Bee Pest Control

Bees play an important role in perpetuating necessary pollination for growing crops, and helping plants to thrive. However, not all bees are the same, and some can be a potentially dangerous pest when humans live in shared spaces with these flying insects.

A large portion of wild bees are Africanized Honey Bees, sometimes called “killer bees.” Unfortunately, these Africanized bees are invasive to many regions and are known to be highly aggressive, even without provocation. They are known for invading other bee hives and sometimes can form dangerous swarms. These swarms can become very large and aggressive, leading to some serious problems for any humans living in the area of their established hives.

What are bees?

Bees are flying insects that are easily identifiable by their somewhat fuzzy black-and-yellow striped bodies. When they swarm, they may appear in a dark cloud-like formation seen directly overhead in the sky. They feed on plant nectar, but they are also attracted to things like hummingbird feeders, sweetened beverages and other sources of sugar that may be left out intentionally or unintentionally around the home.

Bees have venomous stingers located at the end of their abdomens. These stingers are used for defense and can cause pain, swelling and allergic reactions in some people who may be allergic to bee stings.

Bees are a social insect that live in large colonies or hives. The queen bee is responsible for laying all of the eggs; in order for a hive to be eradicated, the queen must be destroyed. Sometimes, when a hive becomes too populated, a new queen will be born and leave with a number of worker bees and drones to establish a new colony. Under the right conditions, multiple hives can be active in a single location, leading to an increased chance of dangerous swarms, especially when Africanized Honey Bees are involved.

Bee Pest Control

If you have bees at your property, you know how scary it can become if they swarm or make loud buzzing noises when you leave your home. It is not uncommon for bees to take up shop and build a nest under a picnic table, in the play area of children, under the steps of a home, under a bush, inside of garden tool containers or grill covers, under the deck, or on the edge of a garage. They are able to find ledges to build a place to come back to, and if they are not stopped they will continue to build on their hive over the course of several years.

They can move in and seemingly take over the place in a short amount of time, making you and your family feel unsafe. Often, you may only see a few bees buzzing around, and since they are seen quite naturally in nature, you may not notice that they have set up shop so close to your living areas or outside backyard play and leisure spaces. Sometimes, they may just be traveling through while swarming to a new location, and other times they have set up shop and built a hive. If there is a beehive, it will need to be removed along with any honey to prevent the bees from coming back.

Are bees really a problem?

Although bees can play an important role in the ecosystem, the bee population can become a nuisance for homeowners and business owners in the region. Because the majority of wild honey bees are Africanized, they are much more naturally aggressive than regular bees. In addition to boldly defending their hives, these bees may sometimes swarm further from the hive and attack a person or animal.

Some people are allergic to bee stings, and these allergies can become life-threatening. If a person is stung multiple times by many bees, the results can cause illness and, in severe cases, death. Although Africanized Honey Bees are no more venomous than any other bee, their aggressive behavior means that a person is more likely to be stung multiple times when facing this type of bee swarm.

Wasp Pest Control

Wasps don’t feed on pollen like bees do. In fact, these gangly-looking insects feed on other insects, making them beneficial in gardens and around homes throughout America. However, they don’t always travel alone. Wasps tend to gather in colonies and can quickly overtake a space. Although wasps tend to build their nests in trees and other high places, they often choose the most inconvenient location: right outside our doors.

They gather in groups of four, five or more and build paper nests on patio ceilings, deck railings and other spots near entryways. Because of their aggressive nature, it’s not a good idea to get close to their nests; you might end up with a nasty sting if you do. A wasp infestation is nothing to take lightly and may require professional wasp removal services depending on the size of the nest and the number of wasps in the area. Keep in mind that wasps don’t actively seek to sting humans and will usually only attack if they’re threatened.

The Paper Wasp

The Paper Wasp that we find most commonly around our homes. These guys will sting if provoked but seem to be more at ease than its cousin the yellow jacket. They start to build their nests in the springtime and their colony consists of one dominant female and several worker females. The adults feed on nectar and the larva feed on insects that the adults chew up for them. My experience with them is they seem pretty tolerant of human activity but will attack if they feel threatened. It is my recommendation to locate and remove wasps early in the season to keep the population from getting too big.

The Wasp Lifestyle

Did you know that there are more than 100,000 species of wasps? We are host to many wasp varieties including the common yellow jacket wasp (these are the nasty guys with the yellow and black stripes), the mud dauber wasps (they’ve got long skinny waists and build their nests out of mud), and the dreaded paper wasp (theses are the nastiest of the breeds anywhere as they are exceptionally aggressive).

Tips for Wasp Removal

Although it looks like an easy fix, just simply removing the nest with a broom handle won’t do the job. It’ll actually taunt the insects and make them turn on you, which could encourage a swarm that can result in stings directed right at you. Additionally, there are some chemical sprays contain toxic ingredients that can harm other beneficial insects in the area. Therefore, it’s not always wise to start spraying a nest with a product that was bought from the store. It’s best to hire a professional pest control service to inspect the nest and to use the appropriate wasp treatment method to get rid of wasps in the areas that you inhabit near a home or business.

Do you have a wasp infestation and need it removed ASAP? Contact our professionals to learn more about our wasp treatment options. In fact, paper wasps, in particular, play an important role in gardens throughout the area and rarely cause harm to people and pets. However, if they feel threatened, their painful stings can cause large welts and severe allergic reactions in those people with insect sting sensitivities. Call us today to remove wasps the right way.