There are a lot of different kinds of stinging insects. We will come out and identify the type and move forward with a service plan designed to safely and effectively remove the nest.
A consultation with a beekeeper may be appropriate if you suspect you have honey bees. These are valuable insects and should be conserved whenever possible.
A few species of stinging insects found in the Thorndale PA area pose a serious threat to humans.
Bald-Faced Hornets
Similar in appearance to a yellowjacket, bald-faced hornets get their names from their largely black bodies and mostly white faces. Bald-faced hornets are found throughout the US and build aerial nests that can grow to the size of a basketball and that is often found 10-12 feet off the ground.
Bald-faced hornets are an aggressive species of wasp that can deliver a powerful sting if they are provoked or threatened. However, they are also beneficial in that they feed on pests, such as flies.
Cicada Killer Wasps
Resembling a large yellow jacket, cicada killer wasps can grow up to 1 ½ inches long. Sporting a rust-colored redhead and middle segments, cicada killer wasps are also identified by their yellow-and-black striped back segment, and their antennae and wings are tinted yellow.
Commonly found in early summer along the edges of forests and gardens, cicada killer wasps can act as pollinators as they feed on flower nectar, but they also feed on cicadas, hence their name. Females are also known to paralyze cicadas in order to lay eggs upon them (one cicada for each egg), therefore cicadas act as hosts for cicada killer wasp larvae. Female cicada killer wasps can sting if threatened, but male cicada killers lack the ability to sting and only behave aggressively when threatened.
Paper Wasps
Paper wasps are distributed throughout North America and can be identified by their 0.5-1.5 inch long reddish-brown or black body, and the striking yellow rings around their abdomens. Paper wasps are often mistaken for bees, but they lack bees’ characteristically fuzzy bodies.
Paper wasps acquired their name from the way that they create paper from chewing wood and vegetation that they then use to make their nests. Cited as resembling an upside-down umbrella held up by a single stalk, these paper nests consist largely of brood cells or compartments for the queen wasp’s young.
Paper wasps can sting people when their nest is approached or threatened, but they are largely beneficial for gardens, as they are not only pollinators (as they can feed on nectar), but they also hunt pest caterpillars that destroy gardens and crops.
Eastern Yellow Jacket
Eastern Yellowjackets are a ground-nesting species of wasp that are found throughout the eastern US, spanning a range that expands from the Atlantic Ocean to North Dakota and Texas. Eastern Yellowjackets are commonly found in parks, woodlands, lawns, and can even make their nests inside homes. Eastern Yellowjackets are identified by their striking black and yellow markings, with a largely yellow face.
Eastern Yellowjackets are considered a beneficial insect because they reduce the number of pests, such as earwigs and caterpillars, that can destroy crops. However, eastern yellow jackets can become very aggressive if their nest is disturbed and can deliver painful stings as a result.
Scoliid Wasps
Scoliid wasps (or blue-winged wasps) are ½ inch long wasps found throughout a habitat range that stretches from New England to Florida, and west to the Rocky Mountains. Scoliid wasps have a black head and thorax, a rusty, red-colored abdomen, and two yellow spots that are found upon the first red abdomen segment.
Scoliid wasps act as pollinators as they feed on the nectar of various plants. Female scoliid wasps are also helpful hunters for garden pests such as June and Japanese Beetle grubs, as these grubs act as hosts to scoliid wasps’ eggs. Only stinging when they are threatened, scoliid wasps are generally harmless wasps.
At ECPC Pest Control, we know not all spider or other pest problems are the same. That is why we employ what is known as IPM or integrated pest management strategies to make sure the treatment plan you use is designed to manage and eliminate unwanted pests. To do pest control right requires great attention to detail. ECPC Pest Control Technicians are highly skilled and trained technicians to get the job done right the first time. When you select ECPC Pest Control as your company for bug extermination, termite control, and overall varmint elimination, you are selecting the best experts in Thorndale and surrounding areas. Here are just a few of the things you can expect from ECPC:
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