Ants, Bats, Bees

Carpenter Ants: A common problem in the Hudson Valley
There are 9 species of carpenter ants in the continental United States, 5 of which are of economic concern. Of these, the New York carpenter ant, the black carpenter ant and the red carpenter ant are those we need to concern ourselves with in the Hudson Valley.

Ants are among the most successful of insects and like termites, they are social insects which live in colonies or 'nests'. Many species prefer to nest in the ground; others will be found in wood such as dead logs, firewood stacks, or in wood structures.

Key identifying features which are general to Camponotus:

  • Very large, usually black, about 1/2" in size
  • Distinct one segment pedicel ('knob') protruding from the link between the thorax and abdomen
  • Abdomen encircled by yellow 'hairs'
  • Thorax is evenly rounded

Unlike termites, carpenter ants nesting in wood only hollow out 'galleries' for reproduction and will often cause less damage to timber than termites. Yet in high population situations where several satillite nests have been made, damage to the wood structure can be severe.

Early signs of structural infestations are swarms of adult reproductive flyers in or around the home. These ants have moved from one colony in search of another suitable nesting site, usually a stump or log where the queen can begin egg laying.

Another sign is the presence of worker ants moving along in trails in, on, or around your home or office. Evergreen's and shrubs near the foundation allow for easy access to most structures. Most often they can be observed at dusk or dawn when they are most active. 'Sawdust' around baseboards and walls is also evidence of carpenter ant activity.

Carpenter Ant Damage Send us a sample of ants which are appearing at your doorstep and we'll let you know what species they are and what you can do to keep them out of your home.

Introduction to Bats: Important members of the wildlife community
Bats are important members of the wildlife community but they will enter buildings while seeking roosting sites. Bats typically enter structures by following air currents and odor cues.

These nuisance mammals will often need removal from the living space of a structure or from more secluded areas such as attics and basements. Occasionally, this involves the removal of an individual bat, but in most situations, a colony of bats must be removed from a structure. In either case, non-lethal control measures should be implemented.

The use of pesticides to kill bats increases the risks (particularly of rabies) associated with bats falling to the ground and being handled by children or eaten by pets. Moreover, if pesticides are utilized for bat control, the applicator may be in violation of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). (NPCA is not aware of any pesticides that are currently or, after the reregistration process, will be labeled for bat control without obtaining a special use permit from USDA-APHIS -Animal Damage Control or a public health agency for extreme circumstances.) One pesticide, naphthalene (mothballs), may be placed in confined areas to repel bats, but this practice is of limited value.

In the past, mechanical techniques using glue boards, snap traps on the ends of poles, filed-off nails driven into the ends of broom handles and tennis rackets have been used to kill bats. These techniques are not recommended. Their use may only incapacitate the bats, increasing the risk of human contact with injured bats.

A bat management program is often needed to address a perennial bat problem.

The four steps in a successful bat management program are:

  1. Inspection
  2. Physical exclusion and/or capture
  3. Clean-up
  4. Follow-up

Once a bat colony has been removed, the roosting site may require clean up to remove guano and urine that have accumulated during the occupancy. Anyone working around bat wastes should wear dust masks or respirators capable of filtering out a particle size of 2 microns to avoid inhalation of dust or fungal spores (Histoplasrmosis spp.). The spores of this species of fungi can cause lung infection leading to irreversible lung damage. Clothing should be disinfected and laundered after service is completed.

Bats are often persistent in seeking to re-enter a roost. Returning bats may congregate around sealed entrance ways. Follow-up inspections will identify missed access points or new openings. Ongoing maintenance of the building for successful bat exclusion should be emphasized.

Ideal bat roosts reside in environments that offer high temperatures, low air movement, and a lack of light. Modifying these conditions may help in dispersing a colony. For example, the installation of soffit vents, roof vents, and fans will increase airflow. Also, the addition of lighting and less crowded storage of stock help to keep bats out of the lower region of a large warehouse.

