✅ Bee (wasp) wolf: danger to apiaries and humans, photo

The bee wolf wasp is one of the species of wasps whose venom causes a severe allergic reaction. But we will now tell you what is remarkable about these stinging insects.

Wasps... seem like small creatures, but when we see them, we immediately try to stay away, don't we? People are afraid of a wasp sting, because many of us can have terrible allergies, the stung area swells and hurts a lot! The wasp family is very large and diverse; there are a great many species and subspecies of these insects. Among them, one of the interesting species is the bee wolf wasp. Is there even a wolf among insects? It turns out - yes! This arthropod insect belongs to the order Hymenoptera. The bee wolf is a member of the sand wasp family, which includes the genus Philanthus.

bee wolf wasp

Why was the wasp called “wolf” and does it have “wolf” habits? Let's figure this out now...

The difference between some types of bees and others ↑

What are the differences between a bee and a wasp?
It is difficult to understand what differences between them are present. So, let's see what differences a wasp has and what a bee does not. A wasp is an insect with membranous wings. They are considered stalked. The first difference is that she does not have such thick hair. They don't collect pollen. They have their own color. Looking at the photo, you can see yellow, white and black stripes.

The female has a modified sting, which previously served as an ovipositor. But now the sting helps the female defend herself. Their food is other insects. They prefer spiders. Although they can safely eat solid food. A mature individual feeds not only on nectar, but also on the blood of the prey.

They are divided into 2 types. They can live either alone or in society. A wasp that leads a solitary lifestyle never builds a nest. She finds food on the ground. It can become a beetle larva, which the insect paralyzes and then lays eggs. This species is not very numerous.

Mostly wasps are found building nests. The nest can be an ordinary earthen hole, or any house made of clay. Females that paralyze insects give them to the larvae to eat.

Burrowing wasps have a special behavior. Their food includes various insects. The nests are located on the stems of various plants, and the chambers intended for the larvae are filled with aphids. Individuals can feed the larvae in a special way. They dig a hole in the ground with a widening at the end. There they lay a couple of caterpillars and lay eggs. During growth, the larva has food. At a certain stage, it enters the cocoon stage, from which it later emerges as a full-fledged individual.

Wasp

The behavior of wasps that lead a semi-social lifestyle is slightly different. The female of this type of wasp finds a pair of caterpillars and carries them to the larval chamber. So, she does this until the larva has fully developed. They can chew caterpillars and subsequently feed them to the larvae.

Colonial wasps prefer cell houses. They try to choose trees or building walls to create a nest. The cells from which their hive is made resemble ordinary paper. They make them from grass after chewing it. Wasps, like bees, have divisions according to work. They have a female, who lays eggs, and workers.

To lay eggs, the queen builds one cell. Subsequently, the remaining cells are built. When the larvae hatch, she gives them chewed flies as food. When the larvae feed, they secrete saliva, which is later passed on to the adult. Before fully developing, the larva turns into a cocoon. Then she becomes a full-fledged individual. This mainly happens at the end of summer. Some of the wasps fall into torpor in winter, while others die.

Bees also have webbed wings. They have a black body color with yellow spots. The bee has a stockier body than the wasp and has thick hair. Individuals feed only on plant foods. It contains pollen and nectar.

To collect pollen, the individual has baskets on its legs, and its body has thick and long hairs. Thus, they can transfer pollen from one flower to another. The wasp does not have such adaptations due to the fact that it does not pollinate plants. Individuals produce different bee products. Beeswax also has beneficial properties, just like honey.

The best time for "military" actions

Remove insect nests in spring or late fall when they are empty. Burn any nests you find. In summer there is no point in fighting in the morning and during the day: insects fly away and nests are empty. The vindictive minke whales, not finding a home, will begin to take revenge - actively attack. So it is best to destroy wasp nests in the evening, together with the owners.

If you are renovating an apartment or building a house, prevent unwanted attacks. Wasps love places that are difficult for people to reach: under panels, boxes, etc. Treat wooden structures with chemicals to prevent uninvited guests from settling in.

Insect control specialists will treat your home and area with special products. The disadvantages of the method are that it is expensive and inconvenient: not everyone likes to wait for strangers and accompany them around their territory.

