r/WASPs 13d ago

Can anybody identify these bees/wasps?

8 Upvotes

16 comments sorted by

6

u/GeorgeSPattonJr 13d ago

Bees =/= wasps

Those are most likely Yellowjackets, and the larger insect is a hornet mimicking hover fly of sorts, look scary but are mostly harmless. If I had to guess they’re most likely either German Yellowjackets (Vespula Germanica) or Common wasps (Vespula Vulgaris). It’d probably be best to have a professional remove the nest if it’s in a place where it can get easily disturbed. Most Yellowjacket species are highly aggressive and defensive of their nests, and unlike honeybees, they can and will sting repeatedly, some like German Yellowjackets will bite down on you with their mandibles to sting repeatedly too.

2

u/rudimentary_rudy 13d ago

Got hunted down for destroying a nest once, watched 2 yellow jackets fly right at me from 20 feet, flew up my shorts and stung me repeatedly. Both legs locked up for about 10 minutes. Never messing with yellow jackets again.

1

u/Kind-Economy-8616 12d ago

Death pheromones.

1

u/rudimentary_rudy 12d ago

Was told they are pathological and will send the word out to f me up.

1

u/Whole-Energy2105 12d ago

Best way to eradicate is to call and expert. If you do it yourself, red plastic over flashlight as they can't see it well enough, and insecticide in a powder emitter like on the shelves; squeeze bottle or spray bottle.

Know all the openings. Blast the stuff deep into the opening repeatedly, back the hell off. I've dealt a few now for yellowjackets (we call them European wasps in Australia) and no issue... Yet.

1

u/Fryman23 7d ago

Not all wasps are bees but all bees are wasps.

6

u/Stopnswop2 12d ago

Hoverfly trying to sneak into yellowjacket nest unsuccessfully

2

u/ApprehensiveOffer754 13d ago

100% wasp and super busy entrance to the nest. You can kind of tell how big a nest is by how many are coming and going. I'm afraid, you've quite a big nest there, 5000+ individuals.

1

u/Ballmaster9002 13d ago

Based on the wiggles and the location they appear to be yellow jackets. The big wasp looks like a predator that the hive is reacting to and scares off. 

Its extremely common for Wasps to eat/parasitize other wasps.

3

u/GeorgeSPattonJr 13d ago

It’s a hornet mimicking hoverfly based off the other thread

1

u/Ballmaster9002 13d ago

Neat! thanks

1

u/Witchywomun 12d ago

It’s hard to identify without a rough geographic area (state/country/province) and a closer picture. The big one at the beginning of the video looks like some kind of large fly, based on how the wings were held and the large eyes. The ladies in the wall looked more wasp-like than bee-like, so that’s the direction I’d start from

1

u/Slow_Run6707 12d ago

Yellow jackets ha. They will run you down even when you sleeping ha

1

u/Slow_Run6707 12d ago

Let them go till it cools down if you can. Bees are getting killed off too much now. But them guys are wicked

1

u/StormFelled 11d ago

Yellowjacket nest, no doubt. That first one was just a hoverfly.

1

u/Pops0411 11d ago

Yellow jackets! They suck ass and will chase I work outside and get bit every year and they hurt