Stinging Insect Identification Guide
What are stinging insects?
Stinging insects are insects that defend themselves with a stinger located at the end of its abdomen. While stinging insects can be dangerous, they are also beneficial. Predatory species, such as wasps, help to reduce populations of nuisance and garden pests, while other species are responsible for pollinating our flowers, plants, and crops. Stinging insects look very similar, but there are many different species, all with their unique looks and behaviors.
In our area, wasps, carpenter bees, mud daubers, hornets, and yellow jackets are species that frequent our properties. Carpenter bees and mud daubers are solitary species, while wasps, hornets, and yellow jackets are social and live together in large groups.
Are stinging insects dangerous?
One thing that most people have in common is that when they see stinging insects coming towards them, they move out of the way. This natural reaction occurs for good reason: stinging insects can deliver painful and dangerous stings. The venom stinging insects possess is strong enough to trigger reactions in people. Those who are very allergic can experience a mild reaction or a very severe reaction that has the potential to be life-threatening. At the very least, a sting will produce a raised, red, painful welt that will last for hours or days.
In addition to the health risks they pose, stinging insects are also damaging pests. Carpenter bees create tunnels and nesting galleries in wood that, over time, causes structural damage. Also, if stinging insects place their nest behind a home's walls, it may attract other insects. Once they abandon the nest, it will begin to decay and damage walls and insulation.
Why do I have a stinging insect problem?
Unfortunately, stinging insects are most problematic in the spring and summer season when the weather is warm. During this time of year, people and stinging insects are both outside and active, increasing the chances of coming into contact with each other. Stinging insects will nest anywhere that provides a sheltered space to build their nests, easy access to food, and water sources.
Where will I find stinging insects?
Most outdoor spaces in urban areas, suburban areas, and rural areas provide nesting sites for stinging insects. They place their nests in trees, between rock crevices, in caves, on utility poles, under bridges, and on buildings. Stinging insects that nest under or on the ground, nest under shrubbery, dense vegetation, in naturally occurring ground holes, and inside the abandoned nests of small animals.
How do I get rid of stinging insects?
Stinging insects are difficult pests to control and eliminate. If you are experiencing problems with stinging insects in your Oklahoma, Kansas, or Arkansas home or business, let the professionals at BugBros Pest Control help. We take pride in offering the consistent and convenient services needed to eliminate pests and prevent them from returning. We dedicate ourselves to providing our customers with a pest-free environment that can be enjoyed by family and friends. We kill bugs and create #CrazyHappyCustomers!
How can I prevent stinging insects in the future?
Let the professionals at BugBros in conjunction with our helpful prevention tips help you avoid problems with stinging insects:
- Keep moisture levels low in and around your home by fixing leaky pipes, removing areas of standing water, removing bird baths, and keeping gutters and downspouts free of debris.
- Cut back shrubbery and tree limbs from your home's exterior walls.
- Fill in ground holes on your property.
- Limit the flowering vegetation you have planted, especially near your home.
- Avoid stepping on stinging insects and getting stung by wearing shoes when walking around in the grass.
- After eating outside, make sure to clean up leftover food and drinks that could attract hungry stinging insects.
- Keep tight-fitting lids on trash cans and recycling bins.
- If you find a nest on your property, stay away from it until it is removed by a professional.
For more information about our stinging insect control services, reach out to BugBros today. We would love to work with you to ensure that your residential or commercial property is free of stinging insects and other pests!
1,500+ reviews
We're the highest-rated around because we're incredibly passionate about our craft. As a matter of fact, our Crazy Happy Customers have given us a perfect 5.0 rating on 1,500+ reviews. That's unheard of! See for yourself why our raving fans have placed us head & shoulders above the competition.
