What Are Bees & Wasps?While some bees are insular and solitary, species such as honey bees and bumblebees are tremendously social. Bee colonies are comprised of three castes: the queen bee, infertile female worker bees, and male drones. The queen mates and lays eggs for the span of her life. Queens can live up to five years, though most average a lifespan of two to three years. Male drones exist solely to fertilize the queen and die soon after having fulfilled their task. Female worker bees perform a multitude of tasks necessary to the survival of the hive. As a result of their constant laboring, their average life span is usually a mere six weeks.
There are many species of paper wasps in the US. Paper wasps average 3/4″ to 1 1/2″ long; yellow and black in appearance. Nests are made of grayish brown papery material. Paper wasp nests are relatively small containing 4 to 30 wasps per nest not, to be confused with hornets which build much larger hives and can be similar in size. Paper wasps are often found hanging under the eaves, but can also be found in attics, trees, as well as other structures. Paper wasps attack when aggravated and have a painful sting; they can also sting multiple times and do not loose there stinger.
Occasionally these wasps are found inside the house. This happens when a nest is living in the attic and there is perhaps a bit of light entering the attic from a wall vent or ceiling fixture. In this case the wasp goes to the light thinking it leads back outside but ends up in the house. At this point the wasp will typically fly around near the windows looking for an exit. Wasps are much more comfortable navigating inside of a house than honeybees are, as honeybees simply go strait to the window and buzz until exhausted.