Wasp, hornet and bee species

There may be hundreds of types of wasps and bees found around the world. Only a few of these species are seen as real pests here in Canada. 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 found in Canada.

Have you seen wasps at your property? Contact us today!

European wasp and English wasp

(Family: Vespidae, e.g. Vespula Vulgaris & Vespula germanica)

These are the two commonly found wasp species across Canada. and the ones responsible for causing painful wasp stings.

Once indoors, they prefer to build nests in sheltered locations with easy access to the outside, such as lofts, garages and wall cavities. Outside they may nest in old rodent burrows, hollow trees and bushes.

european wasp english

What does a wasp look like?

  • Yellow and black body, marking varies according to species.
  • Workers vary in size from 12 – 17mm.

Key Facts

  • Only young Queens survive over winter and emerge in the spring to start nest building and lay eggs.
  • Workers (sterile females) emerge during early summer and take over nest building. Queen continues to lay eggs.
  • New queens and males mate in early autumn.
  • Nest dies during winter, including all the males and workers.
  • Wasps do not swarm.
  • Food preferences — will take insects and sweet foods.
  • Females sting readily and repeatedly.
  • A colony may have as many as 25,000 individual wasps.
Have you seen wasps at your property? Contact us today!

Honey bee

(Apis Mellifera)

Honey bees are the species kept by Bee Keepers.

If you have a problem with honey bees, contact a local Beekeeper or the Environmental Protection Agency 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 color.
  • 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)

solitary bee

What does a solitary bee look like?

  • 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

  • Swarming - does not swarm. 
  • Overwintering - usually in the pupal stage within the nest. 
  • Food preferences - honey and pollen. 
  • Rarely stings.

Yellow jackets (social wasp)

(Vespula)

yellow jackets social wasp

What does a yellow jacket look like?

  • Worker - 1/2 inch long. 
  • Queen - 3/4 inch long. 
  • Alternating black and yellow bands. 
  • Two sets of wings. 
  • Narrow waist. 
  • Lance-like stinger.

Lifecycle

  • Annual colonies. 
  • Queen begins to nest in Spring. 
  • Aggressive numbers in late Summer. 
  • Colonies begin to decline by Fall. 
  • Only inseminated Queens nest over Winter.

Habits

  • Feeding – at certain times of the year feed on insects including caterpillars / harmful flies, as colonies increase they are attracted to food consumed by humans. 
  • Sting – sting repeatedly, will sting if provoked with symptoms range from swelling to life-threatening allergic shock. 
  • Visibility – visible during the day as they don't see well at night. 
  • Nesting - in trees / shrubs, or internally in attics, hollow walls/ flooring, sheds, under porches/eaves of buildings.
Have you seen wasps at your property? Contact us today!

Carpenter bees

(Xylocopa virginica)

carpenter bee

What does a carpenter bee look like?

  • 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.

Wasp vs hornet

The differences between wasps and hornets are small and they can be difficult for the average person to detect just by trying to look at the flying insects swarming around them. Here are a few key differences:

Size: Wasps are typically smaller than hornets. Hornets are usually slower, ungraceful giants that can be up to two inches in length.

Coloring: Wasps are usually a red and black color and hornets can range in color from black and white to brownish or even a slightly reddish color.

Diet: Wasps love all things sweet. They consume fruits, juices, sweets and even meat. Hornets, on the other hand, like to prey on other insects, but seldom will eat sweets.

Aggressiveness: Wasps are well known for their aggressive nature, but that is primarily specific to yellowjackets. Paper wasps, however, will rarely attack unless provoked. Hornets tend to get very defensive when someone wanders within a certain radius of their nests. The radius depends on the species.

Nests: Hornets build spherical shaped nests elevated in the air with the inner chambers covered with a paper-like substance. Unlike wasps, they rarely make nests in the ground. Paper wasps make nests that are exposed and not covered with the paper substance.


Next steps

Find your local branch

Locations


Find your local agency

British Columbia

Prince Edward Island

Manitoba

Québec

New Brunswick

Nova Scotia

Newfoundland

Saskatchewan

Contact


Call your local branch

Residential: 877-690-2115
Commercial: 877-690-2115

or fill out your details and we will call you back

Login