If you decide to act on your own, get ready. Choose clothes made of thick fabric, covering all areas of the body. Protect your hands with gloves (if possible, made of leather), and your face with a mosquito net. Make sure there are no children or pets nearby - no matter how carefully you act, opponents can get ahead and bite.

Collect materials for the fight:

Big bag.
Ladder (if the nest is high).
Spray.
Insect repellent.

How to scare away wasps in advance, in the spring

So that in the summer you don’t have to rack your brains about how to find and remove a hive with wasps, preventive measures should be carried out in the spring. To do this, you need to know what wasps are afraid of. Here are a few methods to help repel and ward off insects:

Hang fake wasp houses on trees where wasps may live. You can buy them at a garden store. Seeing such a house, the insects will fly away, since they never settle on someone else’s territory. By the way, you can make similar houses with your own hands from plain paper.
Using foam, seal all cracks and holes in the buildings located on the apiary territory. Then it will be much more difficult for wasps to find a place for their nest.
In the hollows of trees you should place pieces of soap or bunches of herbs, the smell of which wasps cannot stand (wormwood, mint, basil).
Treat with kerosene or gasoline as many places as possible in which wasps can presumably create a home.

Fighting wasps in the apiary in autumn

It is especially important to fight wasps in the apiary in the fall. In this already very difficult time for bees, when there is less and less nectar and pollen, wasps try to get into the hive by any means in order to steal honey. Even strong bee colonies are not immune from their attacks. And the weak, unable to protect their reserves, may simply die.

Wasps endure the difficulties of the autumn period much easier than bees. They are much more active at low temperatures, constantly hover around the entrances and, if no protective measures are taken, can even destroy an entire family.

Beekeepers are helped out by the same traps installed right next to the hives. They are not difficult to make from an ordinary plastic bottle. Attracted by the smell of the bait, wasps are much more likely to climb into traps than into bee hives.

Glue traps, which can be placed directly on the roofs of the hives, also work well at this time. Trying to get inside the bee house, wasps stick to the glue in large quantities. Bees practically do not react to this smell.

Life activity ↑

Bees are hard workers. They work all day long to bring a lot of benefit to the hive. They select their houses carefully. And if they don’t like the chosen house, they are ready to go in search of new housing. They themselves produce wax and other useful products that are important for humans.

As mentioned above, the wasp makes its home from various devices. This can include leaves, twigs and waste. The food of wasps is varied. They can feed not only on nectar, but also on fruits. A delicacy for wasps is a fly.

Safety precautions when destroying wasp nests

Wasps, as a rule, fight for their house to the last, and the whole flock attacks the one who dares to disturb their peace. Therefore, before you start fighting them, you need to protect your body and face with appropriate equipment. You can use a special beekeeper suit - it will reliably protect against stings. But if it is not there, a suitable alternative would be:

high boots made of rubber;
cotton pants and a thick jacket;
gloves made of rough fabric;
wide-brimmed hat;
a net worn over the head over a hat.

Care must be taken to ensure that all parts of the body are completely covered with clothing. If wasps manage to get to, for example, an unprotected neck, ankles or arms, the consequences can be dire!

How to find and neutralize a wasp's nest

Pests live in colonies with one queen. They settle in multi-tiered nests with a protective shell. You can find the nesting site of wasps by inspecting the apiary area.

The first step is to inspect the following areas:

voids and holes in the soil;
rarely used buildings;
cracks in the walls of buildings and under the roof;
old stumps;
tree hollows.

Under no circumstances should you try to knock down a nest with a stick or tear it off with your bare hands, because angry insects can painfully bite a person. If pests have settled in a hard-to-reach place, then the exit from their abode is simply blocked with foam. A wasp's nest in the wrong place. A nest located within reach can be neutralized in a more humane way - wrap it in thick polyethylene and take it a long distance from the hives. It is better to destroy wasp nests in the dark, when the air temperature drops significantly and the insects are at rest.

