Wasp, Bee or Hornet: How to Tell Them Apart

Something yellow and black is circling the patio table, and the question comes right away: is that a wasp or a bee? Wasp vs bee is not a trivia point. It decides what happens next: a wasp nest gets treated, a honey bee colony gets collected by a beekeeper, and a bumblebee nest is usually left alone until fall.

Here are the five stinging insects people actually run into on the South Shore and across Greater Montreal, how to recognize each one without getting close, and when a nest is worth a phone call.

Wasp vs bee: what is the quickest way to tell them apart?

Look at the body, from a distance.

A wasp has a smooth, almost hairless body with sharp colours: bright yellow and black, or black and white. The waist is very narrow, as if pinched between the thorax and the abdomen. It is interested in your burger, your sweet drink and the garbage bag.

A honey bee has a fuzzy, rounder body, golden brown to dark brown, with stripes that blend together more. You will often see yellow balls of pollen on its back legs. It moves from flower to flower and has no interest in your plate.

Behaviour settles it. A wasp that feels threatened comes back for more. A honey bee stings once, leaves its stinger in your skin and dies.

Which species do you actually see in southern Quebec?

In backyards in Brossard, Longueuil or La Prairie, it is almost always the same five.

The yellowjacket

This is the picnic wasp. Bright yellow and black, 12 to 17 mm, smooth body. It nests in the ground, inside a wall cavity, in the attic or under a deck. The nest is wrapped in grey paper, and usually all you see is the entrance hole with constant traffic. By August a colony holds hundreds, sometimes thousands of workers. It stings repeatedly and releases an alarm pheromone that calls the others out. It is the species behind most of the calls we get for wasps.

The paper wasp

Longer and slimmer than a yellowjacket, brown or yellow and black, with long legs that dangle visibly in flight. Its nest is the easiest to recognize: a small open comb shaped like an umbrella, no outer covering, with the cells in plain view. You find it under a soffit, a railing, a barbecue cover or in a shed. The colony stays small, a few dozen individuals. It is less aggressive than a yellowjacket, but it defends its nest and stings more than once.

The bald-faced hornet

Despite the name, this is not a true hornet. It is a large wasp from the same family as the yellowjacket. Black with white or ivory markings on the face and the tip of the abdomen, 15 to 20 mm. The nest is the giveaway: a large grey paper ball hanging in a tree, a shrub, under an eave or stuck to the side of a building. It defends that nest several metres out and stings repeatedly. A nest at head height beside a walkway is one of the situations we treat first.

The honey bee

Golden brown, fuzzy, 12 to 15 mm, with pollen on its legs. It lives in a permanent colony inside a cavity: a hollow tree, a chimney, a wall. What people see most often is a swarm, a cluster of thousands of bees hanging from a branch or a fence in May or June. It looks alarming, but a swarm is calm and has no nest to defend. Honey bees are not exterminated. A local beekeeper will often come and collect the swarm for free.

The bumblebee

Big, round, very fuzzy, black and yellow, with a loud, low flight. It nests in the ground in an old burrow, under a shed, in the compost or in wall insulation. The colony stays small and dies off in the fall. A bumblebee can sting more than once, but it rarely does. In most cases the right answer is to leave it alone.

Not sure what you are looking at? A photo taken from a safe distance is usually enough to identify the species over the phone. Extermination BETA is based in Brossard and covers the South Shore and Greater Montreal. Call 514-553-2070 or reach us through the contact page: the first inspection is free and we respond the same day.

Which ones sting more than once?

All the wasps. Yellowjackets, paper wasps and bald-faced hornets have a smooth stinger and can sting again and again without hurting themselves. The honey bee is the only one that stings a single time, because its barbed stinger stays lodged in the skin. That is why it hesitates: for a honey bee, stinging means dying.

The real danger is not one sting, it is a nest defending itself: one wasp stinging brings dozens more out within seconds. For someone who is allergic, or a child who takes several stings, that can turn into an emergency. Trouble breathing, swelling of the face or throat, dizziness: call 911. For a concern that is not an emergency, Info-Santé 811 can guide you.

How do you identify a nest without getting close?

The nest often tells you more than the insect does.

• A grey paper ball in a tree or under the eave: bald-faced hornet, or an aerial yellowjacket. Do not touch it.
• A small open umbrella with visible cells: paper wasp. Small colony, but it defends.
• A hole in the lawn or in a wall with steady traffic of smooth insects: yellowjacket. Never plug the entrance, and do not mow around it.
• A hole in the ground with big fuzzy insects drifting in slowly: bumblebee. Mark the spot and let it be.
• A living cluster hanging from a branch: honey bee swarm. Call a beekeeper, not an exterminator.

When does a nest justify a call?

For wasps, location matters more than size. A nest in a far corner of the yard, away from foot traffic, can often wait for the first frost. A nest above the door, under the deck, next to the pool, inside a wall or the attic, or on a property where someone is allergic, should not wait. Our article on why you should not remove a wasp nest yourself explains why the can from the hardware store rarely solves the problem.

For honey bees, the first call is a beekeeper. A colony established inside a wall is a separate case: the structure often has to be opened to remove the comb, and that takes planning.

For bumblebees, we step in only when the nest is genuinely in the wrong place, such as the kids' sandbox. Anywhere else, the colony disappears on its own in the fall.

Frequently asked questions

Can a bumblebee sting?

Yes, and more than once, since its stinger is smooth. In practice it is rare: you would have to grab one, step on it barefoot or dig into its nest. A bumblebee working your flowers is not a risk.

What should I do about a bee swarm on my fence?

Nothing sudden. Keep children and pets back and call a local beekeeper. In most cases the swarm leaves on its own within a day or two if nobody collects it first.

Is a bald-faced hornet more dangerous than a yellowjacket?

Sting for sting, they are similar. The difference is the defence zone: a bald-faced hornet reacts farther from its nest and chases longer. On the other hand, yellowjackets are far more numerous and nest in places you cannot see, which causes more accidents overall.

The sensible approach

Smooth body and pinched waist, it is a wasp. Fuzzy body and pollen on the legs, it is a honey bee. Big, round and loud, it is a bumblebee. Black and white with a grey ball in the tree, it is a bald-faced hornet, which is still a wasp.

When in doubt, take a photo from a distance and call before you bring out the ladder. Extermination BETA serves Brossard, Longueuil, Saint-Hubert, Saint-Lambert, Greenfield Park, La Prairie, Chambly and Greater Montreal. Call 514-553-2070 or write to us through the contact page. Our certified technicians will tell you whether it is a nest to treat, a swarm for a beekeeper or a colony to leave in peace, and your first service is 15% off.