Stinging Insect Control Service in Central Massachusetts

Mud Daubers

Mud Dauber is a name given to a variety of wasps that build their nests from mud. You may see their nests stuck on the side of a structure, under the eaves, or in an attic. The nature of their nest means that it must be kept dry, so they usually construct it in an out-of-the-way place that can be difficult to access. Mud Daubers look like your typical wasp but tend to be black in color.

When you find a nest made out of mud, check for holes in the tunnels. If you see holes you most likely have an inactive nest and you have less to worry about. Mud Daubers create holes to evacuate their old nests. This specific type of wasp is not typically dangerous, but their old nests can be taken over by a more aggressive wasp species. 

Carpenter Bees

Carpenter Bees are typically seen buzzing around eves and rooflines in the early Spring. While their large size and yellow and black markings make them look intimidating they do not pose a threat unless provoked. Their preferred nesting areas are dry unfinished wood. The female bores a perfectly round hole approx. 1/4 inch around and then makes a 90-degree turn where she places her eggs in segmented galleries. The extensive damage done can be hidden behind the entrance hole.

Like honey bees, carpenter bees play an important role in pollinating plants. Unlike honey bees, however, carpenter bees can be very destructive, and you definitely don’t want them setting up residence at your house. Carpenter bees are large and fuzzy, measuring up to an inch in length. They are easily mistaken for bumblebees, but you can tell the difference by the hairless and shiny black abdomen of the carpenter bee. These bees are social and live in nests, which they create by boring perfectly round holes into trees and untreated wood. Unfortunately for many homeowners, the eaves of a house are an enticing place for carpenter bees to build their nests. While the bees don’t eat the wood, they will tunnel through it in a number of areas to extend their nests. Over time, this can destroy the structural integrity of a building, resulting in costly repairs or even irreparable damage. 

Honey Bees

Honey bees are a vitally important part of our ecosystem, pollinating plants that provide us food and oxygen. In fact, bees (not just honey bees, but all bees) are so important that, without them, humans would struggle to survive. Out of all the bee species, it is the honey bee that receives the most special treatment, though. These bees are smaller and have slimmer bodies than their counterparts. They live in hives that can number in the tens of thousands. While there are some wild colonies out there, most hives are under the care of a beekeeper. Honey bees are not typically considered a nuisance, as they are not destructive and wild colonies are not usually found near homes.

Wasps

Wasps are different from bees, as they have long, thin bodies that are nipped at the waist. The most important difference to note, between bees and wasps, is that bees have a stinger that is left in the skin and wasps have the ability to sting multiple times. This makes wasps a very real threat to anyone near their nest.

Wasps are naturally more aggressive and territorial than most bees. Even when out scouting for food, they’ll react aggressively. They sting first and ask questions later. They can get away with this because they can sting you multiple times and, unlike bees, this won’t kill them.

Paper Wasps

Paper wasps are large dark wasps with long legs. They build open nests that are found high up in the soffit or dormer area of structures. They will nest under grill covers and in garden sheds. Their population can grow very large because the queen can live through the winter and her nest will be built in the same house next year.

Wasps will also hibernate in the winter and move their nest every year. This means you’re more likely to come across a wasp nest in an area you thought was safe. Bees tend to stay in one area and rely on that hive for a long time. You know where bees might be year after year, but you can’t be so sure where wasps will make their nest in different months.

Bald-Faced Hornets

They are large and black with white markings. They tend to have very large nests with a single queen and female sterile workers. They produce new queens and males late in the season. The queens will find a safe place for the winter and a new nest starts the following spring.

Yellow Jackets

Chances are good you’ve seen them at barbecues in the summer and fall. They have a thin, bright yellow and black appearance. Yellowjackets are so common at picnics that they have a nickname: “meat bees.” Make no mistake, though. Yellowjackets are wasps. Where bees can only sting you once, wasps can latch on and sting you multiple times. That’s a bad combination, and yellow jackets are some of the most aggressive wasps.

The golden rule for yellow jackets is that if you leave them alone, they’ll leave you alone. If you see them outdoors at a picnic, don’t swat at them. This will aggravate them and they’ll become aggressive. Not only this, but if you crush a wasp, it releases a chemical that draws other wasps to its location. This is a survival mechanism that signals wasps to investigate a threat. There are circumstances where you can’t leave them alone, though. A yellow jacket trapped inside isn’t safe, especially if you’re caring for a baby, the elderly, or pets. You can’t leave a nest alone either.

Aside from being an eye-catching yellow, particularly aggressive, and way too interested in your plate of food, one other thing makes yellow jackets unique. They live underground.