Wasps in the house, how to get rid of wasps in the wall using folk remedies

Before destroying a swarm that has built its nest between the wall and the siding of the house or deep in the wall, if there is free space there, you need to find the entrance. In order to track where the inhabitants of a wasp nest are hiding, they place bait and track the flight path of a well-fed wasp with prey. Unfortunately, sometimes it’s impossible to get close to a wasp’s home: the aerosol doesn’t get there, you can’t smoke them out with smoke, and you can’t get to the nest.

All that remains is to hermetically seal all the entrances and exits, and with such materials that insects could not gnaw through. If the house is made of stone, it is better to cement the holes; if it is wooden, fill it with a thick layer of polyurethane foam.

In winter, you can try to destroy the nest with a long stick or hook, and then carefully seal all the holes so that next year no one can get in there and rebuild a new hive.

Important! Removing wasps from inaccessible places is a dangerous business. Before taking risks, you need to carefully weigh your strengths and capabilities!

How to get rid of wasps at the dacha: it’s up to the gardener to decide on his own or call specialists. Regardless of what method or means is used, it must be used very carefully, following safety rules. Don’t forget, if something goes wrong, these insects, defending their home, attack in a swarm!

Beehive on the territory of the land plot

Even if the area is small, the search can take a long time. You will have to search all the buildings on it (toilet, barn), hedges, trees that have hollows. It should be taken into account that some types of wasps live in earthen burrows. The nest may also be found in a pile of old and unwanted items piled up on the ground.

Hive under the roof

Wasps can easily settle on the territory of the building. Finding them in this case will be much easier. It’s enough just to carefully examine all the secluded places. Wasp nests are often found in attics, in corners of rooms (both upstairs and downstairs), under window sills and behind furniture.

Behavior ↑

The bee will not attack first. She will attack at the moment of danger. Having been stung once, she dies. This happens because the sting remains in the opponent. The insect protects its home and queen.

Unlike bees, wasps have an aggressive nature. This insect is annoying and stings when she wants. It’s not so easy to get rid of it, you won’t be able to get rid of it. Having stung an opponent, she remains alive. The queen spends the winter alone. No one protects or protects her. She builds her own nest and lays her eggs.

How to poison wasps yourself to destroy them once and for all

First of all, before the start of the summer cottage season in early spring, you need to inspect the buildings and trees on the site. At this time, the old nests are still empty, so you can completely safely remove and burn them. If before the onset of summer you regularly make such rounds and remove new nests that have just appeared, the wasps will find other places to live. This means that a new swarm will not appear on the site this season.

Gardening stores sell wasp nest simulators. These insects will never settle next to “another family”, but will choose another place to build their home. They are usually poisoned with preparations for removing domestic insects (Raptor, Dichlorvos, karbofos) and means for exterminating garden pests.

Dichlorvos

Important! To prevent the insects from coming back, collect the remains of the destroyed nest and burn it. Treat the area freed from it with a solution of potassium permanganate or an insecticide!

You can act in different ways:

Pour boiling water over the shelter.

There is little chance of destroying all wasps using this method.

Treat the nest with petroleum products.

The family will die immediately.

Spray the monastery with dichlorvos.

It is also advisable to treat the surrounding area. Cover the nest with “drunk” wasps with a plastic bag, tie it and take it out of the area. Douse it with fuel and burn it.

Remove the wasp nest from your area using any acceptable method.

Spray the nest and surrounding area with gasoline.

Most wasps will die instantly. The living will fly away and not return.

The humane method is a bunch of red peppers.

Hang it near the insect habitat. They will leave the place soon.

Place poisonous baits.

Lay out the treats until the individuals disappear.

Apply a special solution.

Actellik and cypermethrin in equal parts – 5 ml each – dissolve in a liter of water. Spray over the “house”. After 15 minutes, cut off the nest and immediately place it in the bag.

Treatment with insecticides (“Ghetto”, “Smelnet”, etc.).

The remedy acts gradually, generally, death begins within a day.

Select a container suitable for the size of the nest and fill it to the brim with water. Place it near the wasp shelter from below - it should completely sink into the liquid. Wait at least five minutes. The nest will become wet and the insects will die.

Physical methods

The nest can be drowned.

These methods are free, because most of them can be done using available tools.

