10 Stinging Pest Control FAQs For Your Business

During warm-weather months, stinging insects like bees, wasps, hornets, yellow jackets and ants are searching for places to feed and nest during this busy time. Pests will happily take up residence in and around your business if the conditions are right. Wondering if your facility is safe from bugs that sting? Our Orkin experts have compiled answers to common questions. Read on to learn how to help protect your property from the most common stinging insects.

Q: Are stinging insects dangerous?

In some instances, stinging insects pose very real dangers. Getting stung can cause allergic reactions in people with a high sensitivity to venom. In rare cases, that reaction can be fatal. For most people, stings may cause general discomfort including mild pain, redness or swelling — still an unpleasant experience for customers or staff.

Beyond physical threats to humans, these insects can cause structural damage around your facility. For instance, wood-boring carpenter bees can build nests that weaken steps, beams, walls and roofs in your building, and even attract things like woodpeckers that can cause significant damage to wood when they excavate the larvae.

Q: How can I tell common stinging insects apart?

Bees are typically more round than yellow jackets, but a sure sign of a bee is its fuzzy hair.
Yellow jackets are black and yellow like bees, but have longer and more slender wings and no obvious hairs.
Wasps have a slim body with a very thin waist, and their nests are open-celled and hang underneath protected areas like eaves.
Hornets are wasps belonging to the genus Vespa and are much larger than most other stinging insects. They typically create aerial nests.
Fire ants are two-node ants that can vary in color, but typically appear red. They vary in size — even in the same colony — and are most obvious when their mounds show up in yards.

Q: How can I keep stinging insects out of my facility?

The single most important defense is “exclusion,” or tactics that include repairing, sealing and closing off common pest entry points around your building to help stop pest problems before they start. It’s important to repair holes, gaps and cracks where pests can enter and to seal off and weather-strip doors and windows. Making sure that yellow jackets and honey bees don’t have access to wall voids will help block them from setting up a nest on your property. Products like air curtains on doors can also help keep flying pests out of your property.

Q: What can I do to make sure my business doesn’t attract stinging insects?

Practice proper facility maintenance to help keep stinging insects at bay.
Keep an eye on the landscaping around your facility where insects can make nests. Flowering plants, trees and shrubs can attract stinging insects looking for nectar, so be mindful of where they are planted.
Make sure to clean and sanitize your interior so that insects are not attracted to food sources like spills and messes. Sweet liquids are a surefire way to attract stinging insects and a host of others to your facility. Yellowjackets can also be attracted to savory foods at various times of the year.
Train your staff on proper food storage and waste management to repel foragers. Employees can also play a key role in reporting any insect activity they see.

Q: What are the signs I have a stinging pest infestation?

An occasional bee or wasp might not signal a problem, but if you see stinging insects consistently or in groups, you could have a nest on site. You may hear scratching or buzzing if insects are nesting out-of-sight. If you think there is an issue, monitor your building’s perimeter — including the landscaping — for signs of activity. Document the issue, noting details like time and location.

Q: Where do I look for stinging pest nests?

That can depend on the type and species of stinging insect. In general, there are four prime locations for stinging insects:

Eaves, roof gables or on the sides of a building
Shrubs, bushes or trees
Inside wall voids, attics or hollowed out tree trunks
Underground, burrowed in holes where they enter and exit

Q: Will a stinging pest problem go away on its own?

While most stinging pest populations slow down or die out in the winter, some species are active year-round. Plus, once a nest is built, the workers multiply rapidly and become more aggravated leading up to fall as they become desperate to find food to support the colony. It’s important to treat problems early to ensure the problem doesn’t get out of hand.

Q: Are bees, wasps and hornets aggressive?

One of the primary misconceptions about stinging insects is that they are inherently aggressive to humans. Wasps, bees, yellowjackets and hornets primarily act in self-defense, especially if they perceive a threat to their colony or nest. If you encounter a flying pest at your facility, the best plan is to remain calm and non-reactive and call a professional pest control provider to assess the issue.

Q: Can I remove bee or wasp nests myself?

Risking an angry swarm is unsafe for you and people in and around your facility. It can be hard to know what kind of nest and insect you’re dealing with, and all of them require specific tools and strategies for effective treatment. Additionally, some states have rules regarding the removal of honeybees. Nest removal is a job best left to professionals who can tackle your problem correctly.

Q: What are the treatments for stinging insects?

There is no one-size-fits-all treatment for all facilities or problems. Orkin Pros™ will conduct a thorough inspection of your property to determine a customized Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program that will work best for your industry and facility. Orkin offers a variety of services to combat stinging pests, including nest removal, exclusion, targeted treatment, traps, cleaning and sanitation services and more.

Though stinging insects are intimidating, Orkin can help you prevent, treat and manage pests with more than 120 years of experience that goes to work for you. Head into the spring season with confidence by scheduling your personalized, obligation-free inspection with an Orkin Pro today.