Summer is in full swing and I’m sure you are having your fill of a wide variety of little buggers. Most insects are a nuisance at best; however some wasps and bees can put a painful hurt on you. There are several different types of bees and wasps you can encounter.
Paper Wasps are one of the most common stinging insects you will encounter. They build paper nest anywhere from the eaves of your home to the bushes in your yard. They are social insects and will attack in numbers when they feel their colony is in danger. So be careful when pruning bushes. Shake them first and be prepared to MOVE!
Yellow Jackets are another social stinging insect that can be dangerous when encountered. They usually build their nest in the ground and when walked over or mowed over they will come out in large numbers looking to get revenge! Both Paper Wasps and Yellow Jackets can sting you multiple times making them more dangerous because of the amount of venom you could receive.
Honey Bees are usually not very aggressive and you usually will not have a problem with them, however their cousin The Africanized Honey Bee (Killer Bee), is much more aggressive and can really hurt or even kill you. They are much more persistent in attacking when disturbed. The normal European Honey Bee will usually defend its nest at around 150 ft where the Africanized Bee will defend its nest upwards of 400 ft. They can only sting one time and loose their stinger.
Carpenter Bees don’t usually pose a problem in regards to stinging you. They are very large and resemble a bumble bee. They have a shinny and smooth abdomen where the bumble bee has a fuzzy abdomen. The female is the only one that can sting you sense the male lacks a stinger. He will be the one darting all around you acting so bad. So when you see him flying all around and hovering in front of you, just smack him, he’s bluffing! The Bumble Bee however can put a hurting on you! They usually make a nest in the ground under things and can sting you multiple times. They are one of the best pollinators of plants and flowers around making them a very beneficial insect.
Cicada Killer is a very large wasp some people encounter in their yard. They make a Bumble Bee look like a sissy. They dig small mounds tunneling in the ground. The Argyle area usually has a problem every year with them. Their main purpose is to go out and seek a Cicada to sting and bring back to their nest so the young developing wasp have something to feed on. Due to their large size, we get calls from people deathly afraid of them. You can actually walk right through the area where they are nesting and they will not bother you. (I would not suggest this though) they are not aggressive at all unless you look like a Cicada.
Mud Daubers are another wasp you generally will not have a problem with in regards to stinging you. They are not aggressive will not defend their nest. You will usually find their nest on your exterior walls, eaves, even attached on your light fixture. They construct their nest of mud or clay. They mainly feed on spiders and sting them to paralyze them where they pack them in sections of this mud home for their young to feed on.
You can always find more information on the University of Florida feature creature web site at http://entomology.ifas.ufl.edu/creatures/
**Always be careful when attempting to treat for any wasp or bee infestation. Serious harm or death could occur when taking this route. Consult a professional who is equipped to handle these treatments with specialized suits!! **
As always, if we can help, give us a call.
904-743-8272
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