Before starting the process, it is recommended to wear thick clothing, including a hat. You need to get rid of the hive at night , because at this time the insects also sleep.

The methods are as follows:

You need to arm yourself with a long stick and knock down the nest so that it falls into a container of boiling water. After this, the pre-prepared container must be covered with a lid.
A thick plastic bag is placed over the nest (a trash bag would be a good option). The bag must be tightly wrapped with tape, after which the nest can be safely torn off. In such cases, the bag is usually burned in a closed barrel or poured with boiling water.
It also happens that the hive is located in a hard-to-reach place, for example, under the roof. Polyurethane foam can help here - it is used to fill the entrance to the hive. After a couple of days, the nest can be freely torn off.
Anti-insect glue can also solve the problem: it is applied in such a way that part of the glue gets inside, then the wasps will block the passage into the nest with their bodies.

Chemical and toxic means of control

The method of using pesticides should be used as a last resort, because these products are harmful not only to insects, but also to humans and animals. The most harmless way is to use kerosene, which is poured into the holes of the nest. But this technique does not always work and can only partially destroy the colony.

You can save your apiary from a wasp invasion with the following medications:

"Mosquitol";
"Dichlorvos";
"Delta Zone".

Chemical methods

Deadly chemistry.

It is easiest to destroy a wasp hive using chemicals, but this method also has a significant drawback - increased danger . You need to work with chemicals with extreme caution to avoid poisoning. Also, if they make a mistake, wasps can attack the offender and inflict many bites. Useful information: 500 bites can be fatal.

Before using this or that product, you must carefully study the instructions for it. The following drugs are suitable for controlling wasp nests:

Raid spray designed to kill wasps. Wasps die instantly under the influence of the spray, which indicates its increased toxicity.
Insecticide "Sevin 5 Garden Dust". The product must be applied to the entrance and surface of the hive. The action is that insects bring this pollen into their home.
Specialized "Raptor". Blue cylinders are intended for wasps.
Pesticide aerosol. It must be applied through the entrance of the hive and onto its surface. Usually 2-3 days are enough for complete destruction - after which the nest can be removed.
Dichlorvos is ideal for confined spaces.

Humane methods

For readers who once again do not want to destroy wasps, there are humane methods - they involve the eviction of insects without destruction . The first begins in the same way as the method with a plastic bag, only instead of burning or pouring boiling water over the bag, you need to shake it out. Of course, the procedure should be performed away from people and at night.

Another humane method is to place an aggressive smelling product near the hive. Alternatively, you can use ground red pepper or used motor oil. You can also use insecticides. This method will motivate the wasps to find a new habitat.

Targeted destruction

Due to the fact that some wasp nests are inaccessible to humans or at a great distance from the apiary, getting rid of the pest is not easy. Pests can even accidentally fly into the apiary territory. In this case, single insects are caught and destroyed so that other individuals do not learn about the location of the hives.

Traditional methods

This category includes recipes whose effectiveness has been proven over time. All traditional methods are economical but effective. The only drawback is the duration of the procedures . Almost all of them are designed to be repeated many times.

Method for summer residents and gardeners

If pears and apple trees grow in the garden, then the adhesive mass must be removed from them and applied to a bright rope (preferably red). The rope is hung next to the wasp's home.

Wasps will carry the sticky mass into their home, thereby “destabilizing” the situation. After 15-20 days, the insects will leave the nest.

Use of kerosene

A medical enema is filled with kerosene. Once you are away from the hive, you need to water it with liquid. The procedure is performed once a day. Usually the wasps fly away after 3-4 days.

Fumigation

You can smoke wasps.

For this method you will need pine needles and a stove-stove. The method may seem complicated, because you will have to carry a stove into the room where there are beehives. If there are no problems with this, then the chimney should be directed towards the wasp’s nest.

The stove is heated with pine needles. Wasps leave the hive quickly enough, the main thing is that the chimney is directed in the right direction. The procedure is repeated for 2-3 days.

Using traps

Wasp traps can be either industrial or home-made. Both of them work quite effectively. They have the same principle of operation - attracted by the aroma of food, insects actively flock to the bait placed in a closed container. The design of the vessel is designed in such a way that once inside, they cannot get out.

