Stinging Insects

What are stinging insects?

There are many types of stinging insects found living across the country. Bees, yellow jackets, wasps, and hornets are common examples of stinging insects that people come into contact with. Stinging insects are aggressive pests but also beneficial to the environment. Many species of bees are responsible for pollinating a variety of plants and crops. Predatory species like yellow jackets and wasps hunt down and feed on many different species of nuisance insects, helping to keep their populations down.

The most common species of stinging insects living throughout Northern Illinois, Eastern Iowa, and Central Wisconsin are bald-faced hornets, German yellow jackets, bees, and wasps.

Bald-faced hornets
Bald-faced hornets are black in color with a white pattern covering most of their face. They have long, wasp-like bodies. Despite their name, they are actually more closely related to yellow jackets.
 
German yellow jackets
German yellow jackets are black and yellow in color. Their abdomens may have spots of black, and they have spade-shaped marks on their first abdominal segment.
 
Bees
Bees have oval-shaped bodies and are typically covered, at least partially, in hairs. They usually have a black and yellow striped pattern covering their bodies.
 
Wasps
Wasps are usually described as social or solitary. They come in a variety of colors, including white, black, or yellow. They have long bodies, thin waists, and legs that hang down when in flight.

Are stinging insects dangerous?

While not all species of stinging insects are aggressive, they are all considered dangerous. Their venom is strong enough to trigger allergic reactions in people, sometimes even causing life-threatening anaphylaxis to occur. Stinging insects sting to defend themselves or their colonies. Their stings can be painful and may leave behind large, red welts. You should always contact a professional to remove a stinging insect nest from your property to make sure you avoid their dangerous stings.

Why do I have a stinging insect problem?

Stinging insects, depending on their exact species, feed on a variety of foods, including insects, proteins, nectar, sweets, and honeydew. They are attracted to properties that offer ample food sources and safe places to create their nests. Properties that have open garbage cans, compost piles, gardens, flowering vegetation, outdoor eating areas, clogged gutters, fallen trees, birdbaths, or ponds attract stinging insects. Stinging insects are most problematic in the late summer and early fall months when their colonies are at peak numbers. This is also when they are out and about trying to gather enough food to feed their large colonies.

Where will I find stinging insects?

Stinging insects build their nests in a variety of locations, as long as they are provided with protection and shelter. Stinging insects create their nests in rock crevices, on rock overhangs, on trees or utility poles, and under porches, decks, and roof eaves. German yellow jackets, for example, prefer to nest in voids. Stinging insects can find their way indoors to nest inside attics, crawl spaces, walls voids, and outbuildings like barns, sheds, and garages.

How do I get rid of stinging insects?

The best and safest solution to a stinging insect infestation is a professional solution. At Pest Control Consultants, our certified pest technicians in St. Charles, IL provide outstanding stinging insect control solutions to eliminate your current household pest problems and prevent future problems with pests.
 
The residential and commercial pest experts at Pest Control Consultants are dedicated to using the latest scientific techniques and up-to-date products, practices, and procedures to get rid of stinging insects and other household-invading pests. To learn more about ridding stinging insects from your Northern Illinois, Eastern Iowa, or Central Wisconsin area home or property, or to schedule a free inspection, call Pest Control Consultants.

How can I prevent stinging insects in the future?

Keeping stinging insects off your Northern Illinois, Eastern Iowa, or Central Wisconsin property and out of your home can be difficult.
 
There are a few things you can do to help to deter them:

• Caulk cracks and crevices in the foundation and exterior walls of your home.

• Make sure all screens are intact.

• Place caps on chimneys.

• Place weather stripping around windows and doors.

• Garden areas and wood piles should be located a distance away from the outside of your home.

• Maintain outdoor eating areas.

• Remove overgrown vegetation, fallen trees, and piles of debris from your property.

• Trim tree limbs away from the exterior of your home.

• Remove water sources by maintaining gutters and repairing leaky outdoor fixtures.