Blog
Common Stinging Insects in NY
8/26/13
There are many stinging insects that you will come into contact with in the New York area; these include bumble bees, honey bees, carpenter bees, yellow jackets, paper wasps and bald-faced hornets, among others. In the late fall, these insects can be especially noticeable as their numbers are at their peak and more and more will be out foraging for food. They may be present at your picnic or BBQ or you may see many more of them hovering around your plants or gardens. Here are the stinging insects that you may come into contact with in Long Island and the surrounding communities of New York and Connecticut:
Honey Bees- these insects range between 1/2 an inch and 5/8 of an inch long. They are banded with orange and brown or orange and black. They are covered with pale colored hairs, mostly on their thorax. They possess a barbed stinging that is often left in the victim that is stung. Honey bees are beneficial pollinators that rarely sting unless provoked.
Bumble Bees- these insects range between 1/2 to 1 inch long and they are more robust than the honey bee. They have an overall fuzzy appearance on the top surface of their abdomen. They have broad bands of yellow and black, sometimes with orange patterns as well. Bumble bees also possess a barbed stinger, but this is not lost in a victim after stinging. Bumble bees are also beneficial insects for pollination and they rarely sting.
Carpenter Bees- these insects range between 1/2 to 1 inch long and are similar in size and shape to bumble bees, but they are shiny, not possessing much in the way of hair and they are typically all black. They are not social insects and do not build a hive with other bees; they burrow holes into weather damaged wood to lay their eggs. The male cannot sting while the female will only sting if she’s being physically handled.
Paper Wasps- these insects range between 3/4 and 1 inch long and depending on the species are colored black, yellow, orange or brown, or a combination of any of these colors. They have a long-legged look, compared to the yellow jacket, as well as a lance-like stinger that allows for repeated stinging. They can become aggressive when provoked and may sting.
Yellow Jackets- these insects range between 3/8 of an inch and 3/4 of an inch long. They have a yellow and black or white and black banded abdomen and a lance-like stinger that allows them to sting repeatedly. They can become aggressive and may sting with only minor provoking.
Bald-faced Hornets- these insects range between 5/8 and 7/8 of an inch long and are usually black and white, with a white pattern on the face and white stripes on the thorax and the end of the abdomen. They also possess a lance-like stinger that allows for repeated stinging and will sting when provoked.
If you have come into contact with any of these stinging insects, you know that having them around is no picnic! A bee or wasp nest on your property can pose a problem if it’s attached to your home or garage and if someone in your family has an allergy to these stings. To properly remove these nests from your home, it is important to call in a pest control professional that specializes in the removal of stinging insect nests. They are the only ones that can safely remove these nests without posing a threat to your health and that of your family.
If you are looking for stinging insect control in New York or Connecticut, look no further than the professionals at Parkway Pest Services. Parkway has been providing effective and safe pest control services since 1932 and would like to help with all your pest problems in NY and CT; contact Parkway today!