MRO Today - The buzz on bees (and wasps)

The buzz on bees (and wasps)

Nature’s original hazard warnings, bees and wasps, pose a special dilemma for humans. They are a threat if they locate nests too close to human activities, but we need them for pollination and control of other pesky insects, too. As a rule, if a nest is in an out-of-the-way area, away from the potential for human disturbance, leave it alone. If, however, a nest is near a high human-traffic area such as the entrance to a building, it needs to be removed.

Here are few buzzworthy facts:

	One-third of the foods people eat depend on bees for pollination.
	Between 90 and 100 people die from sting reactions each year in the United States.
	Approximately one in 100 people are allergic to bee venom and may experience severe reactions to a sting.
	If a bee stings you, flick the stinger away with a clean fingernail. Pulling the stinger out of your skin will inject more venom.
	If you disturb a nest, run away. Bees and wasps can get plenty mad but they aren’t very fast flyers.

The common yellow jacket, which usually builds its nest below ground or in a protected aerial location, produces large populations. A single yellow jacket nest contains up to 3,000 workers. Social wasps like paper wasps are highly protective of their nests and will sting to defend them against potential invaders. This is particularly true of yellow jackets, which sting most often in August and September as they near the end of their life cycle. Call it going out with a buzz on.