Stinging Insects

Stinging insects have venom that is strong enough to cause health problems in people. Many stinging insects have flashy color patterns helping to alert animals and people that they are dangerous.

A person’s reaction to a sting varies by how allergic they are to the venom. Some people will hardly experience any reaction, while others will experience a painful, long-lasting swelling. Those individuals severely allergic or, in the case of a group attack, may experience difficulty breathing and require immediate medical attention.

Problems with stinging insects usually occur in the late spring, summer, and early fall months when both people and stinging insects are most active. During the warm months of the year, stinging insects are out and about frantically searching for food to bring back to the nest. When people and stinging insects are both outside sharing the same space, a sting will inevitably occur at some point.

Stinging insects are most problematic on properties near gardens, wooded areas, flowering trees, overgrown landscaping, ponds, lakes, and other water sources.

Things like open trash cans, recycling bins, and outdoor eating areas also attract yellow jackets and other stinging insects. They have varied diets, and in addition to feeding on plant nectar and insects, stinging insects will feed on many of the same proteins and sweets we do.

Despite being grouped together, each stinging insect has its own unique behaviors, feeding habits, and nesting preferences. Listed below are where our area’s most common stinging insects prefer to nest.

Yellow jackets and hornets like to create nests in the ground. Ground holes, the abandoned nests of small animals, the soil next to foundations, spaces under woodpiles or fallen trees are some favorite nesting spots. It is also possible to find a nest up off the ground in trees or shrubbery.

Wasps and mud daubers prefer to nest up off the ground. Trees, utility poles, bushes and shrubs, roof eaves, window shutters, and spaces under porch ceilings are where these insect nests often pop up.

Stinging insect nests are usually outside, but at times they will take advantage of openings in our home’s exterior to move indoors. Attics, rafters, wall voids, and the inside of garages and sheds are common indoor nesting spots.

At Owyhee Environmental, we want to help you prevent problems with stinging insects by providing a list of prevention tips that will make your property less attractive to these pests:

• When walking around in your yard or other grassy areas, make sure to wear shoes to prevent accidental stings from occurring.
• Remove things like fallen trees and tree stumps.
• When eating outside on the deck or patio, bring the food outside right before eating and clean up the leftover food right after eating. When drinking sugary drinks outside, keep covers on the containers you are drinking from.
• Reseed bare areas in your lawn to deter ground-nesting stinging insects.
• Have your garbage removed from your property each week. Keep lids on outdoor trash cans.
• Keep your grass cut short and garden areas well maintained to give stinging insects fewer places to create nests.