Teeny tiny bees?? Yellow Jackets - Ask Extension
I have had some very small 1/2" at most, sneaking their way into an area around the water faucet, (in a tiny space), that I use to water plants. The...
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Teeny tiny bees?? Yellow Jackets #669970
Asked July 28, 2020, 3:46 PM EDT
I have had some very small 1/2" at most, sneaking their way into an area around the water faucet, (in a tiny space), that I use to water plants. They are really really small and look, to me, like miniature yellow jackets? I got stung once, by only one!....painful, but pain subsided after a few hours.
I have been spraying to no avail, until I discovered Spectracide-Wasp, Hornet and Yellow Jack Killer( a white can). I sprayed last night 7/29, and today I have not seen anything flying around....where before, these little ones were flying in and out at all times of day, for days on end.... I do not like or want to kill bees, but when one of these intruders was found dead, I was able to photo it....and to me, it is not a bee!! Anyway if you can ID it and tell me exactly what it is, I would appreciate it. I had them last year in a bush, and I just let them alone, since I could not find any entry point to the nest.
Baltimore County Maryland
Expert Response
This is a Yellowjacket, though there are around ten species in Maryland; all are native except one - the German Yellowjacket. Discerning details differentiating between species is difficult since they are so similar to each other, though viewing the abdomen from the top may help. Wasps are good garden predators of pest insects, though as noted they are quite defensive of their nests. You have already done what we would suggest if a nest is in a troublesome spot - use registered wasp spray and follow the bottle label directions. Otherwise, for safety, a pest control professional would be needed to remove the nest. Some Yellowjackets nest in building voids and other cavities while others prefer to nest in the ground.
Here are two pages with images of (most of) our various species:
https://www.marylandbiodiversity.com/viewChecklist.php?genus=Vespula
https://www.marylandbiodiversity.com/viewChecklist.php?genus=Dolichovespula
The size of worker wasps in a colony can vary with the species and even with the colony's age. Here is more general Yellowjacket info: https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/topics/yellowjackets
Miri
Here are two pages with images of (most of) our various species:
https://www.marylandbiodiversity.com/viewChecklist.php?genus=Vespula
https://www.marylandbiodiversity.com/viewChecklist.php?genus=Dolichovespula
The size of worker wasps in a colony can vary with the species and even with the colony's age. Here is more general Yellowjacket info: https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/topics/yellowjackets
Miri
Thank you! I had no idea that there were so many varieties of yellow jackets in Maryland! So far today, after spraying again last night, Only one or two are flying around the house connection area today, looking like they are lost. i
I will spray for a few more nights just to be sure. Again, thank you!
I will spray for a few more nights just to be sure. Again, thank you!
You're welcome.
The outliers flying around could simply be foragers returning to the nest, and thus have not been exposed to the pesticide yet. Or, the nest was too far into the recess to receive a full dose of spray, though enough residue left on the outer surfaces will probably suffice to kill or disorient any live workers left. If the problem persists, consider using a pest control professional instead, just in case the nest is sizeable. Yellowjacket nests are annual, meaning they are not re-used after winter, but they do reach their largest population size in autumn.
Miri
The outliers flying around could simply be foragers returning to the nest, and thus have not been exposed to the pesticide yet. Or, the nest was too far into the recess to receive a full dose of spray, though enough residue left on the outer surfaces will probably suffice to kill or disorient any live workers left. If the problem persists, consider using a pest control professional instead, just in case the nest is sizeable. Yellowjacket nests are annual, meaning they are not re-used after winter, but they do reach their largest population size in autumn.
Miri
