Stinging insects are one of the more feared pests found in the warmer months of the year. There are many different species including wasps, bees, hornets, and yellow jackets. Each of these pests poses the threat of a sting (or multiple) and while not many are truly aggressive, stinging insects are not a pest you want lurking near your home and family.
Habits of stinging insects
Once you have found one or more of these insects within your home, you start to wonder where the nest is. Through the warmer months of the year, usually in the later summer, stinging insects are busy at work foraging for food for the queens. The colonies continue to grow which means the threat of finding stinging insects and the threat of getting stung is going to increase. While not all stinging insects are aggressive, by messing with the hive or nest or even swatting at one, these pests will feel threatened and often sting out of defense.
How to prevent stinging insects
To protect your home from stinging invaders, you will need to do a perimeter check. Look for any holes, cracks, broken windows, or holes in window screens. These insects are small and on a mission for food. They will fit into the smallest hole in a window screen or a crack on the exterior of the home. It is a smart idea to have any openings closed to keep all pests out. Also, keep an eye out for any nests or the beginning of any nests under the eaves of your home. If you see the start of any nests, you know the paper or honeycomb-looking things, keep an eye on it and call a professional exterminator to help you remove the nest. These nests can hold hundreds of stinging insects and if you upset the nest, you could send an entire colony after you. (Note: not all stinging insect species are aggressive but some, like yellow jackets, will sting repeatedly as a defense to protect their colony.)
What to expect if you get stung
If you have upset a bee, wasp, or hornet and it stung you, it is very normal to have a painful red mark at the site of the sting. This will probably stay for about a week or so and things like ice and antihistamine can help to reduce the pain. But, if you have been stung and are noticing more severe symptoms like major swelling or difficulty breathing, it is important to seek medical attention immediately. Allergic reactions to stings are a serious concern which is why getting rid of bees, wasps or any other stinging insects is very important.
If you find any wasp nests or other nests of stinging insects in or around your home, call your local pest control professionals for assistance. Because of the threat of having multiple stings or worse, an allergic reaction to stings, it is never recommended to attempt to remove a nest on your own. Oftentimes, store-bought sprays can just irritate the colony, rather than kill it, and as mentioned before, some of these pests will attack in defense to protect their colony. Call a professional exterminator today for help in the identification and removal of stinging insects from your home and property.