We’ve been there—an ominous, buzzing sound much too near your ear. That aggressive, zooming fly-by returning and circling you with intent. The squirming, little, dark-winged figure you realize with horror is on the inside of the windshield and not the outside. The rush of adrenaline suddenly washes over you, strips away your rationality, your calm, and your dignity, and the apprehension tightens your throat. It’s the paralyzing fear of being stung, and it’s one of the most commonly-shared fears in the world.
Perhaps your terror of choice is melissophobia, a fear of bees. Or maybe it’s spheksophobia, a fear of wasps. Either way, it’s a fear that will send the safest of drivers swerving erratically in traffic, scare a child into a refusal to venture outside, and elicit a soprano-like screech from a muscle-bound, 300-pound linebacker.
If you happen to live in Michigan, your fears are well justified. There are over 60 different species of stinging insects in the state. The most common ones are Paper Wasps, Yellowjackets, Honeybees, Carpenter Bees, and Bald-Faced Hornets.
Paper Wasps do just what their name implies—they collect wooden fibers and chew them into a pulpy mash, creating a paper-like substance to build their nests with. They average about an inch in length, and their colors are typically black and yellow but can be reddish or brown. Interestingly, studies have shown that Paper Wasps with more bright yellow in their bodies are more venomous than their less colorful cohorts. They build their nests in the shrubbery, trees, and building corners. They are not particularly aggressive unless their nests are threatened, but then watch out—these wasps deliver an excruciating sting.
Yellowjackets are wasps about half an inch in length with alternating bands of black and yellow (or sometimes white) across their abdomens. These social, predatory insects are probably the most troublesome and disliked of any other stinging insect in Michigan. They do not pollinate, and they are highly aggressive and are known to sting unprovoked. Thanks to the smooth design of their stingers, they can (and will) sting you over and over again. These wasps have a reputation for victimizing more beneficial insects like Honeybees, invading, killing, and destroying their hives. They are also paper nest builders, and will nest anywhere, rural and urban settings alike. Unfortunately for us, they love sweets and meats and are attracted to the same types of foods we ourselves eat. They are infamous picnic crashers and will even swill your beer. In general, Yellowjackets are a bad-tempered bug.
The Bald-Faced Hornet, much like the doctor who tells you, “Don’t worry, this won’t hurt a bit,” is a bald-faced liar! He’s not a hornet at all, but a wasp in disguise. They look similar to a yellowjacket but with distinctive white markings on the head and body, hence the “bald” moniker. This wasp is very similar in behavior and traits to the Yellowjacket as well. With a devious trick all its own—it can squirt venom from its stinger into the eyes of its victim, causing temporary blindness!
One thing these stinging insects have in common is their preference for nesting in and around human habitats. Beyond the fear they invoke and the painfulness of their sting, they also pose serious health risks. They carry a variety of infectious diseases that can be spread to humans, and of course, there is the ever-present danger of allergic reactions. The anaphylactic shock brought on by bee and wasp stings causes an average of 62 deaths each year, and the CDC warns that that number is on the rise.
So, what do you do if you’ve encountered stinging insects, or found a nest in or near your home? For your own safety, do not attempt to kill the insects or remove a nest. Your best bet is to contact a professional pest control company for assistance. If you are in need of an expert in St Joseph, Cass, Kalamazoo, or Branch County in Michigan, no one is better at stinging insect control and removal that Stratex Pest Control. As the top-rated leader in pest control, we have the training, experience, and resources to get the job done right. So please don’t wait, give us a buzz today and let us take care of the problem.