Stinging Bugs

Live Sting-Free with Pointe!

Pointe Pest Control is committed to keeping your home pest-free in every season. Our team of experienced and state-certified technicians are dedicated to providing safe and effective pest control services for the Western Illinois and Eastern Missouri areas. If a pest problem is not completely resolved after a visit, our technicians will return until it is eliminated.

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The Sting of the Seasons

Flowery Stinging Pests

This group of insects is often seen hovering around flowery plants, and it is not just for the spring aesthetic. Most species primarily eat flower nectar and bring some back to their colony. Stinging pests are largely eusocial, meaning that the queen produces the eggs and the rest of the colony provides the food and cares for the young.

The foraging insects need to get close enough to the flower’s nectaries to actually collect the nectar, which means their bodies accumulate pollen as they go along. Any insect that consumes nectar, like butterflies and moths, also pollinate the gardens they visit. But stinging pests remain the most efficient pollinators, with bees in the number one spot.

Although pollination is essential for the survival of vegetation, it does not mean that their nests are fine to leave up in the yard. It is best to have the nest removed as early as possible, before the workers have more time to expand it. Contact Pointe Pest Control today to receive thorough pest control and rest easy knowing that your home is free of stinging pests.

Three Common Stingers

Thousands of critters with stingers have been discovered, but there are three common species that Pointe Pest Control technicians treat for every year:

Wasps – Vespidae

Wasps are a group of insects that have a skinny body structure with a pinched waist. Many have black and yellow stripes on their abdomens, but there are also metallic and fully black varieties. While there are solitary wasp species, social wasps are common invaders of gardens and suburban areas. The queens become fertilized before the cooler weather to produce the new generation of female workers that will likely die off before the next winter. The two main categories of wasps are predatory and parasitic. The parasitic varieties lay their eggs in living critters to give the larvae a fresh food source, while predatory wasps prefer to kill and share their insect prey with their young.

Hornets – Vespa

The demeanor of a hornet mainly depends on their species. European hornets, known for their red-tinted heads and appendages, are relatively docile until their nest is disrupted. Conversely, baldfaced hornets have white faces and a bad attitude. Both varieties craft their nests out of chewed wooden fibers, but baldfaced hornets keep them high in the trees while European hornets like the hidden spaces in between walls and in attics. The queens overwinter to build their new nests in the spring, which will soon be filled with thousands of hornet workers that take over every constructive task for the remainder of the warm seasons.

Yellow Jackets – Vespula vulgaris

It can be easy to mistake a yellow jacket for another wasp species upon first glance, since they have similar stripes. But yellow jackets are appropriately named, thanks to the blocks of yellow on their abdomens and golden legs. Their body-length wings allow them to zip around their habitat, hunting for protein and sugar. Yellow jackets are often seen hanging around trash cans and containers of sugary beverages, as they enjoy any kind of meat and sweet treat. This is why they also have nickname “meat bees.” These aggressive pests like to keep their nests in hidden spaces along the ground, which makes it unfortunately easy for someone to accidentally unsettle.

Whether the stinging pests in your yard keep their nest in the trees or on the ground, Pointe Pest Control is here to eliminate every defensive pest in the colony.

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Initial Service

We use EPA-approved products to treat the affected area and remove nests when necessary.

Quarterly Services

We will treat your home quarterly to prevent your persistent stinging pests.

Pest-Free Guarantee

With this service, we treat Stinging Bugs and over 40 different pests. We always guarantee our results.

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Nests of Stinging Pests

Since most stinging pests live in huge colonies, they need nests large enough to house every caste. Every species has their own preferences, but they all generally use the same creation methods. Some stinging insects, like baldfaced hornets and paper wasps, craft their nests out of their own saliva mixed with cellulose-based materials. Both like to stay above ground and hang their nests from trees, overhangs, and sheds. The paper wasp keeps the nest cells uncovered and wide enough for eggs, while baldfaced hornets keep their long, gray nests completely enclosed, save for one entry point.

Yellow jackets also create their nests from chewed cellulose items, but they primarily keep their nests underground. They are often marked by one entry hole when below ground, but they can also craft papery nests under eaves and behind walls. Mud daubers are the odd wasp out, as their nests are just mud tubes stacked together in a sheltered area. They are often under eaves or in attics and sheds. These nests are all reasons why it is important to check under overhangs and in sparsely-used areas for any nests. All stinging pests are incredibly defensive when it comes to their colonies, so getting too close to their nests could be detrimental. When it comes to nest removal, nobody provides caring services quite like Pointe Pest Control.

Be Smart About Stings

Despite what the cartoons led us to believe, stinging insects do not hunt people down. They will only sting if they feel that their nest or colony is threatened. Each sting involves the pest injecting their venom into the person. Bees die after one sting, but other insects can continue stinging repeatedly. A person’s physical reaction to an insect sting varies greatly, depending on whether or not they are allergic. Thousands of people visit the emergency room for insect stings every year!

The average person will experience mild symptoms, including itching, swelling, redness, warmth, and pain all on the site. The sting will typically go down within a few days with the help of ice packs, soap and water, and topical creams. If the sting is in a highly-sensitive area, like the nose or mouth, the symptoms may be greater and medical attention should be sought immediately. However, if the person is allergic to insect stings, they will experience dangerous symptoms. The most common ones include tightness and/or tickling in the throat, trouble breathing, nausea, dizziness, hives, and flushing. If a person who is allergic is stung, it is crucial to get medical attention immediately. The best ways to avoid being stung are to wear insect repellant, shoes, and dark-colored clothing when spending more time outdoors.

Pointe Pest Control Knows Stinging Pests

There is no time to waste when eliminating stinging pests. The longer that they are left alone, the more eggs the queen can produce and the workers can expand the nest. Our technicians will inspect the property upon arrival to ensure that every pest presence is addressed. Before performing any kind of treatments for stinging pests, our team dons protective suits. By keeping themselves safe, our technicians can remove and treat every inch of the stinging pest habitat that is lower than the height of the roof. We value your safety above all, so our team will not leave any stinging pest untreated. You can count on us for quality pest control and caring technicians every time!

Our services use Integrated Pest Management, or IPM. This method uses both chemical and non-chemical treatments to ensure that every aspect of the problem is solved. Our technicians will remove the nests as safely as possible, then spray our EPA-approved products onto the site to prevent any remaining pests from creating a new nest.

The safety of you and your family is of the utmost importance to us. We will not leave a job incomplete or any nests untreated. When you schedule our services, you can be sure that you will only receive thorough inspections and tailored treatments that solve every pest problem at hand. Contact Pointe Pest Control today to schedule your first appointment!

Professional and worth every penny

Pest control technician arrived promptly, effectively took out a large hornet’s nest from our property as well as addressed a growing box elder bug problem on our property. Very friendly, professional and worth every penny.

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Stinging Bugs

Stinging Bugs

Live Sting-Free with Pointe!

FREE PEST CONTROL QUOTE

The Sting of the Seasons

Flowery Stinging Pests

Three Common Stingers

Call an Expert Today!

Initial Service

Quarterly Services

Pest-Free Guarantee

Nests of Stinging Pests

Be Smart About Stings

Pointe Pest Control Knows Stinging Pests

Professional and worth every penny

Free Pest Control Quote

Contact Us Form

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Email Us

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services

customer care

Email Us

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