With warm weather finally coming to New York and Long Island, the buzz outside is back. Spring is when bees, wasps, yellow jackets and hornets proliferate. This is prime hive building and food gathering time for New York’s most common stinging insects. Don’t let your home or commercial property get infested. Keeping a sharp lookout now can save you expense—and painful stings—later.
Common New York and Long Island Stinging Insects
Yellow Jackets:
This species of wasp packs a punch. Bright yellow and black, they are aggressive when they feel threatened and can sting repeatedly. They love a cookout where they are attracted by meat and sweet smells.
Hornets:
Like yellow jackets, hornets are vicious and can attack in large swarms. Killing a hornet near its nest can cause it to secrete a pheromone that can provide a mass attack. Use extreme caution when dealing with this pest. Keep pets and children away.
Honey Bees and Bumble Bees:
These beneficial insects become a problem when they nest in or near your home or business. Honey bees are more aggressive, but bumble bees sting, too. Left unchecked, a nest can number into the thousands of individuals.
Digger Wasps:
Called “cicada killers,” these wasps are considered beneficial predators of commercial pests like grasshoppers and cicadas. They fly low and nest in the ground. While they usually don’t sting humans, a ground nest near your home or where pets and children are present can create a problem. Other wasps to watch out for in New York and Long Island are paper wasps and mud daubers.
Getting Rid of Bees, Wasps and Yellow Jackets
Getting rid of bees, wasps and yellow jackets by yourself can be tough. You are, of course, in danger of getting stung. You might also fail to really deal with the problem. Common sprays kill the individuals you see, but rarely impact the entire nest. Different species have different nesting habits and need different treatments. If you don’t close off the nest, the hive can return.
Dealing with this problem early does not have to be expensive. All stinging insects are covered under Knockout’s annual pest control KO-12 program.
Knockout Pest Control Can Knock Out a Bee, Hornet, Yellow Jacket or Wasp Problem
Knockout Pest Control is your local expert at knocking out all kinds of bee and wasp problems–and we keep them down for the count. Every member of our team receives over 100 hours of classroom instruction and in-the-field training so you are guaranteed a knockout punch to your pest problem every time. We serve all of Long Island, New York City, and Westchester and Rockland Counties. Call 1-800-244-PEST or 1-800-244-7378 We respond like every pest problem is an emergency with fast, 24 hour service seven days a week. We don’t have the big red boxing glove in our logo for nothing!