BEES, WASPS, HORNETS...

Stinging Insect Services 

Stinging insects are a pain. Whether they are hornets, bees, wasps or yellow jackets, these insects have the ability to sting when they believe their territory or their queen is threatened. Some are able to survive even after repeatedly stinging their victim and others die after the first sting.  But whatever the lifespan of the attacker, stinging from these insects hurt, but they are usually harmless. However, some people may have allergic reactions or suffer from anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction.  Stinging insects also can be a threat to the integrity of your property. This is why stinging insect infestations are crucial to control and eradicate.

Prodigy Pest Solutions can take the sting out of infestations and provide you with the safety and security you need. Of course, stinging insects are a critical part of our ecosystem. Bees pollinate flowers and agriculture crops, and hornets and wasps are the natural predators of the insects that can decimate these botanic and agricultural systems. But you can protect yourself and the environment by using appropriate pest control measures for each type of stinging insect. Understanding the behaviors and characteristic of each stinging insect is integral to the successful treatment of infestations.

 Carpenter Bees

There are more than 20,000 bee species globally, however, the carpenter bee is considered the most common pest infestation of its species in the United States and in the Philadelphia region.The carpenter bee, often mistaken for the American bumblebee, is a solitary bee that creates its nest inside of wood. Unlike their brightly colored cousin, they are mostly black with very little hair and their yellow neckline, their only burst of color.  But like the bumblebee, it is a prolific pollinator of a variety of plants and vegetables. Carpenter bees also have a mistaken reputation for eating wood. Rather, they use wood for constructing their nests by drilling perfect circle holes into fencing, wood decks, and around wooden window frames. They particularly like untreated and unpainted wood and will set up multiple nests year after year, if the infestation is left untreated, causing extensive damage to your property. Some indicators of carpenter bees include: witnessing the bees crawling out of the wood, holes in wood, with dust piles surrounding it, as well as a yellow or brown stained entrance around the hole, due to their fecal matter. Carpenter bees do not typically sting. Though the female has a stinger, it is not aggressive unless provoked, and males do not have a stinger at all.

 

Yellow Jackets

Yellow jackets are not bees, as so often thought. They are highly social wasps that live in colonies that are typically constructed on the ground under shrubs and bushes unless they find their way onto your property. Indoors they can be found in wall voids or attics. They will aggressively defend their territory by stinging their victims repeatedly. Unlike bees, yellow jackets do not pollinate. Other insects are their main source of food. They also are known to eat meat and sugary processed foods, which is why they are so often seen buzzing around trashcans and picnic areas.  Aside from the yellow jacket’s painful sting, they also can create serious property damage as they can eat through material like drywall, using it and the area to built nests. As their name suggests, these bees can be identified by their distinctive yellow and black jacket-like stripes.

Bald Face Hornets

These stinging insects are part of the yellow jacket family. They have black bodies with white markings on the face and normally create their nests inside of tree hollows and in shrubs and bushes, off the ground. On property, the nest can typically be found underneath overhangs of rooftops. Bald face hornets construct their nests from saliva and wood particles, and they are well known for aggressively defending this territory. They are capable of stinging multiple times. They eat nectar, thereby pollinating plants and flowers and they are the natural predators of yellow jackets.

Paper Wasps

These wasps are named after the honeycomb shaped-paper-like nests they create from their saliva and pieces of wood.  They are also known as umbrella wasps because their nests look like one that is turned upside down.  Paper wasps live in colonies with a queen. They are dark brown in color with orange, yellow or red stripes across their abdomen. They are aggressive defenders of their territory that will sting repeatedly anything they deem a threat. Their nests can be found underneath eaves, attics, and in basements.

Tips for Infestation Prevention

Once you see bees, hornets, or wasps, you may already be facing an infestation. However, there are several strategies you can employ to mitigate their chances of building colonies nearby or inside your property.

 

  1. Plant flowers from a distance. Bees, wasps, and hornets all eat nectar or they eat insects that are pests to the flowers and plants that produce it. Keep people and your property safe by planting away from structures on your property.

 

  1. Use window and door screens. It’s more challenging for insects to enter when they face screen barriers. Also, be sure to keep your garage doors and storage unit doors closed around your property.

 

  1. Regularly check possible nesting places and repair cracks. Each season check inside attics, under eaves, inside barbeque grills, around window crack, garages for nests.

 

Benefits of Professional Extermination

Whether it’s a bee sting, wasp sting or hornet that inflicted the pain, it won’t be pleasant. Try eliminating the nest of any of these insects and you’re in store for pain a thousandfold. Eliminating stinging insects is dangerous and better left to professionals. Left on their own to forage and nest, these insects are harmless, but when attempts are made to eradicate them, extreme caution should be used. It’s highly recommended that professional exterminators be employed. Protective clothing, goggles, appropriate use of chemicals as well as the time of day and season are all critical considerations when eradicating stinging insect infestations.

If you find a stinging insect nest in your house or on your property, call Prodigy Pest Solutions promptly. They will be able to inspect your home, confirm the type of stinging insect and recommend a course treatment including nest removal.

Contact the dedicated professionals at Prodigy Pest Solutions today!

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PREVENTION TIPS:

  • Eliminate standing water and other sources of moisture in or around the home.
  • Always keep trash cans covered and sealed.
  • When outside, keep food covered until ready to eat.
  • Seal all cracks/crevices. This prevents the insects from migrating inside.

Did You Know?

  • Bees and hornets send more than 500,000 people to the emergency every year.
  • Stinging Insects are extremely active during the second half of summer and early fall.
  • If approached by a stinging insect, remain calm and quiet. Avoid swaying or swinging, as this may provoke an attack.
  • Avoid wearing dark colors and floral prints, loose-fitting garments, open-toe shoes and sweet-smelling perfumes or colognes.

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