Erik arrived and immediately began getting all interior walls, not just the perimeter facing walls, as other companies have done in the past. For our property this is definitely needed because we have had some problems sealing everything due to the age of house. There are definitely ways pests... can access the interior walls from the roof, underground, etc., and other companies have acted like that could never happen and we were crazy for asking them to spray the fully interior facing walls. It was refreshing to see Erik get those areas without even being asked to do them. He also listened to our concerns from there, and went above and beyond by spraying some nontraditional areas like our storm cellar and attic. Again, due to the age of the house and past DIY projects from the former owners, these areas are not sealed properly, so this was necessary for us even though it is probably not needed in most homes. He explained everything he was doing and actually took his time to get all windows, exterior perimeter, porch areas, etc. We are very glad we switched to BugBros!read more
Excellent experience with this local pest control service. Highly recommend!
Always professional and polite. Also kind enough to tolerate my little blind four footed security force, LOL. Quick and easy but thorough.
We had Jon come here to treat our house. He was very polite and thorough. He also listened to us which so many service people don't do, I really did appreciated that. He was knowledgeable I was impressed with him and I highly recommend him!! Thank you for your service, Bug Brothers!!Mrs. Stinnett... ♥️read more
Had our initial visit from BugBros today! Erin the technician was on time and answered all of our questions. Erin gave us a breakdown of each thing he was doing and why. He was very professional and genuinely seemed excited to help us with our ant problem! Look forward to a long relationship... with BugBros!read more
The service is top quality and the guys are always friendly and helpful. I love that you can text them instead of calling to get a service call.
Took into account our puppies and clearly explained when it was safe for them to go outside.
I’ve had two treatments - one by Dustin and one by Erin - both outstanding service and friendliness!
Erin is always very nice and thorough. Explains what he’s doing and why. His services helps keep my home safe and clean which gives me peace of mind. Also, knowing I can call him to come out in between visits if needed is reassuring.Thank you Erin!!
Tech thoroughly explained what to expect. He was very knowledgeable, friendly and easy to talk to.
They did a great job. Very professional. The communication is great as well as the work. I would highly recommend this company!
Dustin was on time, informative, fast and effective.We added some sticky traps for those pesty Wolf Spiders.Would recommend
I am so relieved when they come to my home to spray because it's so much more than that. I know that my family & I will be taken care of completely.
When I moved into this house. I started having problems with roaches. No matter what I did or how many gel baits I had order to get rid of them. It was not working. I was seeing more and more. I can't even open my cabinets. They would be falling down from the cabinets. It had became that bad.... Talked to the husband and told him we needed help getting rid of them nasty roaches. I had called a few companies and came across bugs bros. Their rating was really good. It took me a week to decide to hired them and i have to say they were not a disappointment. If I remember right, June was the last treatment and we're in September. I have not seen any as much. I do see one here and there but I would killed them as soon as I see one. Other then that none so far. They had done a great job. Looking into calling them back for other problems soon. I would recommend them.The techs that came to spray the house was also really nice too. Justin who picks up the phones calls was pretty helpful. I believe there was this other dude who picks up too( cant remember his name). He wasn't so great. I called to ask about paying and he said it was already paid for and then I was like oh okay I didn't know but okay that's it. He didn't thanks me. He just hung up. I guess whatever.Also the reason why I took this long to write a review was because I wanted to test the treatments that was given to see how good was it. That way I know if they were worth going back to and once again they were really good. Thanks again bugs bro.read more
Jon let me know when he was on the way and answered all my questions as well as addressing all my concerns.
Erin was exceptional. Excellent time-management and interpersonal skills. He provided a level of customer service you don’t traditionally expect from this industry, I certainly didn’t. Truly amazing. I have absolute piece-of-mind that the job was done correctly, effectively and will be maintained... properly going forward.read more
Just got my first treatment, Erin was perfectly on time and very professional. He treated the entire inside and outside of the house quickly. He was informative and courteous.
Jon is outstanding he go's above and beyond couldn't be more happier with his work been a bugbros customer for a while now there a great company with fantastic employees
BugBros arrived on time, as usual. The tech, Erik, was incredibly thorough, and explained what he was doing to treat our insect issues, and why. This company has been great to deal with, and doesn’t hassle you if a follow up visit is needed for a persistent issue.
Erik did a great job. We have used Bug Bros for awhile now and they truly do take care of us; I have noticed a great difference at two different addresses.
