wasp and Hornet Species
There may be hundreds of species of bees, wasps, and hornets found around the world. Only a few of these are seen as real pests here in Brunei and some of them do not sting. Some species, like the Honey Bee, are actually a valuable part of our ecosystem. Understanding their habits, lifecycle and appearance can help to identify the best form of wasp control for your home or business.
See our list below of common species in Brunei.
Honey Bee
(Apis Mellifera)
Honey bees are the species kept by Bee Keepers.
If you have a problem with honey bees, contact a local Bee Keeper or Environmental Health Department as they will be able to arrange for the swarm to be relocated.
Key facts
- They live in hollow trees or in chimneys, wall cavities or roof spaces.
- They are similar in size to wasps but are furrier and mostly black in colour.
- Honey bees convert nectar into honey and beeswax.
- A honey bee swarm will arrive in flight and cluster on a tree branch.
- A colony size can often be greater than 30,000 individual honey bees.
- Population under threat from varroa mite.
Solitary Bee
(Osmia rufa)
Appearance
- Often similar to the honey bee.
Lifecycle
- Colony size - small nests which are individually tended by a female.
- Preferred nest sites - often in soil, sometimes in soft cement and mortar between bricks.
- Nest construction - various materials. Usually a new nest each year.
Habits
- La mordedura del tábano puede ser muy dolorosa. A diferencia de los insectos que perforan la piel, los tábanos tienen partes en la boca que funcionan como pequeños cuchillos, que utilizan para abrir la piel con un movimiento parecido al de las tijeras.
- Los machos se alimentan de polen y néctar y son las hembras las que muerden.
- Los tábanos son más activos en las horas diurnas.
- Atacan fundamentalmente al ganado y cuando el ataque es muy continuo puede llegar a provocar pérdida de peso en los animales.
Carpenter Bees
(Xylocopa virginica)
Appearance
- 3/4 - 1 inch long.
- Female faces are black, male faces are yellow.
- Bright yellow, orange or white hairs on the thorax.
- No hair on abdomen.
- Females have a stinger, males do not.
Lifecycle
- Tunnel into wood to lay eggs.
- Life cycle from egg – larva – pupa - adult takes approximately seven weeks.
- Larva is large and noisy.
- New adults emerge from the nest late August.
Habits
- Sting - Only sting if provoked.
- Visibility - Late-spring to mid-October.
- Nesting - Bare, untreated softwoods are preferred, including redwood, cedar, cypress and pine. Old nests are used year after year.
- Location – Nests can be found in eaves, window trims, facia boards, siding, decks and outdoor furniture.
- Feeding - flowers that contain pollen, eg Bradfords, Daffodils, Pansies. Pollen stored in abandoned tunnels for overwintering.