Summer is almost upon us again. The sun is out, trees and flowers are starting to bloom and with that comes the insects. In Oklahoma, we have a large number of insects that are all over. One of the most common insects that exist here in Oklahoma are honeybees. Bees of all different kinds and sorts populate Green Country. Here at TermMax Pest Control we have many calls in regards to bees and wasps. This article will delve deep into the subject of bees and wasps, and how they affect our customers and our homes. 

BEES, WASPS AND OUR ECOSYSTEM

Bees and wasps are both very important to the ecosystem. Without these insects, life on our planet would cease to exist. Both of these insects are pollinators. That means that they move pollen from one plant to another. Plants have both male and female parts in their blossoms. They will have a pistil which is the female part, and a stamen, which is the male part. The stamen is where the pollen is created. This pollen must be transmitted to the pistil in order to create seeds. 

Bees or wasps will travel from blossom to blossom, picking up nectar. This nectar will be fed upon by themselves and others in their colonies. As they do, pollen will get stuck on their legs and bodies. They’ll move from flower to flower redistributing this pollen all around their ecosystem. This causes plants to be able to cross pollinate between each other. The process of cross pollination prevents plants from inbreeding. It keeps their gene pool diverse. Your Broken Arrow pest control company has more information.  

STINGING INSECTS

Both bees and wasps are from the species is known a Hymenoptera. These insects are known for their stings. They have a stinger at the rear end of them, and can inflict a serious amount of pain to an individual that comes across them. But these bees and wasps are not looking for a fight. If you allow an exit strategy when you come in contact with a bee or wasp, they will flee. But if you trap them, or put their colony or hive at risk, they will attack. Call a Tulsa pest control company for help.  

When they attack, they will insert their stinger into the skin of their assailant, injecting a certain amount of poison into their system. This poison has many different factors, but the most important one is melittin. Melittin actually activates the heat sensing nerve endings in your skin. It overloads them making you feel like your skin is on fire. This is where the sting comes in. 

A honey bee has barbs on its stinger, where most wasps and other bees do not. The bee, when it pulls away from the sting site, will leave the stinger inserted in the skin. With the stinger, a number of internal organs will be left attached to the stinger. A few of these organs will work to create more poison to inject into the skin, while others are integral parts of the insect itself. When a bee stings and then loses its stinger, it will die. It’s important if you’ve been stung by a bee, to remove the stinger is quickly as possible. This will stop the venom from being injected into your skin. Wasps on the other hand,  have no barbs on their stinger. Therefore, they can sting multiple times in order to protect themselves and their offspring. 

TO COLONY OR NOT TO COLONY

Bees and many kinds of wasps are eusocial insects. That means that they live in a colony. Bees in particular, have a specific caste system that they use in order to maintain the colony and keep up with the day-to-day work. There are worker bees who forage for food, feed the young, and take care of other issues in the county. Then there are queens and reproductives. They work to make sure that the eggs are being laid on a regular basis. Some wasps also work in this fashion. Other wasps will create large honeycombs of cells that each contain a wasp egg. These wasps will hatch and then reproduce accordingly. Your Broken Arrow exterminator can help.

Wasps are also important to our ecosystem in the matter of being a predator of many other insects. Aphids, spiders and ants are all prey for the wasp. There are many other insects that are included as well. Wasps will seek out nectar and honeydew as an adult to feed upon. This is because these things are high in sugar and other carbohydrates that gives them the energy they need to do the work of reproducing. But they’re young need more protein. For this reason they will go and hunt and retrieve insects that they can feed their young. In most cases, they will put these insects paralyzed inside the cells with the egg. Once the egg hatches the larva will feed upon the paralyzed insects. Mother nature is truly harsh. 

Some wasps are not social in nature. They are solitary and only create one or two cells apiece. Some examples of these insects are the mud dauber, the organ pipe wasp and the potter wasp. These insects all use mud in order to create a single cell in which they will put their prey and an egg. The female will seal these off and let the newborn insect develop on its own. These wasps do not take care of their young like other colony insects do. But they will still protect their young with their stinger. 

PROTECTING YOUR HOME FROM BEES AND WASPS

Some people are allergic to bee and wasp stings. It’s very important that if you have an allergy to these insects, that you stay far far away from them. People with these kinds of allergies can go into anaphylactic shock if stung by one of these insects. 

If you’re having an issue with pest such as bees or wasps, it’s time to call in a professional Tulsa exterminator. Here at TermMax Pest Control, we are the best in Oklahoma when it comes to dealing with bees and wasps. We service the greater Tulsa area including Owasso, Turley, Sand Springs, Sapulpa, Coweta, Claremore, Catoosa, Broken Arrow, Jenks, Bixby and much more. Call today for a free estimate. We’re here to help!

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