Hobbies And Interests
Bumblebees
Bumblebees have large, smooth, roundish bodies and make a loud, rumbling, buzzing sound while flying. These bees feed on and collect nectar from flowers. These bees build nests in piles of dry leaves and grass and will only sting if they feel you are threatening their nest. You can get get rid of bumble bee populations with bee insecticide.
Carpenter Bee
The carpenter bee you see flying around near piles of fire wood or your deck is likely a female bee and not likely to sting you. She is looking to chew a hole on the wood exterior of your house so she can lay her eggs in it. For this reason, carpenter bees classify as wood-boring pests, and can continue to cause cosmetic damage to the exterior of your home. These bees require an exterminator to individually spray each hole of their nests to insure they are gone.
Honeybee
Honeybees provide invaluable pollination of the flowers that go on to produce the fruits, vegetables and perfumes we love. Honeybees do like to sting, however, and the venom from their sting may cause severe allergic reactions in some people. If you spot a honey bee hive that needs removal, first call a local bee-keeper. This person may be able to use harm-free techniques like smoking the bees to put them to sleep while the bee-keeper relocates them to a more preferable location. Do not attempt to do this on your own.
Yellow Jackets and Wasps
Yellow jackets and wasps are not actually bees, but are stinging insects. They have bodies that are more slender than a bee, with narrow wastes and wings. Stings from these insects are more painful than those from bees. If you have a wasp infestation, you can either call an extermination service to remove the population and their nest, or you can purchase a wasp insecticide and spray the liquid onto the nest and its inhabitants. Wasps are highly aggressive, however, and will likely attack you if you approach their nest.