Spring bee mix-up

Wasp colonies start tiny. In spring a single queen builds a nest the size of a golf ball and does all the work herself. You may see her coming and going, but you will not see a stream of wasps.

Bees, on the other hand, are at full speed in spring. Mining bees, bumblebees and masonry bees are all active, and they gather in ways that look like a nest problem.

Lots of small holes in a lawn or bare soil, each with a little crater of soil around it, are a classic sign of mining bees. Each hole belongs to one solitary female. They are gentle, rarely sting, and finish within a few weeks.

A wasp nest in the ground looks different: one hole, with a steady flow of wasps in and out, usually later in the summer.

Tree bumblebees have a ginger chest, black abdomen and a white tail. They love bird boxes and gaps under roof tiles. In late spring, males hover outside the entrance in small groups. It looks dramatic, but the colony is short-lived, often gone by mid-summer.

• ✓Ginger chest, white tail: tree bumblebee
• ✓Hovering cluster at the entrance: male bumblebees, harmless
• ✓Leave the box alone; the nest will end by itself

Small bees going in and out of soft mortar or old brick in spring are often solitary masonry bees. They do not form big colonies. If the mortar needs repairing, do it in autumn or winter when they have gone.

Sometimes it is a wasp queen building early, often in a shed, garage roof or loft. A small grey paper ball hanging from a beam is the sign. Do not knock it down. Call us, describe it, and we can tell you whether it needs treating now.

If you are unsure, one call is enough. We would rather tell you it is bees than charge for a visit you do not need.

Spring bee mix-up: common questions