In the fall, bees and wasps seem to be everywhere you want to be! The weeks leading up to winter are important for bees, as they have to prepare for winter. The worker bees are putting in overtime to collect enough nectar to sustain the colony during the winter, as bees stay in their hives until spring with the exception of a few trips out during unseasonably warm days to eliminate waste. Wasps, on the other hand, take a break in the fall after having spent the whole summer gathering insects to feed the colony's young. In the fall, adult wasps enjoy a binge-diet of sweets and carbohydrates before they die at the first frost. The queen wasp lives a bit longer and spends winters alone, waiting for spring so they can create their own nest.
Fall Stinging Insects Are More than a Nuisance
The bees and stinging insects that are busy in the fall as they prepare for winter are more than just a nuisance. While you're enjoying the last few BBQ's of the season, the minute you open your can of soda, it seems bees are swarming you for a sip! For people with allergies, this can be terrifying. If bees are also finding their way into your home, try the following to prevent it:
- Skip strong perfumes and air fresheners with sweet-smelling odors
- Seal torn screens, close windows without screens, and seal any other sources of entry to the home
- Empty and dispose of trash and recycling
- Keep your trash and recycling containers away from the doors and windows of your home
- Keep outside sources of water covered
Wasps exhibit angry behavior throughout the autumn season, as they no longer have access to the food produced by the larvae they had been feeding all summer. Instead, wasps live on rotting fruit and tree sugars. They are attracted to the sweet foods that humans consume and will come around aggressively in order to have something to eat.
The Dangers of Do-It-Yourself Bee and Wasp Removal
If you see bees or wasps swarming or entering and exiting a spot of your home more than once, there is a good chance you have a nest. The fall is not the best time for a do-it-yourself nest extraction! With the more aggressive nature of the bees this time of year, you are putting yourself at risk trying to eliminate the nest. Always call a pest control expert such as Parkway Pest Services to assist you with stinging insect nest removals during the busy season.