Table of Contents
What Is A Stinging Insect?
A stinging insect is an insect that can sting humans and pets. Some of the most common stinging insects include wasps, bees, hornets, and yellow jackets. All of these insects belong to the Hymenoptera order, which is also home to ants. Many stinging insects serve as beneficial pollinators, but some will pose a threat to humans and their property. Before you can begin working to eliminate your stinging insects, you need to find out what species of stinging insect you’re dealing with. Some of the most common stinging insects in our serving area include paper wasps, bald-faced hornets, honeybees, yellowjackets, and carpenter bees.
What Stinging Insect Am I Dealing With?
Before tackling the problem, you need to find out which species you’re combating. You can find out by looking at the insect and its nest.
- Look at the nest and its location
- Study the insect’s appearance
Paper Wasps
Paper wasps are moderately aggressive and won’t cause problems unless you get close to them. Don’t reach toward their nest and you shouldn’t have any issues.
Paper Wasp Nest – A paper wasp nest will be small, round, and gray. These nests have a honeycomb pattern making them easier to identify. A paper wasp nest may be located on fences, under eaves, and overhangs.
Paper Wasp Appearance – You may encounter two species of paper wasps, including European Paper Wasps and Northern Paper Wasps. European Paper Wasps have yellow and black stripes and orange antennas. As for Northern Paper Wasps, this stinging insect has a brown body with a few dark orange spots. They’ll also have thin stripes on their abdomen.
Yellowjackets
Yellowjackets are very aggressive with their aggression level peaking in late Summer and Fall. When the colony gets larger, they’ll get more aggressive.
Yellowjacket Nests – Yellowjackets have larger nests with hundreds to thousands of individual insects. Their nests are normally covered by a gray or black material that resembles paper. These nests can be found in attics, dense bushes, and near porches. Some species build their nests underground.
Yellowjacket Appearance – Yellowjackets have black and yellow stripes along their body. They can fly faster than other stinging insects with their legs tightly tucked against their body while flying.
Bald-Faced Hornets
Bald-faced hornets are aggressive. They get more aggressive when their colony gets larger in late Summer and Fall.
Bald-Faced Hornet Nests – The nest of a bald-faced hornet will be very large with many insects. These insects look like an upside-down tear-drop. It is shaped like a ball. Most of these nests will be found on trees, bushes, tall grass, or on a building.
Bald-Faced Hornet Appearance – These stinging insects are black and white. They have a smooth body with larger body components.
Honeybees
Honeybees are not as aggressive as other stinging insects. Some strains of honeybees are bred to be gentle around their handlers.
Honeybee Nests – Honeybee nests are easy to spot since they have extensive combs of wax. Honeybee nests are often found in hollow trees, rocks, and wall cavities. They’re found and have a distinct honeycomb pattern. A honeybee colony can be used several years in a roll. Honeybees store honey to ensure they have sufficient food for the winter.
Honeybee Appearance – Honeybees are fuzzy, orange, and brown. They have a stinger.
Carpenter Bees
Carpenter bees are not aggressive. If you approach a carpenter bee nest, you shouldn’t have to worry about getting stung.
Carpenter Bee Nests – Carpenter bees create nests in the fascia, wood siding, and decks. You’ll find their nests are round 3/8 inch holes that has been bored out by the insect. Carpenter bees discard the wood and use the cavity to rear their young.
Carpenter Bee Appearance – Carpenter bees look similar to bumblebees. The species in your region features a black, yellow, fuzzy thorax and a shiny abdomen. Males feature a yellow spot on their faces making it easy to determine the sex.
Do Stinging Insects Pose A Risk?
Some stinging insects are dangerous, but not all of them are aggressive. Most stinging insects will not sting humans unless they’ve been forced to defend their nests. In addition to this, you’ll find that no male stinging insect will be able to sting. To stay safe, be sure to stay away from larger stinging insect colonies. Aggressive species tend to become more aggressive when they are part of a larger colony. Yellowjackets and wasps likely won’t sting unless you get too close to their nests. Ground nests are difficult to spot so you may experience problems with them. Yellowjackets are one of the most aggressive stinging insects. They can sting humans several times and their stings may cause an allergic reaction.
In severe cases, yellowjacket stings will cause an anaphylactic shock.
What Causes Stinging Insects?
Ultimately, stinging insects are attracted to certain things. If they can find the right conditions near your home, they’ll develop a nest nearby.
How Can I Remove Stinging Insects From My Property?
Trying to eliminate stinging insects from your property will prove to be tedious and dangerous. You might get stung once, twice, or more times. With that being said, you need to let a professional handle it. You can find do-it-yourself sprays on the market. These products may reduce their activity and presence, but it won’t kill all of the stinging insects. And, you can guarantee that it is going to cause the stinging insects to attack you. If you want to treat the problem without professional assistance, you should try spraying the nest at night since the stinging insects will be less aggressive around this time. Our company has highly trained exterminators who are willing to work hard for you. Contact us so we can deal with the problem and minimize the danger.
Are Treatments Safe?
Our company has been serving your area for many years. We know how to serve our clients with professionalism. In addition to this, we always use the latest pest control methods to ensure that we’re going to provide satisfactory results. Our technicians carry and use EPA-registered products and follow strict guidelines to keep you safe. Our treatments will not pose risks to people, pets, or plants.
How Much Does It Cost To Eliminate Stinging Insects?
Before we can determine how much to charge, we’ll need to consider a handful of factors. The following things will be considered when determining the price.
- The stinging insect species you’re dealing with
- The size of the infestation
- Nest size
- Location of the nest
How Soon Can You Start?
We know that you’ll want to get rid of your stinging insects as quickly as possible. We’ll want to take care of the problem for you as quickly as possible. Our technician can respond to your request within 24 to 48 hours.
Can I Stop Future Stinging Insect Infestations?
Stinging insect infestations are random. In addition to this, stinging insects are opportunistic. Once they’ve determined that your home is a good location for a nest, there is little you can do to deter them. To fix this problem, you’ll want to take advantage of our home service program. By signing up for this service, you can get three annual visits from our expert. Contact us to learn more about this program.
