There are five types of bee's or wasps common in the Chicago area. They are:
Yellow Jackets |
This is a black wasp with yellow markings on its body and abdomen. Yellow Jackets are extremely aggressive and will attack with little or no provocation. They are attracted to bright colors and many fragrances contained in perfumes or after shave lotions. Favorite nesting sites are wall voids or abandoned animal burrows in the ground. A mature nest will contain 500 or more workers.
Protective clothing is recommended when treating a nesting site. Injection of an insecticidal dust directly into the nesting site is required to eliminate the colony. A pressurized tank must be used to deliver the dust to the nesting site. Costs will range from $95.00 for a ground level treatment to $125.00 for treatments requiring the use of a ladder. A seasonal guarantee is provided on all yellow jacket elimination services.
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Carpenter Bees
In late spring and early summer these large black bees are often observed hovering around homes and businesses. The reason for this is they are looking for a mate and or a place to nest. The male carpenter bee will act in an aggressive manor should a person wander to close to its nesting area. Although this bee may get right in your face it lacks a stinger so it is in fact harmless. Female carpenter bee’s do have a stinger and will inflict a painful sting if handled or molested. This bee is almost identical to the bumble bee and while it is in the same family there are distinct differences in appearance. The Carpenter bees upper abdomen is smooth shinny black where as the bumble bees abdomen is hairy with some yellow markings. |
| Carpenter bees overwinter as adults in wood within the tunnels they created or abandoned tunnels. The Carpenter bees emerge in the spring and mate. The fertilized females excavate tunnels in wood and lay their eggs in a series of small cells. Each cell is packed with pollen to feed the larval stage. The adults emerge in late summer. The entrance holes to egg chambers are about ½” in diameter and perfectly round. The course sawdust produced by the boring of the tunnel is evident directly below the tunnel. Substantial damage to wood may occur if infested area is left untreated for several years.
Unfinished wood is extremely attractive to Carpenter bees. Unfinished softwoods such as redwood, pine, and cedar are preferred as nesting sites. Painted or other types of finished wood is not as attractive but will occasional be used as a nesting site. The most common nesting sites are decks, undersides of railings & steps, eves, soffits, wooden playsets, and old wooden fences. Almost any type of wood is susceptible.
Treatment of Carpenter bees starts at $85.00 and escalates as the size of the area to be treated increases. Guarantee is until Dec 31st of the year treated.
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Bald Faced Hornets
The Bald faced Hornet is a black wasp with white lines across its abdomen. This wasp is also very aggressive when provoked. Bald Faced Hornets build their nests on structures or hang them from the branch of a bush or tree. The nest is a grayish paper nest that often is said to look like a 16" softball or in some cases a basket ball. The protective paper envelope contains two or three levels of egg chambers inside and numerous(150 to 300)workers. These nests must be approached with caution.
Protective clothing is recommended when treating a nest. As with Yellow Jackets, a Bald Faced Hornets nest must be injected with an insecticidal dust or treated with wasp freeze to be effectively eliminated. The price range is identical to that of the Yellow Jackets as is the guarantee.
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Umbrella Wasp
This is a brown wasp with yellow stripes across its abdomen. It is not very aggressive. Umbrella wasps suspend their nests from wooden members of patio rails, undersides of wooden decks, inside roof vents or other sheltered areas. The nest consists of a single exposed layer of egg chambers attached by a thin pillar to the nesting site. There are seldom more than 5 to 10 workers present at any time.
This wasp is best treated with a liquid residual insecticide or a "wasp freeze" applied from an aerosol can. Cost of treatment will range from $80.00 to $90.00 and guarantee will be for the season.
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Mud Dauber
These wasps are so called because they construct their nests from mud in the shape of a tube. Each tube contains a single chamber housing a single egg. The nest is attached to the walls of buildings in protected areas. There are usually several chambers in the same area. The female mud dauber collects spiders which she stings to paralyze then places in the nest with the egg. The nest is then sealed. If the mud tubes have holes in them that means the wasp has exited the nest. This wasp is not aggressive unless disturbed. Control is usually not necessary unless the resident requires it due to fear of sting insects. Cost of treatment will be in the $95-$115 range, and treatment will be guaranteed for the season.
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Bumble Bee
This is a very large black bee with yellow line across its abdomen. The Bumble Bee is the least aggressive of the bees and wasps we have discussed. This bee is furry in appearance. The Bumble Bee builds its nest in the ground and is most often observed entering and leaving from under cement slabs such as patios or steps. The Bumble Bee builds its nest as close to flowering plants as possible. The nest is packed with grass and is from 12 to 18 inches below ground. Often times the Bumble Bee will use abandoned animal burrows as a nesting site. There will be between 15 and 25 workers in a mature Bumble Bee nest.
In order to eliminate Bumble Bees insecticidal dust must be injected under pressure into the nesting site. Liquid insecticides are rarely effective in eliminating this bee. The cost of Bumble Bee elimination is $95.00 and a seasonal guarantee is provided |