Most of these devices are environmentally friendly and extremely easy to use. For example, the Wasp Trap SWISSINNO with ready-made bait only requires adding water and shaking. Due to its acetic acid content, it repels bees, but is very attractive to all types of wasps.

The cost of the trap is from 400 rubles

The Argus Garden trap, designed to catch wasps, flies and hornets, is filled with liquid bait. The composition can be specially made from mash, sour compote or jam. Unlike wasps, bees are in no hurry to flock to such “treats”. After a couple of days, the device is disposed of along with the wasps that got into it. If there are too few of them there, the trap must simply be moved to another place.

How to make a trap yourself

The easiest way to make a wasp trap is to use an old plastic bottle . The top part with the neck is cut off (the height of this part is up to 10-15 cm). The neck unfolds with the narrow part down and is tightly inserted into the bottle. The result is a narrow entrance through which it is difficult to get back out.

The trap is filled to a third or less with bait. It is used as:

a mixture of water and honey, honey satiate;
wine bite;
fermented compote.

Honey feeding is used with great care to avoid the death of bees! The bottles are installed late in the evening and removed in the morning before the start of the bee summer. In order not to constantly be on duty in the apiary, it is preferable to use wine vinegar, which does not attract bees at all.

As the traps fill with dead wasps, they are cleaned and refilled with bait.

Another way to catch predator insects is to use a glass liter jar and a household plastic funnel . The two listed parts are fastened together with a rubber ring.

Inside, at the bottom of the jar, 20-30 g of sour fruit juice is poured. After which the jar is placed sideways on the lid of a hive. You can place it on the ground directly near the hives. Both wasps and flies readily accept such bait. Bees do not react to sour fruit juice - the device can be used around the clock.

After 3-5 days, the “catch” is filled with clean water. After destroying the pests, the resulting mass is poured into a cesspool, and the trap is filled with a fresh portion of bait and installed in place.

Philant ↑

Philanthus, or in other words, the bee wolf, is an insect that breeds offspring and hunts alone. This ground wasp is distributed throughout the world. For the honey bee, the bee wolf is considered the most dangerous enemy. You can see it in the photo.

The poison of this individual first affects the muscles and only then the nervous system. The brain sends signals to move, but the muscles, under the influence of the poison, cannot respond to it. The poison causes paralysis of the victim.

Wasp "Philant"

The bee wolf, grasping the victim, moves its jaws and crushes it. The individual tries to get to the nectar, which is located in the abdomen of the victim. If nectar flows out of the mouth, the bee wolf licks it off.

The bee wolf is trying to get to the nectar not out of love for it, Nectar and honey are poison for its larvae. Before giving the victim to the larva, the wasp gets rid of it.

The bee wolf lays an egg on its prey. The victim remains alive, but paralyzed. The larva, emerging, eats it.

If a bee wolf settles near an apiary, then all the bees may die. They will simply become a victim of the wasp.

For humans, this type of wasp is not very scary. Beekeepers catch them with their bare hands.

Removal

How to get rid of earth bees on your property yourself? The most common methods of combating stinging insects in the country are as follows:

Filling with boiling water.
Setting traps.
Use of pesticides.
Destruction by digging.
Planting repellent plants.
Call a pest control service to remove pests.

Whatever method you choose, it is important to remember the following safety precautions:

There should be no strangers, children, or pets on the territory;
Doors and windows to the house and outbuildings must be tightly closed;
Wear clothing to protect your skin from bites, prepare escape routes and everything you need in advance;
Any treatment should be carried out in the evening, in cold weather, when the insects are sleepy and sit out in the hive.

Water

Filling tunnels with boiling water is a very popular effective method for killing earth bees. Take 15-20 liters of boiling water and fill all visible holes as quickly as possible. This makes it impossible for individuals to emerge from underground shelters, but injures the root system of the plantings.

Traps

Prepare several bottles, pour water with plenty of sugar inside. Buzzing neighbors will not be able to resist the smell of sweet syrup and will end up inside the bottle, from where they will no longer be able to get out.

