Wasps, Bees & Flies

Wasps All the wasps found in the United Kingdom, are very similar with black and yellow bands on their body and two pairs of wings.

In spring, the fertilised queen leaves her hibernating quarters to seek nesting sites for a new colony. These sites could be holes in the ground, hollow trees, sheds, loft spaces or wall cavities. The queen starts to build her nest with a papery material that she makes by chewing wood mixed with saliva; this is known as wasp paper. She will raise the first few workers who will then enlarge the nest and care for the immature wasps. Nest construction starts in spring and will reach its maximum size in September, when up to 10,000 workers may be present. An old nest is not used in subsequent years.

Wasps usually eat insects, which are mainly garden or household pests. They also feed on dustbin waste and animal carcasses.  

Wasps become a nuisance to humans mainly in late summer as the weather gets cooler when they become more likely to sting. A wasp, unlike a bee, can sting many times. Although the wasp sting is not normally serious, it can be very painful, and in certain cases can cause a severe reaction. 


Bees The most common species in this country are the honeybee, bumblebee, and masonry bee. Bees have important benefits, acting as pollinators of many fruit trees and other plants, and are not considered as pests. 

Colonies of bees consist of a queen, a small number of males or drones and a large number of worker bees. The workers feed the queen who produces up to 2,000 eggs per day. A queen bee will leave a colony when a new one emerges. A number of the colony’s workers accompany her, forming what is known as a swarm, which then forms a new colony.

Bumblebees are close relatives of the honeybee but are larger. A bumblebee colony will only last for a single season. Only a few young mated queens survive and spend the winter in hibernation. Bees will sting people if they are strongly provoked.

Flies  Most fly infestations the first step is to remove the source. 

Cluster fly  

The cluster fly over-winters in cavities voids and roof spaces often confused with blue bottles.

 

Grey to olive thorax with golden hairs, never metallic like blue/green bottle flies and overlapped wings when at rest.

Not associated with rotting meat like blow flies but are parasitic of earthworms become a pest in autumn when they gather in large numbers to over-winter and when they re emerge they are very lethargic.

A Ulv treatment is one of the most efficient treatments for cluster flies.

 

House flies  

House fly eggs are laid in almost any warm moist material which will sustain a suitable food source for the growing larvae. Animal manure, human excrement, rubbish, decaying vegetable material and organic matter are suitable materials.

The first step of elimination is to remove this source followed by prevention i.e fly screens and door curtain strips, traps and electronic fly killers. 

 

Blue/green bottle flies  

As with the house fly the first stage is to eliminate the source, generally rotting flesh  

 

On large scale industrial scenarios where the source cannot be eliminated then an integrated program should be considered  

 

Prevention systems

 

Prevention systems can be applied to all manner of pests and should be the first line of  control

There are many prevention systems available we use the most efficient and up to date systems these are calculated by the severity of the problem being arranged into three pressures.

High Pressure, Medium pressure and low pressure.

 

High pressure: roosting nesting birds

Medium pressure: daytime feeding and resting

Low pressure: occasional resting spots.

 

To use the wrong system for the wrong pressure will almost definitely result in failure allowing the birds to overcome the system.

 

If you think you have a problem call now on 01375 392032