Bees
Honey Bees
They are easily distinguished from Wasps, being finely banded in orange and brown, with brown and furry strong hind legs, compared with the yellow shiny and slender legs of wasps. Originally, honey bees probably built their colonies in hollow trees, but nowadays a wild swarm may well establish itself in a cavity wall, provided there is suitable access.
Honey bees feed on nectar and are not normally considered a pest, only stinging under extreme provocation.
Every effort should be made to avoid carrying out control treatments against bees, because of their strongly beneficial role as pollinators.
Bumble Bees
Most people can recognise the large furry bees, considerably larger than the honey bee and frequently with the top of the abdomen coloured brightly in ochre yellow or a rich tawny brown.
Usually the nests are produced in holes in trees, or possibly by excavating in soft or sandy earth. Bumble bees like honey bees feed on nectar, and are not normally considered a pest. They can of course sting but only do so when seriously provoked.
Again every effort should be made to avoid carrying out control treatments. Bumble bees are beneficial to man, as they act as pollinators of many fruit trees and other plants in which man requires the seed to set.
Solitary Bees
Mining Bees
They closely resemble the Honey Bee, although the individual species differ in colouration. Each female will make a nest in a suitable position in the ground and it frequently happens that sandy domestic lawns' are a suitable site. There may be many individual nests grouped closely together.
They sometimes cause a minor nuisance until they disappear in mid-summer, but their stings seem unable to penetrate human skin.
Every effort should be made to avoid carrying out control treatments because of their strongly beneficial role as pollinators and predators of garden pests.
Masonary Bees
Their colouration is very similar to the honey bee. They prefer to make their nests in suitable cavities in buildings and will even excavate soft mortar from brickwork to make their individual nests.
Although harmless in all other respects the damage to soft mortar in older properties may be quite severe over several seasons. Their stings seem unable to penetrate human skin.
Masonry bees may need to be controlled on occasion but the real answer to the problems they cause is to repoint with good hard mortar.
Like mining bees they are strongly beneficial as pollinators and predators of garden pests.
Booking an Appointment
At present the only way to book an appointment for a pest control treatment is by contacting Trafford Direct:
Email: Trafford.Direct@trafford.gov.uk
Customer Services Telephone: 0161 912 2000
Textphone: 0161 912 2102
Monday to Friday 8.30am - 5.00pm
Saturday 9.00am - 1.00pmon
If there is a charge for the treatment, payment will normally be collected by the Pest Control Operative on completion of the first visit. If we are coming to treat for fleas or cockroaches we aske that you do some basic pre-visit preparations.
This page was last updated on 17 January 2006