Summary
Non-lethal control of bats is the most economical and humane method for managing bat populations. Care must be taken not to harm these animals while excluding or removing them from a building. Displaced bats are capable of re- establishing new roosts outside man-made structures where they can continue to play an important ecological role in the environment.

Bees, Wasps, Yellow jackets... 'winging and stinging' their way into your home.
Bees in all of their varieties are most often quite benificial to nature and to man. The honey bee, bests known for producing sweet honey, and its distant cousin the bumble bee, are also incredibly valuable as pollinators of flowers and fruit trees.

Wasps, are scavengers and predators, not pollinators. They often prey on other less beneficial insects. the Wasp family, unlike the bees, do not have body hairs or specialized structures for gathering and carrying pollen.

Yet, as cautious as we can be around bees and wasps, their sting can be life threatening if one is allergic to the venom. The presence of a nest in or near the home should be a cause for immediate concern and professional assistance should be sought at once.

Honey Bees
The vast majority of adult honey bees in any colony are female worker bees. The jobs of the worker bees are: tending and feeding young bees (larvae), making honey, making royal jelly and beebread to feed larvae, producing wax, cooling the hive by fanning wings, gathering and storing pollen, nectar and water, guarding the hive, building, cleaning and repairing the comb, and feeding and taking care of the queen and drones.

When a bee colony starts to become too crowded, some of the bees split off to form a new colony. This is called swarming.

"Swarming" occurs when part of the colony breaks off with the old queen and flies off looking for another place to call home. The bees engorge themselves on their honey reserves before leaving so as to have sufficient energy to make it to a new location. There can be multiple swarms from one hive, since new queens can also emerge and fly off with part of the worker force.

Bee swarms should not be killed indiscriminately. Bees are beneficial insects, helping pollinate flowers and vegetables. Unless a swarm is causing a distinct problem and cannot be tolerated, it should be left alone. Most honey bee swarms will leave a resting site within a few hours. Eliminating possible points of entry by bees into buildings and removing other potential nest sites is the best way to prevent serious problems with bees around structures.

A swarm or hive of bees can be destroyed through physical removal (vacuuming) or by using a pesticide (see Chemical Controls). Either way, great care must be exercised because any disturbance around a nest can cause multiple stings. It is best to have a professional pest control operator or other experienced person remove the hive.

Adequate protective clothing and proper procedure can minimize problems and stings. It is important to wear protective clothing when removing hives. Complete body coverage is essential because bees can find even the smallest exposed area.

Bumble Bees
The Bumble Bee and her distant cousin the honey bee, with whom she is most often confused, the humble bumble is gentle and slow. As she trundles around the garden collecting pollen and nectar she is quite different to her streamlined relative who dashes about everywhere. Even her body shape is different as you can see from the pictures. The bumble is round and furry and not at all like her more wasp shaped cousin. In fact as you can see from the photo there are three kinds of bumble bee, the large Queen, the smaller imperfectly formed female worker bee and the tiny male or drone bee. All are seen at different times of year. Only the Queen and the worker bees have a sting.

Because they live in small nests bumble bees never swarm - so a nest near your home is not an immediate cause for concern. Bumble bees are much less aggressive than honey bees. Generally they will not attack a human at all, unless their life is under threat. Don't wave your arms wildly in their presence, stand quietly and once they smell you are not a flower containing pollen they will move gently away.

Wasp
Wasps and hornets prosper. If you see them in your flowers, garbage or picnic areas there is probably a nest close by. The two species most common in the Hudson Valley area are Bald Faced Hornets and Paper Wasps.

Bald Faced hornets are actually wasps. They are black with white or yellow stripes around their thorax and abdomen. They're about one inch long, can fly very fast and are aggressive. Bald faced hornets create a nest which is grey and round. It ranges from softball to beach ball size. These nests are made from cellulose and are quite strong. Likely nest sights include trees, shrubs and around overhangs of buildings.

