Stinging Insects

Stinging insects, such as bees, wasps and hornets, have been known to ruin many an outdoor party. In extreme cases, sting victims may find themselves at the doctor’s office or worse. With the exception of honey bees (more on that below), these insects cause very little structural damage, however they do pose a very serious health threat and need to be treated with a great deal of caution.

Wasps are 1/2 to 1 inch in length, reddish brown to black in color with yellow “rings” around the abdomen and construct an upside-down, open nest in which the brood cells are exposed.

Hornets can range from 5/8 to 3/4 of an inch long, black with white or yellow markings and are virtually hairless. They construct an enclosed paper nest which can vary from the size of a golf ball to the size of a basketball or larger.

Bumble bees are generally 3/8 to 3/4 of an inch in size with a very hairy, robust body. They are usually black and yellow in color although they often times will have orange or white bands as well. These bees will usually construct their nests in concealed areas such as ground cavities, woodpiles, abandoned furniture and wall voids of structures.

Honey bees can range from 3/8 to 5/8 of an inch long with coloring that ranges from yellow to black. The abdomen of the honey bee will often times be striped or banded, although solid coloring is not unusual. Similar to bumble bees, the honey bee prefers nesting in concealed areas such as hollow trees and wall voids of homes. However, nests constructed within a building should be removed once the insects have been eliminated since the high volume of honey these bees produce can cause structural damage if left to ferment within the walls.

* Because of the inherent danger associated with stinging insects, we strongly recommend utilizing the services of a professional pest control company. Braman’s staff of pest control technicians are all properly trained and well equipped to eliminate these problems.

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