Protecting Yourself from Pests

As the temperatures increase, so does your risk of being stung by sly, hovering, scary insects. Though they are not highly intelligent creatures, they do not intend to sting you. Their purposes are simple: they live to breed, eat and take care of their young. The old saying rings true in this case, insects really are as afraid of you as you are of them. If you are very careful to stay out of their way, they will treat you with the same respect, and stay out of your path as well.

Step away from the flyswatter. Some habits die hard, and as soon as you see the widely feared yellow jacket, you probably grab the nearest newspaper and swat away. This is a perfectly normal reaction on your part, the fight or flight reaction. And humans don’t have wings, so, you can only guess how this situation turns out. Swatting at insects is just plain scary, for them and you! Imagine a large object whipping at you from every direction, wouldn’t you sting the closest thing in proximity to you? Do yourself a favor, toss your flyswatter in the trash and the next time you see a bee, simply sit still and wait the flying insect out.

It is summer time and insects need protection from the sweltering heat, too. Instead of grabbing some wood and building a house, they scavenge through nature’s ingredients and borrow your property. There are several species of bees that thrive in the United States and quite a few of them seek the comfort of your backyard to raise their offspring. Remember, these insects become irate and volatile when their children are attacked. Do not attempt to remove, inspect or go near insect nests at all. Your best bet is to go indoors, or a safe distance away from the insect’s home, and call a professional service. They will come out and take a look at the pest problem at their earliest convenience.

The Infamous Trio of Bees

Wasps

The dangers of approaching insect nests vary in intensity. If you are allergic to bees, you are even more at risk for a trip to the hospital. Different insects carry different risks and their resulting stings vary in intensity.

Wasps are vengeful and will chase you if disturbed. Their stings leave welt like marks, resulting in a throbbing lump. If you ever get stung by a wasp, place a penny over the lump for relief. If you are allergic to any type of bee, it is wise to have someone take you to the hospital.

Good signs that a wasp family may be nesting nearby are usually found under siding on houses, under lawn chairs and generally under objects between crevices. Their homes normally resemble honeycombs and can vary in size. Some wasps create their nests high up by the gutters of your house. Practice extra caution when power washing or cleaning out your gutters. These tiny insects can pack a powerful sting, and will be intent on finding you if they are disturbed!

Hornets

The feared hornet tends to colonize and they assemble their nests in trees, on trunks or in bushes. Their nests are a little bit trickier to find because they are generally camouflaged by branches, berries and green leaves during the warm months. Once their nest is disturbed, the whole colony bands together to form a killer attack squad. Their mission is to quell the disturbance by all means necessary.

As opposed to the docile honeybee, hornets can and will sting multiple times. Their stingers are not barbed and they contain small amounts of venom meant to immobilize their victim. Its effect on humans is small, but painful, leaving welts and can be worse if you are allergic to bees. These slender, brown and yellow beasts are rather powerful. If you suspect that you have any bee related allergies, go to the nearest hospital.

Bees

Bees are braver and more social than their winged counterparts. They are more commonly seen out and about among people. However, this does not mean they have developed an affinity for humans. They simply enjoy slurping the delicious nectar and juices from the flowers we both adore. Bees generally hang their honey-combed nests from tree branches, or in bird houses. Some bees prefer to nest underground.

If you spot a bee and make a move toward it, it will normally shy away. If it is agitated or becomes aggressive, stand still, as to show the tiny insect that you mean it no harm. They normally only sting people if they feel threatened by them. Bee stings generally feel like a sharp needle poking into your skin. It fades away in the period of a few hours’ time. They are not very harmful, unless you are allergic to them.

Overall

Enjoying the summer months ahead, should be fun and exciting! Remember a few tips about where insects nest, and try to stay away from those areas. If you do happen across a nest by your home, do a quick search and call your local pest professional to help you out.

Alliance Pest Services has you covered for all your Stinging Insect problems such as: Bald Faced Hornet control Bumble Bee control, Carpenter Bee control, Cicada Killer control, Mud Daber control, Paper Wasp control and Yellow Jacket control.