Stinging Pests
Stinging insects send several thousands of people to the emergency room each year, allergic reactions can develop as a result of the venom. These pests are most active in spring and summer, but because of our Southern California weather, they are active throughout the year. If you suspect that there is a nest of any of these pests on your property, call us, we can help.
HONEY BEE
APPEARANCE
Honey bees are usually oval-shaped creatures with golden-yellow colors and brown bands, they measure about 15 mm long. Honey bees only sting once, the sting can be extremely painful if the stinger is not immediately removed. Persons allergic to insect stings will have a more severe reaction.
HABITAT
Honey bees are social insects found all over the world and are beneficial insects because of their role in pollination. They often build their nests in tree crevices, but will also build nests in attics, chimneys and other void areas.
DIET
Honey bees produce honey from pollen and nectar of the plants they pollinate. They store the honey in honeycombs in their nests.
HONEY BEE CONTROL
Honey bee management should be addressed by a professional. Treatment or removal of a honeybee nest and the honey product can be very messy. Because honeybee colonies are so large, only a honey bee pest control professional or experienced beekeeper can safely remove a honeybee nest.
CARPENTER BEE
APPEARANCE
Carpenter bees resemble bumblebees in both size and color. Their abdomens are all black, with few yellow hairs and measure about 1″ long. Female carpenter bees have a potent stinger, but it's rarely used.
HABITAT
Carpenter bees get their name from their habit of boring into wood to make galleries where they raise their young. In natural habitats, they live in logs and dead tree limbs, while around homes they target bare wood decks, fences and window sills. They prefer weathered or bare wood to painted wood. Like carpenter ants, the softer or more rotten the wood is, the more attractive it is to these bees. While they do not pose a public health threat, their nest building does damage wood.
DIET
Carpenter bees feed on nectar.
CARPENTER BEE CONTROL
Painting bare wood can deter some carpenter bees but is a limited solution. Once holes have been started, the nest galleries must be treated with professional pest control products. Eliminating water leaks and rotting wood from your property will make it less attractive to carpenter bees.
MUD DAUBER
APPEARANCE
Usually black, may have pale markings or a metallic luster and are about 1/2" to 1" in length. The best identifying feature is the longer, narrow "waist".
HABITAT
Female mud daubers construct nests of mud. Many short mud tubes, usually about 1" long, are constructed side by side. They usually build their nests in a sheltered site, such as under eaves, porch ceilings, in garages and sheds left open, in barns and attics, etc. Nests typically exhibit round holes in them as the wasps emerge. This means the nest is probably old and inactive after springtime.
DIET
Mud daubers provision spiders for their larvae by paralyzing them with their venom and bringing them into their nests. Adults feed on plant nectar, honeydew and the body fluids of the spiders and insects they capture.
MUD DAUBER CONTROL
Although mud daubers are not typically dangerous, their nests should be removed by a pest management professional if found on your property, as their abandoned nests are often adopted by other more insects.
PAPER WASP
APPEARANCE
Brownish with yellow markings; most species are about 1″ long.
HABITAT
Paper wasps are easily identified by their nest—a round, upside-down paper cone that hangs from a horizontal surface in a protected location. Most paper wasp nests are located in exposed areas beneath soffits, in the corners of windows, under awnings, under porches and beneath decks. Paper wasps often enter attics through holes in the soffits, attic vent screens and underneath shingles.
DIET
Paper wasps are predators and feed on insects, spiders and caterpillars.
PAPER WASP CONTROL
Paper wasp nests are usually easily controlled using a wasp treatment product, then knocking down the nest. Such treatments are best done at night, although professionals can safely treat them during the day. On buildings where continuous paper wasp nest building occurs, treatment of the affected areas with a residual pest control product applied by a professional can deter most of the activity.
YELLOW JACKET
APPEARANCE
Golden yellow with black markings; most species are about 3/8 to 5/8″ in length.
HABITAT
Yellow jackets are found near humans most of the time and are most active in late summer and early autumn when a colony is at its peak. They build paper nests out of chewed up cellulose on eaves, in attics, in the ground, or other similar cavernous areas.
DIET
Yellow jackets feed on sweets and proteins, which is why you’ll see them at picnics or other similar outdoor events.
YELLOW JACKET CONTROL
Yellow jackets are significant threats due to the fact that they can sting repeatedly and are very territorial. They can also do some serious damage to the structure of homes once they get in and build nests inside wall voids. If you see these wasps going in and out of an opening on the outside of your home or business, it generally means there’s an established nest that’s thriving inside the wall void. It’s important to seek professional expertise to avoid being stung and to pinpoint where the colony is to get it properly treated. Yellow jackets can be a difficult pest to control if you aren’t familiar with their habits. Sealing off an entry could push a colony further into living spaces indoors without treating the nest first.