Bee & Wasp Control

Take the "Sting" out of your Summer!

Bees will begin flying around looking for possible nesting areas following the first warm rain. Once they begin building their nests, we are able to treat them. Take note of where they are building or areas where they are flying into crevices, such as in siding, mailboxes, porches, patios and door frames and take care to avoid those areas well after treatment. When we treat and/or remove nests, the queen and any bees inside the nest are killed. This causes some confusion and aggression in the bees that were out foraging and they will be agitated at not being able to return to their nests. In most cases, they will move on but sometimes, they will attempt to rebuild in close proximity of the prior nest and we will need to be called to come back out.

   

     

 

HORNETS, WASPS, AND YELLOWJACKETS

In parts of the United States, particularly in the eastern states, yellow jackets, wasps, hornets and bees are all called bees by the general public. Of course the general public is principally focused on one attribute these insects have in common -- their stingers.

Knowledge of the behavior of these pests is essential to their management and effective communication with frightened or fearful clients is an important skill our technicians have developed.

Nests of stinging pests are usually the target for control. Understanding nesting and the make-up of the colony is essential. Advanced specializes in these types of nest removal. DO NOT TRY THIS YOURSELF!

CARPENTER BEES

These are the huge black bees that you see flying around wooden fencing or deck railings, etc. The females bore a hole straight into the wood and then make a right degree turn. She will lay her eggs in here and when the babies emerge, they will each bore an individual hole in order to leave the nest. A sawdust-type material called “frass” will often appear beneath these holes. Treatment consists of dusting each visible hole to kill the queen and any potential juveniles. Males are very aggressive and will fly in close proximity to you if you are near a nest but they do not have stingers and are therefore, harmless!

GROUND BEES

The name “ground bee” comes from the fact that these insects nest in the ground and not in hives or honeycombs, like honeybees. Ground bees are solitary creatures and do not congregate in massive swarms. Most ground bees that you see flying around your home and garden are males that do not have stingers. Female ground bees do have stingers, however, so it is essential that you take measures to remove the bees from your yard, especially if you are allergic to bee stings.

EASTERN CICADA KILLER WASPS

 

Cicada killers are among the largest wasps in the U.S. They are 1.5 to 5 cm (2/3 to 2 inches) long with hairy, reddish and black areas between the head and the abdomen. They are black to reddish brown, marked with light yellow stripes on the abdominal (rear) segments. The wings are brownish. Coloration may superficially resemble that of a yellow jacket. The cicada killers dig burrows each summer in well-drained lawns, playing fields, plant nurseries and sloping terrain with varying amounts of grass. The female cicada killer paralyzes an annual cicada and carries it back to her burrow, where she will put it in a nest cell, lay an egg on it and seal the cell. New nest cells are dug as necessary off the main burrow tunnel and a single burrow may eventually have 10 to 20 cells. A grub will hatch from the egg in a few days, eat the cicada and overwinter underground in a hard cocoon which it weaves. It will pupate in the spring, hatch in July or August, dig its way to the surface and live above ground for 2-6 weeks; all adults die annually.

It is crucial to treat all burrows to prevent the young from emerging the following year.

Cicada killers may also nest in planters, window boxes, flower beds or under shrubs, ground cover, etc. Nests often are made in the full sun where vegetation is sparse.

Although cicada killers are large, female cicada killer wasps are not aggressive and rarely sting unless they are grasped roughly, stepped upon with bare feet, or caught in clothing, etc. Males aggressively defend their perching areas on nesting sites against rival males but they have no sting. Although they appear to attack anything which moves near their territories, male cicada killers are actually investigating anything which might be a female cicada killer ready to mate. They are non-aggressive towards humans and usually fly away when swatted at, instead of attacking. Cicada killers exert a natural control on cicada populations and thus may directly benefit the deciduous trees upon which their cicada prey feed.

CALL ADVANCED TERMITE CONTROL FOR ALL OF YOUR BEE AND WASP ISSUES

 

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