Stinging Insect Identification & Prevention

During the summer and early fall seasons, you will find stinging insects swarming outdoor spaces and ruining outdoor activities like swimming parties and barbecues.

Our yards offer stinging insects plenty of places to forage food for themselves and to bring back to their nests. Gardens, flower beds, trash cans, compost areas, flowering trees, and outdoor eating and cooking areas are where people have the most contact with these pests.

Stinging insects nest in various places depending on their species, all choosing a nesting site that offers them shelter from harsh weather and predators. Some of the most common areas we discover stinging insect nests include the following:

• Tree hollows and tree branches

• Inside dense shrubs or other landscaping plants

• Ground holes

• Rock piles or brush piles

• Under roof eaves or decks

• In the corners of windows or doors

• Inside garages, sheds, or attics

If you have found a stinging insect nest on your property or know one is present that you can't locate, quickly get in touch with a pest control professional for assistance.

Stinging insects are a danger to adults, children, and pets. A stinging insect uses the stinger at the end of its abdomen to inject venom into people and animals. When stinging insects nest in your yard, their presence can make you feel on edge. Stinging insects can easily ruin everyday things like cooking outside, taking out the trash, and gardening.

Stinging insect venom is potent enough to trigger allergic reactions ranging from mild to life-threatening. Hornets, wasps, and yellow jackets can sting multiple times, and with each sting, you will experience more pain, and they will inject more venom into your body.

We typically describe stinging insects as solitary or social. Solitary species of stinging insects have females that create individual nests, and they are usually relatively docile and aren't quick to sting. Stinging insects that are social live together in large groups inside a single nest. They are generally faster to sting and often attack as a group.

Stinging insect identification is best made by a professional. Various species of stinging insects can make their way to our properties. Most are fast-moving, and it's never a good idea to get up and personal to determine the exact species on your property. 

Though it is important to try to live in harmony with stinging insects because of their eco-importance, protecting ourselves and our families from their dangers is also important. Stinging insects are beneficial out in nature but unwanted pests in our yards.