Why it’s important to identify stinging insects on your property.

While most pests become a concern because of food contamination, damage to your home, and carrying disease, what many people truly fear are the stinging insects. Even if you’re not allergic, getting stung can be extremely painful, especially for children and pets.

To keep your household safe, it’s important that you learn how to identify stinging insects. Let’s look at the most common insects you’ll find in Florida and then briefly discuss how you can protect your home, and yourself!

How to Identify Stinging Insects

If you want to protect your household members and visitors from getting stung, you must first learn how to identify stinging insects so that you’ll recognize there’s a problem. Here are the six most common types that you’re likely to come across in Florida:

Yellow Jackets

As the name suggests, these flying insects are typically yellow and black in appearance, though some may be white and black. Yellow jacket colonies can include a few thousand workers, which makes them quite dangerous if they’re on your property. They’re attracted to sweets and proteins, which means they’re likely to invade any outdoor events where food is being served.

Paper Wasps

Typically black or brown in color, paper wasps may also have yellow or orange markings, or a combination of both. Their long legs hang down in flight and they have a smooth stinger that allows them to sting a victim repeatedly. In other words, this is something you want to stay away from. The slightly good news is that they live in small colonies, which makes them a bit less threatening than yellow jackets.

Honey Bees

Definitely the least dangerous on our list because they’re far less aggressive than wasps and hornets, honey bees can be identified by their small bulbous bodies. Although they’re necessary for pollination, you should still be concerned of either a person or pet in your household getting stung. A professional pest control company will be able to remove them from your property to avoid any painful incidences. It’s important to note that these insects are important for the global ecosystem, so removing them from a property is preferred to killing them.

Bald-Faced Hornets

Despite their name, bald-faced hornets aren’t actually hornets at all. They’re much closer to yellow jackets and paper wasps. Their moniker comes from the fact that their large size and body design resemble hornets, plus an off-white color pattern on their face that makes them look “bald.” These stinging insects are quite aggressive and their nests can include between 300 and 400 members.

Mud Daubers

These black wasps have elongated bodies and yellow markings. They’re the most unique insect on this list because they’re a solitary species, which means that spotting one doesn’t necessarily indicate a nearby infestation. Their nests are also unique because they’re made of mud and other organic materials, which is obviously where their name comes from. If you see one, look for its nest and then call a professional because there may be a female inside with a bunch of eggs waiting to hatch.

What to Do About Stinging Insects

Now that you’ve learned how to identify stinging insects, it’s important that you take care of them right away. First, always keep an eye out for these winged creatures. If you spot just one or two on your property, check everywhere for a possible nest. If you discover one, let everyone in your household know to stay away from it, especially your children, and keep your pets inside. Finally, don’t try to remove a nest yourself. Instead, call a professional exterminator to rid your house of the problem.

Call ProHealth for Organic Pest Control in Clearwater

It’s a lot easier to avoid getting stung once you’ve learned to identify stinging insects that may be found on your property. If you have any issues with stinging insects, call ProHealth Pest Control at (727) 222-6019 for assistance. We handle residential and commercial pest control issues, including cockroach control, rodent control, mosquito control, spider control, bed bug control, and ant control in Clearwater.