Plants

Do bees come to you from your neighbors' garden? The owners behind the fence don’t want to destroy earth bees? How to protect yourself from annoying stinging creatures? A high fence will help - pollinators fly at a height of up to one and a half meters, and therefore a three-meter polycarbonate fence would completely solve the problem.

However, this is a very expensive and troublesome pleasure, so repellent plants with a pronounced odor can help you: lavender, mint, wormwood, lemon balm. Spraying insects' favorite places with a decoction of lemon or orange peel is effective - forums for summer residents claim that bites will occur less frequently.

Digging

If the takeover of an area by an aspen or bee family has just begun, the tunnels are not deep, you can try digging up the ground. You need to dig until honey is discovered - it is hidden in the lower part of the home.

If the swarm settled long ago, it will not be possible to get to the lower floors. Don't forget to wear a protective suit, because angry insects will fight for their hive.

Chemicals

To reduce the activity of insects, it is first recommended to smoke the nests, then proceed to spraying and filling the minks with a toxic substance. After this, the passages must be filled up so that the surviving individuals do not get out.

What drugs are suitable for killing earth bees in this way? Most often on the forums of summer residents they recommend Dichlorvos, Get, DeltaZone. These insecticides are sold at any hardware store.

Despite the apparent simplicity of using poisons, remember: poisoning of fertile soil, loss of crops, and poisoning by toxic fumes is possible. Do not forget to protect your skin and respiratory organs, strictly follow the instructions.

To destroy earthen wasps, Karbofos, Aktara, Solfisan, Kukaracha, Troapsil, Tsimbush and other contact insecticides in combination with boric acid are used. To destroy wasp nests in the ground at their summer cottage, desperate gardeners fill the tunnels with kerosene and then set them on fire. Needless to say, this method of struggle is unsafe?

Pest control services

There are too many ground bees, but your attempts to get rid of this problem on your own have not been successful? Call professional exterminators. An experienced specialist will not miss a single nest, and will also select the correct insecticide and its dosage depending on the characteristics of the soil, the structure of the tunnels, and the number of pests.

Disinsection service employees will carry out treatment in a few hours to completely destroy earthen wasps on the site, using effective means and equipment that are not available to the average person.

Let's summarize the differences ↑

round shapes, without bright color, with many fibers;
can produce various useful products;
will not attack first;
after the attack, she dies;
the uterus is protected.

Wasps

the wasp, on the contrary, has an elongated body, with bright colors, without villi;
wasps do not make anything;
will sting the opponent first;
the wasp will survive repeated attacks;
The queen wasp feeds on its own.

Lifestyle in nature

The task of every beekeeper is to protect his apiary from any adversity and trouble. Having an idea of the phylant's lifestyle, you will be able to assess the degree of danger of this insect.

Habitat

The wasp wolf (Philanthus triangulum) is distributed in the regions of Central and Central Asia, the North Caucasus, in the south of Ukraine, in the middle zone and in the southern regions of the Russian Federation.

Where do they nest?

Philanthus builds its nests mainly near rivers. Colonies of insects dig quite deep holes, up to half a meter, where the females lay eggs at the very bottom. For the construction of their homes, females choose dry, sandy soils heated by the sun's rays.

What do they eat?

Males love to feast on food of plant origin. Females feed on juice flowing from the beak of a captured bee. The philanthus larvae feed on the corpses of bees . To feed one wasp wolf larva, 4–6 bees are needed.

Hunting methods

The task of feeding the offspring of the philanthus lies with the females . She is the one who goes out hunting. Hiding in ambush and sensing the scent of a honey bee, the female attacks and stings it. The poison of a predatory insect paralyzes the bee. Having wrapped her paws around the victim, the female wolf lands. Already sitting on a hard surface, she drinks nectar from the victim’s goiter, and takes the bee itself to the hole.

Features of reproduction and development of larvae

The cub of the philanthus develops over a fairly long period of time. At least a year passes from the moment the female lays an egg until she matures. A larva emerges from the laid egg and a year later reaches the size of an average caterpillar. During its life, one wasp wolf (and it lives no longer than 30–45 days) digs up to eight burrow nests where it lays eggs.

