Stinging Pests
Honey Bees
Apis spp.
Description: The body is brownish-orange and covered with branched pale hairs that form a fuzzy coat. Honeybees are 1/2 to 5.8 inch long. The eyes legs and stripes on abdomens are black.
Life Cycle: Egg » larva » pupa » adult
Where to Look: They will nest in walls, between floors, in tree hollows or any cavity or void found in a building. Swarms may congregate on the branches of a tree or shrub to rest while the colony searches for a new nesting site. Swarms usually are docile and not likely to be aggressive. Normally, bees sting only when protecting their nest. Bees nesting in buildings can pose a nuisance and/or health threat and should be removed. Bees are beneficial, pollinating flowering plants while gathering pollen and nectar.
Cicada Killer Wasp
Sphecius speciosus
Description: These nonsocial wasps are up to 1 5/8 inches long. They have a rusty to black head and thorax, black abdomen segments, russet yellow wings and yellowish legs.
Life Cycle: Egg » larva » pupa » adult
Where to Look: These wasps tunnel in the soil, preferring bare ground yard areas without much ground cover (e.g., flower beds). Adult wasps are abundant in areas where high numbers of exist. The adults are seen primarily in mid-to late summer. The tunnel entrance can be marked with sizable piles of excavated soil.
Paper wasps
Polistes spp.
Description: These social wasps have black, red, yellow or brown markings, depending on the species. They may be a uniform color or multicolored and are 5/8 to 3/4 inch long. The head usually is pointed at the apex. They are long-legged, and the first abdominal segment is conical.
Life Cycle: Egg » larva » pupa » adult
Where to Look: They are found in protected areas, overhangs, trees, shrubs, walls or structures. The nests are single or multiple layers of paper six-sided cells. They are predators of spiders and soft-bodies insects. They usually are not aggressive to people and are beneficial predators of insects, but they will become aggressive if the nest is disturbed or approached too closely.
Yellowjacket Wasps
Vespula spp.
Description: The body is yellow and black. They are 3/8 to 5/8 inch long. The abdomen usually is banded with yellow and black. They have a characteristic side-to-side motion when hovering or before they land and are often confused with honeybees.
Life Cycle: Egg » larva » pupa » adult
Where to Look: They nest in cavities in the ground or hollow spaces behind landscape retaining walls. The irregularly shaped, paper nests may also be found above ground in structures or in other protected sites. They will scavenge where food is found – trash cans, picnic areas, outdoor gatherings and around playground equipment. Entrances to nests are marked by fast-flying workers entering and leaving the nest. They usually are slow to sting, but workers will become very aggressive if you approach the nest.