Wasps, Hornets, and Bees in Wichita: How to Tell Them Apart

It is buzzing. It is angry. It is hovering near your back door. Is it a wasp? A hornet? A bee? If you can answer that question, you can make smarter decisions about what to do next.

Honey bees

Honey bees are fuzzy, golden brown, and about half an inch long. They are usually focused on flowers, not you. A honey bee can only sting once, then it dies. They are not aggressive unless their hive is threatened.

Honey bees are also incredibly important pollinators. If you have a swarm or hive on your property, please do not spray it. We can refer you to a local beekeeper who will relocate them.

Bumble bees

Bumble bees are bigger, fuzzier, and often have more black on the body. Like honey bees, they are pollinators and generally not aggressive. They nest in the ground or in old rodent burrows. Give them space and they will give you space.

Paper wasp

Paper wasps are slim with long dangling legs in flight. Their nests look like upside down umbrellas, often under eaves, deck railings, swing sets, and grills. They are not super aggressive but will defend the nest.

Yellow jackets

Yellow jackets are bright yellow and black, smaller than paper wasps, and much more aggressive. They often nest in the ground or in wall voids. They love picnics, soda cans, and trash. If you see them coming and going from a hole in the ground, keep your distance.

Bald-faced hornets

These are large, black and white, and build big football-shaped paper nests in trees and under eaves. They are very aggressive near the nest. If one is on your house, do not try to take it down yourself.

Cicada killers

These look terrifying. They are huge wasps, sometimes nearly two inches long, that dig burrows in bare soil. They almost never sting people. They hunt cicadas. Leave them alone and they leave you alone.

When to Call for Wasps, Hornets, and Bees in Wichita

Small starter nest under your eave? You can sometimes handle that with a quality wasp spray, in the early morning when the wasps are sluggish.

A larger nest, a nest you cannot see all of, a ground-nesting yellow jacket colony, or any nest near where kids play? Call us. Stinging insect work is not the place to take a chance, especially if anyone in your home is allergic.

Learn more

K-State Research and Extension has helpful information on Kansas stinging insects: https://entomology.k-state.edu/extension/

The Bug Shockers difference

We treat stinging insects with care, the right gear, and the right product. If you are seeing nests around your Wichita, Derby, Andover, Rose Hill, El Dorado, or Augusta home, give us a call.

Bug Shockers Pest Control. Local. Family-Owned. The Shockingly Smart Choice.