Erik was very personable, kind and thorough. We were so impressed with him! This is our second time using Bug Brothers and both guys were outstanding! I’m so glad we switched companies. Thank you!
Jon was very professional and answered all my questions and explained everything he was doing. He did a great job and I would highly recommend this place to other people.
Jon did a great job spraying the house, answering any questions, and explaining the service.
I appreciate Erin’s help addressing the pantry moth problem we had been struggling with! BugBros pays careful attention to detail, and I appreciate it.
Thanks so much! Eric was great, very nice and professional. I do believe I am a Crazy Happy customer and so happy my poor bugs are dying! Thanks again! Belinda
Dustin’s the best! Dustin is very informative and let us know what he was doing every step of the way and provided a lot of good advice and tips. 10/10 recommend!
Came on time, did his work, and conferred with me to make sure everything I wanted was done. He is a great asset to your company, and I hope he is the one who comes next time I call.
I’ve been a customer for a couple of years and have always had a good experience with BugBros. I started seeing some bugs a couple of weeks out from my normal treatment time and they accommodated by treating early, the very next day. Jon was very communicative about the service time and he was... professional and personable. Professional people who make the bugs go away - that’s all I’m really looking for and that’s what I get!read more
Erik was great to work with, very knowledgeable and incredibly thorough! Would definitely recommend them to anyone looking for a pest control company.
Jon came and did the first spray for us he showed up early was fast and answered all of our questions. I'm very happy with BugBros!!! Thank you guys!!!
I tell you that Erik was very professional and friendly. And very respectfully worked very hard to check all our issues and some I didn't know was there.
Bugbros - kills bugs and helps keep them from coming back :)Ask for Erin, he knows his stuff! Was super nice and helpful.
The serviceman was extremely polite and very respectful. He listened to our requests and followed through without hesitation.
Erik was great. Quick efficient and friendly great service from bug bros. Definitely recommend
Every time and every employee that has ever come to my house to treat it has been extremely kind, helpful, trustworthy, knowledgeable and prompt. Very impressed and my home and property have never been better taken care of.
I would absolutely recommend Bug Bros to anyone needing pest control. Jon was the name of the guy that came out and he was great! They’re very professional and thorough. They make sure to answer any questions you may have and are in touch with you through the whole process from scheduling to the... time of service! Everyone I’ve spoken with here has been beyond pleasant to work with. 😊read more
I highly recommend this company! 10/10Erin was our pest control tech that came out. He was very nice and was extremely knowledgeable. Erin helped educate me about the bug problems on our property. He also found more termite damage that we didn’t know existed and pointed out structural concerns... caused by the termites. Neither of these were pointed out by our previous pest control company. BugBros definitely goes above and beyond.Thank you guys for coming out, we will definitely continue using your services.read more
OMG the service I received from Erin goes above Excellent, Fantastic, and more. He was very professional, helpful, and took time to answer a few questions. BugBros is the place for me. Give them a try you shouldn’t be disappointed. I didn’t want to say “you won’t be disappointed” because there are... some people you can’t please. Again, Fantastic Workread more
Amazing service from the start. We had our first treatment today done by Erin. He was very professional, friendly, and helpful to make sure to answer all questions we had. Everything exceeded our expectations and we are looking forward to having Bug Bros come back out again.
I just had one of my properties serviced by Erik and he did a great job! He was professional and on time which I appreciate. Overall I’m very pleased with this company and will continue to use them.
Dustin had great knowledge of the business and the company. He answered questions and dealt with concerns. He was professional and detailed. Matt from the office was great at scheduling, reminding and setting everything in motion. Great teamwork!
Dustin came out for our first house treatment and was punctual and exceeded our expectations! We had some exterior wasp nests up high on our two story house and Dustin knocked them all off and sprayed. He was efficient and very friendly. We are looking forward to more bug free days now with Bug... Bros!read more
Outstanding service from the start. Jon was super nice and helpful. He went over everything carefully with no hurry. You could tell he was trying his best to give us his complete attention. We are very happy with this company and see ourselves staying with them long term. Thanks for everything
Erik and everyone we worked with at Bug Bros were amazing! They were quick to respond and calmed my worries about the spiders we've found in our new home. Erik was professional, informative and thorough. Thanks to Bug Bros we can all sleep better at night!
