Stinging Insects

What do stinging insects look like?

Using a stinger to defend themselves when threatened, bees, hornets, and wasps are all stinging insects. When living outside and away from people, they are incredibly beneficial and wanted pests, helping with pollination and reducing the number of nuisance and dangerous insects. But, when they decide to live in our yards and near our families, they become a liability and should be removed.

Stinging insects can look very similar to each other; the best way to determine which has chosen your property to nest on is to contact an experienced professional.

Stinging insects that regularly take over Arizona properties include:

• Africanized honey bees
• Yellow jackets
• Carpenter bees
• Baldfaced hornets
• Cicada killers
• American bumblebees
• Mud daubers

Are stinging insects dangerous?

No one wants to experience the painful sting of a bee, wasp, or hornet, but stinging insects pose an even larger threat for those allergic to their venom. An allergic reaction can range in severity from localized swelling to life-threatening anaphylaxis.

Having a stinging insect nest on your property in a high traffic area is nerve-wracking, and prevents you from enjoying your yard.

Why do I have a stinging insect problem?

Stinging insects have become a problem on your property because there is something in your yard they want; whether to forage for food from a trash can, nest in a tree, or hunt for insects in the garden, they are there for a reason. Stinging insects are opportunistic pests that live outside. Stopping them from finding a way onto your property is impossible, but making it less attractive is possible.

Some of the most common things that attract stinging insects to a property are:

• Trash cans and recycling bins
• Gardens
• Flowering plants and trees
• Lots of landscaping
• Containers that collect water
• Outdoor eating areas
• Ground holes

Where will I find stinging insects?

If you see stinging insects buzzing around in high numbers, there is most likely a nest somewhere on your property. Identifying where there’s a nest is a good idea, so you can avoid the area until a professional can remove it.

Places to look for a stinging insects nest include:

• Decks and patios
• Eaves
• Fences
• Tree branches, tree stumps, tree hollows
• Gardens
• Overhangs
• Wood piles
• Attics or wall voids

How do I get rid of stinging insects?

The ability for stinging insects to deliver painful stings and inject potent venom are two good reasons you need to partner with a professional to eliminate them from your Phoenix area property!

At Green Home Pest Control, our eco-minded pest control solutions solve pest problems using products safe for the environment, children, and pets. We know how dangerous and stressful a stinging infestation is and will act fast and work around your schedule to remove them. If you see an influx of stinging insects on your property, call us today and learn more about our effective stinging insect control solutions.

How can I prevent stinging insects in the future?

Use the following prevention tips to avoid problems with stinging insects:

• Keep trash cans and recycling bins tightly sealed to keep foraging stinging insects out of them.
• After eating outside, quickly clean up leftover food.
• When consuming sugary drinks outdoors, make sure to keep a lid on them.
• Maintain your home’s exterior walls and roof to ensure stinging insects cannot find any openings to move inside through.
• Reduce the number of flowering plants you place next to your home’s exterior.
• Remove fallen trees, tree stumps, and the like from your yard.
• Fill in ground holes in your yards and garden areas.

Learn more about our home pest control and commercial pest control offerings.