Stinging insects cause a plethora of issues every summer as they invade the Albany area. Stinging insects have a bad reputation for causing a lot of pain when they inject their stinger into their victim. When stung, you could be left with raised welts that are painful and potentially dangerous if you are allergic to their venom. Some of these stinging insects have smooth stingers and are capable of stinging over and over again. Others have barbed stingers and can only sting once because they leave their stinger behind in their victim. In any case, you don’t want them to sting, and you don’t want them to build their nests too close to your home either.

Many stinging insects are essential for our eco-system as they can pollinate plants, flowers, and crops. Some of them will eat other insects, reducing the number of nuisance insects in and around your home. They live in large numbers together in nests in trees, on the ground, or in holes, depending on the species. Although they can be good for the environment, it is best if they are not in your direct living space where people and pets can be stung or bothered by them. The most common stinging insects in Albany are honey bees, bald-faced hornets, yellow jackets, carpenter bees, and cicada killers.

Honey bees are the best pollinators, but they can also cause a painful sting. You will want to have a professional relocate honey bee nests so that they can continue to pollinate, but not in close proximity to your home. You will recognize a honey bee by their roundish fuzzy appearance with yellow and dark brown to black bands.

Bald-faced hornets are not actually hornets and are more closely related to the yellow-jacket, which are a type of wasp. These stinging insects are aggressive and will attack when they think their nest is being threatened. These are the ones with smooth stingers that can sting you repeatedly. Bald-faced hornets have a white patterned face with a thin black body and 6 legs.

Yellow jackets are also dangerous and even more aggressive, as they will defend themselves and their nest at all costs. Their smooth stingers allow these pests to sting their victim over and over again. They are a type of wasp that builds their nest in the ground, and they are extremely social. When you mess with one, you mess with the whole crew! Yellow jackets are often mistaken for honey bees due to their similar yellow and black bands, but they are not fuzzy like the honey bee.

The female carpenter bee is not as likely to sting unless directly threatened or handled, and the male carpenter bees cannot sting at all. But, the male will try to keep you away from their nesting areas by flying in a threatening manner around your body. Carpenter bees will create tunnels inside wood to make their nests. They can make their tunnels in the exterior of your home, causing damage; and woodpeckers will join in to feed on the larvae, causing even more damage. Carpenter bees are large and have shiny abdomens. The males are black and orange, whereas the females are all black. They are not very social and will live alone, but many females can nest in the same piece of wood.

Cicada killers are similar to carpenter bees, as they are solitary creatures and not very aggressive. They are a type of wasp that is reddish-brown to black with yellow stripes with brownish wings.

If you are experiencing any of these stinging insects in your Albany yard, you should contact a professional right away. It is not a good idea to try to knock down, remove, or relocate a stinging insect nest by yourself. The experienced crew at Thomas Pest Services is here to help. We have experts that are specifically trained and that know how to protect your family, your friends, and your pets from stinging insects in your own backyard. Give us a call today at Thomas Pest Services for effective stinging insect control in Albany, NY.