How to Identify Bees

Hi, I'm Jason with Greenhouse Pest Management, Atlanta's only true natural pest control company. Today we're going to talk about the difference between wasps and bees. You would not be surprised how many calls I get where people say I got honey bees in my backyard. Come kill them, and I get all my stuff out and I go out there and it ends up being a nest of yellow jackets. Yellow jackets are hornets which is a type of wasp. Now wasps and bees are both in the same family. However, the difference is, is that wasps when they have a nest what they feed their larva is usually bugs, spiders, worms, something like that. They're predators, bees, honey bees, carpenter bees, bumble bees, they're pollen feeders. They're going to go to the flower, they're going to get the nectar and bring it back. That's actually where you get honey from with honey bees. Bees have hairy bodies, They are very hairy, you can actually see the hair on them. Whereas hornets, are real smooth. They have no hair whatsoever. And hornets usually are much more aggressive than bees are. So you can get a lot closer to let's say a honey bee nest than you can a yellow jacket nest. And they're a lot more violent too when they come after you. And with any bee or wasps situation also remember they are social insects. You will have more than one come after you if you disturb their nest. So you want to be real careful when treating any sort of bee or wasp.