Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1   Report Post  
Old 25-02-2003, 07:39 PM
Ian
 
Posts: n/a
Default Bees in your Garden

Mike Waldvogel, PhD
Extension Specialist, Residential & Industrial Pests
Dept. of Entomology, NCSU-Box 7613, Raleigh, NC USA 27695-7613
Ph: (919) 515-8881 Fax: (919) 515-7746
Email:
Wrote:
Wasp stings are probably far more common (from personal experiece I'd

agree), but I'm not sure what you mean when you say that wasps are
"independent". 'Social' doesn't describe the insect's disposition; it
refers to the fact that they live in a colony and most of the common
wasps that people worry about (hornets, yellowjackets, etc.) are also
"social". The solitary or "independent" wasps (and solitary bees,
too)
are far less aggressive (except to their prey!). You sort of leave
the
impression that wasps go out of their way to attack people, but my
experience has been that it's typically the result of accidental
encounters, such as stepping on/near a nest in the ground, tucked
into a shrub near a house, etc., or else in the fall when people
encounter them around picnic tables, trashcans and recycle bins.


I can see that from my previous comments, I'm going to have to explain
my reasoning a bit better. This is how "I" understand honeybee and
wasp behaviour so bear with me.
Honeybees require the function of the colony at all times to survive
from year to year. They depend on eachother to perform various tasks
within the colony to maintain colony cohesion and keep social order.
A honeybee at any given time throughout the year could not survive
without the colony function.
Wasps function as a colony only for part of the year, wintering and
propagateing independly. Sucsessfully wintered queens emerge from
hibernation and independenly start a new nest. Raised females take
over her job of foraging for nectar and pollen and she remains in the
nest laying eggs and providing social order within the nest. Late
summer, early fall rolles along and she starts laying solely Queens,
which emerge and are cared by the female workers. It is these queen
who independenly propagate the species by leaving the nest, and winter
sucessfully to start a new colony.
What I was trying to imply was most honeybees ( our Euorpean type)
instictivally flea danger unless trapped, panicked, or aggitated
around their hive. Where a wasp whose instinctivly more defensive,
will also flea danger, but will attack danger more readily than
honeybees. I find especially during times of late summer and fall.
They are equiped with a barbless stinger and may attack without
penalty of death.
Wasps do not store nectar for later use as bees do, becasue they
winter as individual queens. The wasps foraging intensity increase
during the later months as the queens emerge. Late summer, and fall
floral sources are somewhat scariss in most reagions, so they go after
sugars found around humans. I think because food is more scarce they
are more easily aggitated and punishes anything that angers them.
(independent insect instinctually attacking danger)
Honeybees are the only insect which collects and stores nectar as
honey. It is stored to provide energy for the bees to generate heat
throughout the winter. Because of this fact the bees usually are
plugged with honey in their hive from summer forageing and their fall
foraging earges are reduced. That and the compounded fact that the
bees are fed sugar water to bulk the hive up a bit which eliminates
most of the need to forage. (social insect instinctually flea from
danger)
When you think of it, a honeybee colony enters winter around 40,000 -
50,000 stronge, where a wasp nest approches the 100 mark. And it tend
to alway be the wasp that is the pest in the fall.
Also I think that a huge factor is that Yellowjackets tend to nest in
ground near trees and buildings. Bolt faced hornetts tend to nest
under eaves and in trees. Becasue of this they are usually nested
near peoples yards, and become easily aggitated. I bet alot of stings
come after a lawn mower has gone over a Yellowjackets nest.
Don't get too excited about my comments becasue these are just my
observations and thoughts.

Ian
Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules

Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Bees invaded my little outdoor frog habitat (how to get rid of bees) Judy Zappacosta Lawns 12 05-11-2010 01:23 PM
Good morning or good evening depending upon your location. I want to ask you the most important question of your life. Your joy or sorrow for all eternity depends upon your answer. The question is: Are you saved? It is not a question of how good [email protected] United Kingdom 0 22-04-2005 05:07 AM
Bees in your Garden? Tom Patterson North Carolina 4 05-04-2003 07:37 AM
Bees in your Garden? Emperor Itchy Edible Gardening 17 11-03-2003 08:56 PM
Bees in your Garden? Emperor Itchy Gardening 36 11-03-2003 08:56 PM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 11:18 PM.

Powered by vBulletin® Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 GardenBanter.co.uk.
The comments are property of their posters.
 

About Us

"It's about Gardening"

 

Copyright © 2017