For the normal development of future offspring, the female attaches the laid egg to the already stored corpses of bees (about 6–8). The larva, which appears a few days later, actively feeds and develops rapidly. After only 7–8 days, its size reaches 1 cm, after which the “cocoon weaving” stage of development begins.

This is followed by the pupal phase, lasting approximately 10 months, which allows the young phylanthus to survive the harsh winter period. And only with the onset of warm spring an adult individual is formed from the pupa.

Reproduction

With the arrival of warm days, the female hornet is actively looking for a place to lay eggs. She is ready to live and start a family only in suitable conditions, so in her search she flies over large areas. Having found a convenient corner, she immediately begins to create her home.

Each egg has its own sector. After 2-3 days, small hornet larvae hatch from them. They chew the lid and climb out. The offspring are born long before the winter period, manage to get stronger and continue the work that was started by the uterus.

After fertilization, the males die, followed by the old queen, and after some time the unfertilized individuals lose their lives. Those who have been fertilized overwinter, continue to live and then create their own nest. In the hornet family, reproduction is successful.

What danger do they pose?

After being bitten by a wasp wolf, a person feels burning pain and itching. Swelling also appears at the site of the bite. A philant can threaten human health only if the victim is allergic to the bite of this insect.

These individuals cause much more damage to the apiary than to humans. Bee philants attack both in the honey collection and in the apiary itself. When harmful insects spread massively, bees exhibit passive behavior and stop flying for nectar . All this harms the bee family: the queen stops laying eggs, and the entire colony is weakened.

How to deal with them

If you happen to stumble upon a nest of wasp wolves, the effective control methods described below will come to your aid.

Chemical

The predatory wasp can be controlled using chemicals. Having discovered a nest of wasp wolves, it is necessary to treat the entrance with chemicals . For this, use a solution of carbon disulfide or the insecticide Hexachlorane. The chemical can be poured directly into the bee wolf's hole.

Manual destruction

The easiest way to get rid of predatory bees is their mechanical extermination using a fly swatter . By destroying the female, you deprive her larvae of food and guarantee the safety of the apiary.

Another simple method of combating philanthus is
destroying the insect’s home .
The essence of the method is to block the female wolf’s access to the larvae. To this end, dig the entrance to the hole, dig up the ground with nests and plant the area where they live with perennial grasses. Thus, many means of combating the ominous bee wolf have been developed, and all of them are quite effective. Alternating manual and chemical control methods will protect you and your apiary from danger.

Basic measures to protect the apiary

The question of how to get rid of wasps in an apiary can be given a clear answer: success will depend on comprehensive measures taken by the beekeeper.

Large wasp colonies can greatly weaken bee nests, since predators prefer to settle in the very places where they hatch. Insect pupae tolerate wintering well, which also contributes to the spread of the colony.

The fight against wasps in the apiary includes the following measures:

To exterminate phylants, it is necessary to plow or dig up for the winter areas occupied by a colony of predators. These wasps like to settle only in dry areas, bare of vegetation. Therefore, it is advisable to sow the plowed soil with grass or constantly moisten this area by covering it with straw, fallen leaves, and small brushwood. During the period of mass reproduction of predators, moving the apiary to another place, located away from the wasp burrows, helps. You can pour insecticide into the nests themselves.
The fight against hornets in the apiary is unthinkable without the early destruction of their paper nests. In the spring, it is necessary to kill the female, since this very step will provoke the death of the entire family of predators (there will be no one to feed the young animals).
For insects and hornets, insecticides are used in a mixture with an attractant (ether-2,4-hexadienyl butyrate). They are used to treat pest nests.
Another effective and affordable way is to install traps in places where predators gather.

Preparatory work before cleaning

In order to avoid critical situations, before getting rid of a wasp’s nest, you need to show foresight and do something in advance:

choose the right time for stripping (it is better to do this at night or before dawn, when the insects are hibernating);
prepare all the necessary means and tools to destroy the nest, so as not to waste time searching for them later;
think about escape routes in case a whole flock of wasps attacks (you can, for example, quickly run to the car, jump in and slam the door);
discuss with household members where they will hide at a time when angry insects fly around the area and look for someone to attack;
close all doors and windows in the house so that wasps cannot enter;
wear a respirator (if you have to deal with toxic substances).

