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Nuisance Bees & Wasps

Wasps and bees can cause concern for homeowners. Very few bees cause problems. They are beneficial pollinators and control for them is discouraged. Honeybees and bumblebees are working blooming flowers and may cross paths with people. Typically bees are not aggressive unless an unwary gardener grasps them.

Yellow jackets are a yellow and black striped, ground-dwelling wasp that is very aggressive in the late summer and fall. They are scavengers and will eat caterpillars, many types of sugars and meats at picnics. May is an ideal time for setting out wasp traps baited with sugar solution to reduce populations.

The Polistes or European paper wasp is also yellow with black stripes. It is often confused with the yellow jacket. This wasp is a predator that builds paper nests in the eaves of buildings and in small cavities. As a predator, the Polistes wasp is not a problem for outdoor dining. Their nesting habit in numerous locations around homes leads to many stings. This wasp will not be attracted to traps because it hunts for live prey.

Hunting wasps, such as mud daubers, cause concern when they blunder into homes looking for prey. Several species occur in Colorado but in general they are harmless to humans.

If wasp nests are too close to the house or children's play area, use permethrin or other pyrethrin insecticides to kill the insects still living in the nest. For more information, see fact sheet 5.525, Nuisance Wasps and Bees, www.ext.colostate.edu.