Jon was awesome! He listened attentively to all my concerns and addressed them all appropriately. He explained everything thoroughly, and his confidence/assurance has put all my pest worries at ease.We also had a great conversation outside of the pest services, which really made me feel great... about my choice to go with BugBros. Highly recommend the company, and ask for Jon!read more
Jon was great! He took the time to answer all my questions- being a new 1st time homeowner I had quite a few. He was super informative and just had a good vibe. Thanks so much! Will definitely be requesting him to be the one to keep coming and doing our sprays!
Very well Done. Dustin let me know when he was coming, and we were able to quickly get him set up and my house treated. He was also extremely knowledgeable
Working with BugBros has been a great experience thus far! They were knowledgeable and insightful on our initial phone call and scheduled us same week for the first visit. Their technician was incredibly kind, thorough and showed up on time. After having a nightmare experience with Orkin, working... with a company who clearly cares about their clients and their homes has been a breath of fresh air. I look forward to working with them and will recommend them to friends and family.read more
We love them! Our technician Jon was very professional and arrived a few minutes before the appointment time. He talked me through everything and he was very helpful and kind. We saw amazing results with just our first treatment! I am very grateful for BugBros!!
Dustin did my most recent service and was friendly and had good insight to my pest problems. He listened to my pest treatment preferences and executed them like a professional. John and Erin, the other technicians that have treated my property in the past are much of the same. Good at what they do!... Bug bros is a company worth trying.read more
I just finished up my appointment with Erin to get a routine spray, and I am very happy! He was prompt, thorough, and very kind! He explained all he was doing, and had great knowledge. I will definitely be using this company again in the future. Thanks again Erin for your work and professionalism!
Erin was amazing! He was flexible when I had to change my time at the last minute, explained things thoroughly, and worked quickly and thoroughly. I highly recommend bug bros!
Alante was very professional and informative! I met him on my lunch break from work and he was done with front yard, back yard, and inside my home within 30 minutes or so. He answered all my questions I had! It was my first spray and it seems the fleas are less on my dog. Will update once they are... completely gone.read more
We were at our wits end with our rodent problem. Nothing was working and we tried everything to no avail. I researched the best exterminators in Tulsa and bug bros was highly rated. I made an inquiry online and a representative called me 20 minutes later. The rep described the services and... scheduled a visit from a tech for the very next day. The tech was very professional and friendly. It has been 6 days since the visit and the rodent activity has ceased completely. There is NO smell from dying rodents and we are so relieved. These guys are the real deal and a small business worth supporting.read more
After using other pest control companies in the Tulsa area, I can honestly say I was surprised by BugBros Pest Control! The technician, Jon Erickson, was very kind, courteous, conscientious, knowledgeable and so helpful. I view service or repair companies as part of my domestic engineering team... and try to educate myself in those areas to know when to seek their help early before a problem become a major issue. Technicians who are willing to answer your questions as they go, rather than preferring to be left alone, are of great value to me. And Jon is exactly that kind of technician! He explained everything along with what I might be seeing after the treatment, and what to expect in the coming weeks. He also took the time to knock down all my spider webs on the exterior of my ranch style home! What a blessing!! Also, the BugBros website, quick communications, online account, etc., is superior to any other company I have used! They really care and have great customer service skills! I’m so grateful to have found BugBros!read more
BugBros has been an absolute fabulous company to communicate and work with over the last several months. We have enjoyed every technician that’s been sent out, but we really appreciate and want to acknowledge Erin! He is always so thorough, respectful, and joyful every time he enters our home.We... appreciate all of you. We will 100% keep recommending this company to family & friends!Thanks for getting rid of our unwanted critters!read more
Erin is knowledgeable & courteous. Patience while efficient. The service experience is top-notch. We appreciate the spray has no odor at all and so effective. We saw a dead fly within the hour already. Can't wait to have a home without pest. Highly recommended!
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