Bees & Wasps

Mud Dauber Wasp

Members of this genus the Sphecidae  are easily distinguishable from other mud-nest builders by the extraordinarily thin, straight, stalk-like first segment of the abdomen, also known as the petiole . They are of moderate to large size (body length 17-26 mm) and largely black but with some areas yellow. They hunt spiders of various kinds as food for their larvae. All are solitary, each female building and provisioning its own nest. These wasps are usually inoffensive although females will sting if handled

Cicada Killer Wasp

Size range

4 cm

Distribution

Cicada-killer wasps are found throughout Australia.

Habitat

Cicada-killer wasps are found in urban areas, forests and woodlands, and heath.

Feeding and Diet

Cicada-killer wasps hunt in the trees for cicadas, which feed on sap using their piercing mouthparts. Once found, the wasp quickly stings and paralyses its victim. The heavy burden is then flown or dragged to the wasp's underground nest where an egg is laid on it. Having provided its unhatched larva with fresh food, the wasp then seals the nest. Sometimes the cicada-killer wasp returns to the exact spot where it captured its prey to feed on the sap that now leaks from the hole made in the tree by the cicada.

Danger to humans and first aid

Cicada-killer wasps are large and have a potentially painful sting. However they are not aggressive and are very unlikely to use their venom on humans unless extremely provoked. The best advice is to leave them alone. An ice pack may be used to relieve the pain of the sting. If there is evidence of an allergic reaction, medical attention should be sought.

Carpenter bees 

3/4 - 1 inch long. 

Female faces are black, male faces are yellow. 

Bright yellow, orange or white hairs on the thorax. 

No hair on abdomen. 

Females have a stinger, males do not.

Tunnel into wood to lay eggs. 

Life cycle from egg – larva – pupa - adult takes approximately seven weeks. 

Larva is large and noisy. 

New adults emerge from the nest late August.

Sting - Only sting if provoked. 

Visibility - Late-spring to mid-October. 

Nesting - Bare, untreated softwoods are preferred, including redwood, cedar, cypress and pine. Old nests are used year after year. 

Location – Nests can be found in eaves, window trims, facia boards, siding, decks and outdoor furniture. 

Feeding - flowers that contain pollen, eg Bradford’s, Daffodils, Pansies. Pollen stored in abandoned tunnels for overwintering.

Mortar bees, or Masonry bee

Masonry bees and the holes they made in the structural wall

Mortar bees, or Masonry bees, are so called because they sometimes burrow into the mortar joints in brick walls or will occasionally use crevices in walls. There are a number of different species of bee that do this, but the most common has the scientific name of Osmia rufa. Appearance and life history In appearance these bees are not unlike ordinary honey bees, and share the same soft brown and yellow colouration, as opposed to the bright yellow and black of the wasp, which mortar bees are often confused with. However, all mortar bees are solitary and do not form the distinct social colonies that we associate so much with honeybees and common wasps, although they may be found close to each other since they exploit suitable nesting sites. The natural habitat of mortar bees is earth banks and soft exposed rocks into which the female bee burrows. She builds a series of tunnels or galleries in the spring in which to lay her eggs from which the new adults emerge in the spring. Only one such brood is raised each year. They will only be seen for a few weeks in the spring. Prevention The only effective way of preventing these bees is to repaint areas of soft and perished mortar as the bees can only burrow into comparatively weak materials. The joints should be raked out to a depth of 15mm (0.58in), and re-pointed with a mortar that is not too strong for the bricks, but hard enough to discourage the bees. Mortar bees will also lay eggs in old drilled holes in brickwork and gaps around window and doorframes. This work is best done in late summer, after the bees have ceased their activities but before the possibility of frost damage. Spraying or injecting insecticides does not have any lasting effect, and is only recommended in those rare cases where bricks or stonework have been entered. Mortar bees are not aggressive, they have a sting but are unable to pierce the human skin and are therefore harmless and more of a nuisance insect.