LINK TO CITYBUGS INFORMATION ON THIS TOPIC
TOPIC |
QUESTION (date) |
ANSWER |
| WASP IDENTIFICATION | I ran across your web page below and wanted to know information on this particular wasp since I've found 2 in our house. I would like to know their behavior (i.e. do they bite or sting; where do they live i.e. attic, house, yard, nest, etc., are they aggressive or not, etc.). If you can direct me to a web page, or provide info on this wasp, I would appreciate it. (Mon, 8 Jan 2001) | It looks like you refered us to one of the orange and black Ichneumonid wasps. These wasps are parasitic on other insects- often Lepidoptera larvae. They almost certainly got caught in your house on accident. they do not pose any sort of danger to you or your family and can often be desirable as a natural form of control for plant pests. The largest members of this group have some members which can give a nasty sting. But they are usually a 1/4 of an inch or larger and fly at night. If you see one, just leave it alone-they are not aggressive. These wasps are also solitary and do not form social groups. |
| LOCAL ANTS AND HOW TO CONTROL THEM | I like in Berkeley and am interested in knowing about the different kinds of ants we have here locally. In addition, I'd like to discourage them from coming in the house so much, and would like suggestions on various forms of control, including mild insecticides and even "commercial" treatment. (Tue, 14 Nov 2000) | A good starter book for learning about local insects is called "California Insects" by J. Powell. It has a small ant section that might be of interest. there are about 200 species in California alone. you are almost certainly delaing with a non-native ant, the tiny, black argentine ant in your house. In this part of the state it is the most likely to be a problem. the native ants tend to be restricted to natural areas. We can't endorse any particular form of treatment, although we have had success with some baits that get the workers to bring the insecticide back to the nest. Killing workers with an insect spray is unlikely to have any long-term effect since there can be thousands of workers in a small colony. |
| SWEAT BEES & SEVERE ALLERGIC REACTIONS | My story begins with my severe reaction to sweat bee stings. I had been stung by a sweat bee or bees when I had gone out for a walk on a hot muggy day. This resulted in anaphylactic shock!!! I didn't know it at that time that I had an allergy to any insects or bees of any type. The trouble is , that it is hard to prove because these bees are so small and when I went to see an allergist, he tested me for everything except sweat bees.Then he told me that they couldn't test for sweat bees because they are very small and hard to find. This had happened to me twice in last three years, being stung by these little insects. I guess what I am trying to ask is, do you know if there will be test developed in the future for sweat bees. I am deathly afraid of this happening to me again. I now have to carry two epi pens with me incase this happens again and try to get hold of this little bee if I can , just to bring it to the hospital if I can. I would appreciate it if you can provide me with any suggestions as to what I can do, and or any information that you think might be helpful for me about these little bees. (Thu, 8 Feb 2001) | We are sorry to hear of your problem with sweat bees. typically sweat bees are in the genus Lasioglossum, and thier stinging behavior is defensive when they are "swiped" while gathering moisture. Check out a general insect field guide or a book on bees for more details about their life histories...they are very interesting creatures! For most people the sting is sharp, but very brief and harmless. You could catch some- they are usually 3-15mm long and slightly metallic. But it sounds like this would be unwise given your reaction to their stings. Perhaps a friend who is not allergic could catch some for you... Perhaps the easiest way would be for your friend to go out with a small jar and when the sweat bees land on your friend they could trap a bee alive in the jar. But this would not be wise for you to do with your allergy. We do not know of any current tests specifically for sweat bee allergies, perhaps they are similar to the honeybee allergic reactions. Your allergist would better be able to refer you to that sort of research. |
| PREFERRED BEES FOR ORCAHRD POLLINATION | I'd like to build some bee nests for my orchard---I would like to know which bees are preferred as pollinators (carpenter or mason), what are the species native to my area (the Monterey Bay area), and where can I get species-appropriate plans for building nesting cavities? I have found a few informative web sites on mason bees but not for this area, and I have a hunch (perhaps dead wrong) that the species here are different, and thus the nest sizes should be different as well. (Tue, 27 Feb 2001) | You are requesting a lot of detailed information that few web sites will likely have posted. We suggest that you first find out which species of bee pollonate the species of tree you have in your orchard (this will vary depending on what kind of orchard you have). Once you have an idea of which species are best for your trees, you should then research that particular species to see how best to foster it. This site may help you find the species that occur in your area: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7417.html But a call to your local farm bureau may also help with a list of pollonators for whichever kind of trees you have. That is information that is almost certainly available through an agricultural office. |
| QUERY FROM A WASP ENTHUSIAST | As a person fascinated by insects, and in particular wasps, I came across your Web site and found it informative and interesting. I noticed that you said that the eyes of the pompilids are not notched as in Vespidae. How do experts describe the eyes of spider wasps? Bulbous? Please elaborate. Also, could you recommend any good books focused on parasitoid/parasitic (not sure which term you prefer) wasps? Perhaps one you've authored? Thank you for your time. All I have to offer you is my interest (unless I get rich someday and can make a donation to your research). Business Writer by Day, Insect enthusiast by Day ... and Night (Sun, 31 Dec 2000) | I would check in the library for a general entomology book such as the Time-Life series on Insects and there are discussions of parasitic wasps in it with numerous pictures. Most of the books that I have on parasites are very technical with few pictures and some line drawings that we use to identify the wasps. You could check my web site for information on some of these wasps. |