The paper wasp builds clusters of hexagonal paper cells. Mixing masticated wood pulp with adhesive saliva, these paper nest cells act as larval nesting chambers for the young wasps. The Chinese inventor of paper was inspired by observing these wasps chewing bark.

Yellow Jackets
Nearly everyone has been stung by an insect at one time or another. It is an unpleasant experience that people hope not to repeat, but for most people the damage inflicted is only temporary pain. Only a very limited portion of the population (one or two people out of 1,000) is allergic or hypersensitive to bee or wasp stings.

Most bees and wasps live solitary lives, their behavior is more likely to be flight than fight. Yellowjackets, bumble bees and honey bees have individuals in the colony whose task it is to defend the nest. If the nest is disturbed, these individuals will defend it vigorously. In addition, foraging members of the colony will also sting if they are disturbed or injured as they go about their activities.

Some, such as the yellowjackets, are much more liable to attack than are others.

Carpenter Bees
Carpenter bees are large (18-20mm in length) and resemble the bumble bee, except that the dorsal surface of the abdomen only has yellow hairs on the first abdominal segment, while the rest is bare. Bumble bees have yellow hairs on the other abdominal segments as well.

In the late-spring and early summer, homeowners often notice large, black bees hovering around the outside of their homes. These are probably carpenter bees searching for mates and favorable sites to construct their nests. Male carpenter bees are quite aggressive, often hovering in front of people who are around the nests. The males are quite harmless, however, since they lack stingers. Female carpenter bees can inflict a painful sting but seldom will unless they are handled or molested.

Carpenter bee tunnels are about 4-6" long and 1/2" in diameter. They frequently re-use old tunnels for pollen storage and overwintering chambers. They prefer rotten or seasoned wood.

Although carpenter bees are less aggressive than wasps, female bees provisioning their nests will sting. Treatment is best performed at night when the bees are less active, or while wearing protective clothing.

Bee Cautions

Around your Home

  • Listen for buzzing indicating a new or swarm of bees
  • Use care when entering sheds or outbuildings where bees may nest
  • Examine work area before using lawn mowers, weed cutters, and other power equipment
  • Examine Areas before tying up or penning pets or livestock
  • Be alert when participating in all outdoor sports and activities
  • Don't disturb a new hive or swarm - contact a pest control company or an emergency response organization
  • Teach children to be cautious and respectful of all bees
  • Check with a doctor about bee sting kits and procedures if sensitive to bee stings
  • Develop a safety plan for you home and yard

What To Do If Stung

  • Go quickly to a safe area
  • Remove stinger as soon as possible
  • Don't squeeze stinger; pressure will release more venom
  • Scrape stinger out with fingernail, knife blade or credit card
  • Wash sting area with soap and water like any other wound
  • Apply ice pack for a few minutes to relieve pain and swelling
  • Seek medical attention if breathing is troubled, if stung numerous times or if allergic to bee stings

What To Do

  • Normal honey bees will not aggressively attack as a group. If multiple bees are attacking, assume that they will continue to attack and act immediately to leave the area. CALL 911 to report all unusual bee activity.
  • Your Fire Department is equipped and trained to perform rescue and first aid for bee attacks.
  • Move to a safe location In a house In a vehicle with windows up Turn on air conditioning
  • If you cannot get inside of a safe location; Run and continue running away from the bees for at least 1/4 of a mile, more if possible and do not stop if the bees are still chasing you.
  • Do not try to hide in a swimming pool, the bees will wait for you to surface.
  • If you locate a bee swarm; Move all people and pets to a safe location. Dial 911 and report the activity
  • If a person is under attack, encourage them to run to a safe location, do not attempt to rescue them as you will become a victim in need of rescue

Swarming Bees
As a general rule, stay away from all honey bee swarms and colonies. If bees are encountered, get away quickly. While running away, try to protect face and eyes as much as possible. Take shelter in a car or building. Water or thick brush does not offer enough protection. Do not stand and swat at the bees; rapid motions will cause them to sting. If attacked by bees, leave the area quickly and find shelter in a building or car!