Flying Insect Nests: Guide to Identification | The Bug's End (2024)

• Insect Facts

Yellowjackets come in a variety of species, all of which typically feature a black and yellow head as well as a patterned abdomen. These gregarious insects are most active in the late summer and early fall. They can have nests or colonies with up to 4,000 members. Yellowjackets are known to invade outdoor gatherings like barbecues because they dine on sugars and proteins.

• Nest Recognition

Anywhere there are people, Yellowjackets and their nests can be discovered. Both above and below ground, you can find their paper carton nests made of cellulose that has been chewed up by other animals. Nests above ground can be built in voids in building walls, under eaves, or in attics. Most underground nests have a tiny, imperceptible entrance hole. Remember that yellowjackets can travel up to hundreds of feet from their nest, so it might not always be visible when you first come across the insect.

• Threats to Health

Yellowjackets can repeatedly sting when they attack because their stinger is smooth. Homeowners should be careful to avoid any nests because they are aggressive and will sting if they feel threatened.

• Insect Facts

The moniker “bald-faced hornet” refers to the insect’s predominantly white face and dark body. They are most obviously active during the day and reside in colonies with 100 to 400 members. Unlike other stinging insects, this species typically first appears in the late summer and does not return to the same nests year after year. Instead, fresh colony members create fresh nests every year.

• Nest Recognition

Bald-faced hornets raise their paper nests three feet or more above the ground. Typically, you can find these flying insect nests in trees, bushes, overhangs, houses, and sheds. Bald-faced hornet nests can measure more than 24 inches in length and up to 14 inches in diameter. Their grey aerial nests are enclosed, in contrast to the open cone nest form utilized by other stinging insects like yellowjackets and paper wasps.

• Threats to Health

Because they are aggressive, bald-faced hornets will sting anything or anybody that enters their hive. They may repeatedly sting with their silky stingers, just like yellowjackets can. These insects have venom in their stings that cause pain, itching, and swelling for around 24 hours.

• Insect Facts

The name “paper wasp” comes from the substance that was used to construct their nests. The unique design of their nests has led to another name for them—”umbrella wasps.” This species consumes nectar, as well as other insects like flies and caterpillars, and lives in small colonies. They emerge in the spring and resemble yellow jackets in terms of body structure, but they are primarily brown in color.

• Nest Recognition

This species frequently constructs nests in yards of residential properties that hang from things like trees, porch ceilings, deck floor joists, and more. They lay eggs in uncovered, open compartments in their umbrella-shaped nests.

• Threats to Health

Although paper wasps are not naturally hostile, they will still strike if they are agitated or if their nest is in danger. They can hurt you quite painfully and make you allergic to them. Normally, sting wounds turn red and swell.

• Insect Facts

The term “mud dauber” refers to wasps that build their nests out of the mud. The United States is home to numerous species, including open pipe and black-and-yellow mud daubers. Since mud dauber wasps are solitary wasps, they don’t have colonies. However, in some favorable situations, there could be more than one mud dauber nest. Adults consume honeydew, spiders, and plant nectar as food.

• Nest Recognition

Mud daubers build their nests out of mud, as their name suggests. These stinging insects’ nests are often composed of short or long mud tubes that are stacked one on top of the other, depending on the species. In addition to within garages, sheds, and attics, mud daubers frequently construct their nests in sheltered areas such as beneath porch ceilings or eaves.

• Threats to Health

Much less aggressive than yellowjackets or bald-faced hornets, mud daubers rarely sting. If provoked, they might sting, though.

• Insect Facts

Africanized honey bees are aggressive stinging insects that have been known to chase individuals for more than a quarter of a mile, earning them the moniker “killer bees.” Africanized honey bees are almost impossible to visually distinguish from their European counterparts, despite being slightly smaller. To feed the colony, workers collect nectar and pollen from flowers, and if they feel threatened, they will attack.

• Nest Recognition

Africanized bees construct their homes in distinctive settings that are ideal for unintentional encounters with unaware bystanders since they live in small colonies. They have been observed living in flowerpots that have been turned upside down, tires, crates, tree limbs, utility poles, and mailboxes. This species is quite adaptable and can lay its eggs anywhere in the yard.

• Threats to Health

Although an Africanized bee’s venom is not any more harmful than that of a conventional honey bee, they have a propensity to attack in higher numbers, which can result in more damage. Due to the high number of stings, an attack may result in serious injuries or even death in some circ*mstances. A colony can be disturbed by the smallest movement since Africanized bees are extremely sensitive to sound and vibration. Pain and swelling are common sting symptoms; however, systemic reactions can cause breathing problems or even anaphylaxis.

Homeowners who find a nest should get in touch with a qualified pest control specialist who can assess the issue and remove the nest from the house safely. Nest removal for flying insects that sting is not a “do it yourself” task. These pests will become agitated and threatened by any attempts to remove the nest, and they may attack in huge groups.

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