The classification of stinging and biting insects is a catchall grouping for solitary or social pests that sting or bite. Solitary species are those whose members live independently of each other, such as mosquitoes, carpenter bees, cicada killers and mud daubers. Social insects live together in colonies or nests consisting of workers, queens and periodically males. Common social species include bumble bees, hornets, paper wasps and yellow jackets.

Summer is when most of us or bothered by stinging and biting pests. In fact, stinging insects alone send more than half a million people to the emergency room every year. And, mosquitoes can transmit potentially fatal diseases like West Nile virus, dengue fever and malaria.

Mosquitoes

Most people don’t know, only female mosquitoes bite humans, as they need blood to reproduce. They find hosts by detecting body heat and chemical signals, such as the carbon dioxide we exhale. Studies have found that mosquitoes are generally attracted to dark colors, women, beer drinkers and smelly feet.

Wasps

Wasps feed on sweet liquids and are even known to get drunk off fermenting juice in the late summer. This is why we are bothered when trying to BBQ or picnic. In the autumn, inseminated females will seek places to spend the winter, and may move inside the home, especially if there is a cathedral ceiling present.

European Hornets

European hornets live in colonies that may contain between 200-400 members. They tend to appear in late summer and, unlike most other stinging insects, are active at night. European hornets are attracted to light and will repeatedly bang into lighted windows when it’s dark outside.

Yellow Jackets

We have all encountered a yellow jacket at one time or another in our life. These are the most common and abundant stinging pest that is known to bother man. Yellow jackets live in colonies with up to 4,000 workers, so it’s not surprising that their nests can grow to very large sizes. These pests can make nests in the ground, in a bush, below ground, in the wall of your home or just about anywhere.

If you are bothered by biting and stinging pests or find a hive, be sure to contact All County Pest Control for removal and control, we do not recommend attacking this problem on your own