Stinging Insect Identification & Prevention

Stinging insects are, as their moniker suggests, insects that sting. However, that definition is very broad and can include a wide variety of insects, some of which are highly aggressive and some of which are disinclined to sting at all, even if they can. Some of the most common stinging insects in Athens include:

• Honey bees
• Bumble bees
• Yellow jackets
• Hornets
• Carpenter bees
• Wasps
• Mud daubers

Some of these insects, like mud daubers, almost never sting. Some of them, like yellow jackets, will sting at the drop of a hat.

A lot of a stinging insect's capacity to be dangerous depends on the type of stinging insect it is. For instance, even if you were to be stung by a docile bumble bee or mud dauber, you are unlikely to suffer anything worse than some pain and swelling at the site of the sting.

Certain social stinging insects, like yellow jackets and hornets, can be more of an issue. These aggressive bugs tend to swarm and assault anything they perceive as a threat. This can leave you with dozens or even hundreds of stings, which can be a much more serious matter. Of course, anyone who is allergic to insect venom is in mortal danger no matter the number of stings, but even someone who is not allergic can need medical attention if they suffer a prolonged attack and many stings.

A lot of the time, you don't really do anything to end up with a stinging insect problem. These flying bugs just happen to decide that your property is a good place to set up shop. You can avoid some of this by trying to make your yard and home less attractive to them. But because they can fly and are often unpredictable, they can be some of the most difficult pests to exclude.

Where you find stinging insects depends on the type of bee or wasp you have. Aerial wasps may build nests out of paper and hang them off awnings or tree branches on your property. Ground-nesting wasps like yellow jackets may set up shop in holes or hollow trees. Bees also prefer holes and hollows and may set up their nests anywhere from hollow trees to the loose siding of your house or even the eaves of places like garages and attics.

You need to be very careful when tackling stinging insects in Georgia because you can inadvertently trigger an attack when you are trying to get rid of them. You might get away with knocking down a mud dauber nest, but you likely will not get away with trying to destroy a hornet or yellow jacket nest.

This means the best thing you can do to eliminate your stinging insect problem is to call the professionals. Here at American Pest Control, we have the home pest control and commercial pest control tools and training to eliminate stinging insect infestations while ensuring we and our clients remain safe from these potentially aggressive animals.

Stinging insect control is better left to the professionals, but stinging insect prevention is something you can do on your own. One of the best things you can do to keep stinging insects away is to remove things they find attractive.

This can be a whole range of things, from sweet-smelling flowers to hummingbird feeders to even your garbage. Anything you see them landing on or flying around has to go. And remember, you should never try to tackle an existing infestation of stinging insects on your own. To keep yourself and your family safe, call the professionals here at American Pest Control.