The most suitable time of year for the procedure of getting rid of wasps is spring. During this period, wasp nests have not yet been completed, and there are still relatively few adult individuals in them.

bee wolf wasp

The bee wolf wasp is one of the species of wasps whose venom causes a severe allergic reaction. But we will now tell you what is remarkable about these stinging insects.

bee wolf wasp

Why was the wasp called “wolf” and does it have “wolf” habits? Let's figure this out now...

Appearance of a bee wolf

Philanthus (also called the bee wolf) is an insect that grows up to 17 mm in length. The wasp's body color is bright yellow alternating with black. The abdominal part is yellow. There is more black color on the head and upper back. Females and males are different from each other. A distinctive sign, in addition to size, is also a crown-shaped pattern located on the head, between a pair of tentacles. Male bee wolves are smaller than females. In addition, males do not have a sting - only the female can bite.

Male bee wolves do not have a stinger. They simply have no use for it.

The lifestyle and behavior of the bee wolf in nature

Still, why was this wasp called the bee wolf? Perhaps because of her predatory and completely cunning hunting methods. This wasp eats...bees! Real bees, the same ones that make our favorite honey!

Why bee wolf? Yes, because it eats bees!

And it happens like this. Sensing the scent of a honey bee, the female bee wolf begins to pursue the victim. And having caught up with her, he attacks with lightning speed, paralyzing her with his poison. After such an attack, the bee is no longer able to resist and becomes the prey of the bee wolf. After the deadly wasp grabs the bee, it carries it to its nest. What's next? Is it possible that a wasp eats a bee? No - everything is much more complicated in this insect! The bee wolf places its eggs and larvae on the dying bee, which grow vigorously, feeding on “canned” bee meat. It’s not just a harmless wasp, but a real ferocious wolf!

Peculiarities

The life cycle of the philanthus ranges from 25 to 40 days. For a halo of residence, wasps choose well-warmed spaces. Male and female bee wolves perform different functions.

It is the males who search for areas to live. Having chosen the necessary area, they protect it from the invasion of strangers and wait for females. After mating, females begin to build tunnels for the development of their offspring.

Philants burrow into sandy soils almost 1 m deep. Each tunnel ends with a place for offspring. As soon as the nest is ready, the female flies out on her hunt.

Insects feed on plant nectar, and their offspring feed on bees. They are not caught everywhere, even in flight. Sensing the scent of a bee, the wolf flies up to it and, being stronger than it, grabs it with its jaws and paws.

And it hits it with a sting in the chest area, behind the first pair of paws. Because

from here the poison quickly enters the node of nerve endings. The wasp extracts nectar from a paralyzed, motionless bee by pressing its paws on the bee's abdomen. This is done so that the sticky liquid does not harm the growing larva.

To feed the larvae, up to 5-6 bees are needed. Wasps are endowed with certain properties of poison, which causes long-term paralysis in the affected insects. In this case, a living but immobile bee serves as a source of fresh food throughout the entire period of maturation of the offspring (larvae). Having established a nest and laid eggs, adults and their children no longer intersect. Another interesting feature of earth wasps is orientation in space. They remember the surroundings around the nest and use their natural “navigator” to find their way home even from great distances.

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What danger do these insects pose to humans?

Undoubtedly, the main thing is sabotage against bees. Due to the theft of the bee wolf, the number of honey bees in the hives is reduced, which can cause damage to the entire apiary.

In addition, the bee wolf wasp can sting a person painfully. At the site of the bite, irritation, burning and severe pain appear. But after 1-2 days, not a trace remains of the bite. Bee wolf venom is not dangerous to humans.

Sources:

https://medapaseka.ru/o-pchelah/pchelinyj-volk-ili-osa-filant.html https://fermer.blog/bok/pchelovodstvo/pchely/soderzhanie-pchel/problemy-pri-soderzhanii/8905-pchelinyj -volk.html https://animalreader.ru/osa-pchelinyiy-volk.html