Stinging Insects

What are stinging insects?

Stinging insects are insects that use a venom-filled stinger to defend themselves. Stinging insects are often described either as beneficial or unwanted, depending on where they build their nests. When nesting outside and away from people, stinging insects are beneficial, and are responsible for pollinating plants and crops. Predatory species control populations of nuisance insects. When stinging insects build their nests near homes, they become unwanted pests because the likelihood of a sting occurring greatly increases.

Carpenter bees
Carpenter bees are large in size, black and yellow in color, and are often mistaken for bumble bees. Carpenter bees have smooth, shiny, black abdomens, unlike bumble bees, whose abdomens are yellow and hairy.

Ground bees
Ground bees are more often identified by where they nest, not by how they look. As their name describes, ground bees live in the ground. These bees are typically solitary, creating individual nests. They build their nests in the dirt, abandoned animal nests, or in ground-level objects like rotting logs or tree stumps.

Hornets
The only true hornet found in the United States is the European hornet. European hornets are long and full-bodied. They are brown with yellow stripes on their abdomen. Their face is pale in color. Unlike most species of stinging insects, European hornets can be active at night.

Wasps
Wasps' appearance is species-dependent, but in general, most have two pairs of wings and a cinched waist. Wasps are usually void of body hair. Common examples of wasps include paper wasps and yellow jackets. Despite their name, bald-faced hornets are also a type of wasp.

Yellow jackets
Yellow jackets are a predatory species of stinging insect that feed on a variety of other insects. Yellow jackets have segmented, hairless bodies, and distinct thin waists. When at rest, their wings fold laterally against their bodies. The yellow jacket’s face and head is a blend of black and yellow. Their bodies have a well-defined black and yellow striped pattern on them.

Are stinging insects dangerous?

Stinging insects have the potential to be dangerous. While not all species of stinging insects are aggressive, they all have the ability to deliver painful, venom-filled stings. Their venom is powerful enough to trigger serious allergic reactions and anaphylaxis in some people, which requires immediate medical attention.

Why do I have a stinging insect problem?

Stinging insects are nesting and feeding on your property because it is offering them what they need to thrive. Stinging insects, depending on their exact species feed on a variety of items, including insects, proteins, nectar, sweets, and honeydew. Compost piles, garbage cans, gardens, flowering vegetation, untreated wooden structures (carpenter bees), clogged gutters, outdoor eating areas, bird baths, and ponds all attract stinging insects. Stinging insects can become a problem on almost any property. Contact a professional to remove a nest that has been placed in a dangerous location on your your northern New Jersey property.