There are stinging insects all over the United States. Though some species may be more common in specific areas, everyone has run into a bee, wasp, hornet; or all three at some point in their life. The sting is usually a quite a bit painful, but unless you have allergies to them you don’t really experience any serious health concerns. Those with allergic reactions to their stings, depending on the severity however, really need to be careful around stinging insects. Today we at Knock Em Out Pest Control would like to shine some light on the bees, hornets and wasps found in Michigan.
Honey Bees, Carpenter Bees & Bumblebees
Honey bees, carpenter bees, and bumblebees are the most common bees found in Michigan. All are considered beneficial to the contributions of pollination and such.
– Bumblebees are social insects which form colonies with a single queen. Females can sting, repeatedly, but generally ignore humans and other animals; only stinging if threatened. They can grow up to an inch long and have band markings, in combinations of black, yellow, orange/red, and white. Bumblebees have round bodies that are covered in soft hair, making them look and feel fuzzy. The female hind leg is modified to form a pollen basket.
– Carpenter Bees are often mistaken for bumble bees as their size and coloration are similar, but carpenter bees have a shiny abdomen. Male bees are often seen hovering near nests, and will approach nearby animals but are harmless, since they do not have a stinger. Female carpenter bees are capable of stinging, but they are docile and rarely sting unless caught in the hand or otherwise directly provoked. They have a tendency to burrow into wooden materials, including trees, fences or the wooden structures of buildings.
– Honey bees are social and live in well-organized colonies, and do not require hibernation.
They are only about a half inch long, have oval shaped bodies with brown bands and golden yellow coloring. Their behavior is defensive when intruders are near their nests, but they are able to sting only once.
European Hornet
The European hornet is actually the only true hornet found in North America let alone Michigan. Their eyes are deeply indented and their wings are reddish-orange, while their abdomen is striped in brown and yellow hues. They will sting if they feel threatened and they communicate with each other through behaviors and chemical excretions. When danger is nearly, an alarm dance is often performed outside of the nest which consists of buzzing, darting in and out of the nest as well as approaching or attacking the target of the danger.
Paper Wasps, Mud Dauber Wasps, Cicada Killer Wasps, Yellow Jackets & Bald Faced Hornets
Paper wasps, mud dauber wasps, cicada-killer wasps, yellow jackets and bald faced hornets are the most common wasps found in Michigan.
– Paper wasps are identifiable by the paper-like nests they construct out of fibers from dead wood and plant stems that are mixed with saliva. Paper wasps will attack if they feel threatened. Their stings are painful. They grow up to 1” long have narrow bodies that a dark brown color, with black wings and yellow markings.
– Cicada killer wasps are part of the digger wasp species. They are solitary wasps which use cicadas as prey. Although cicada killers are large, growing up to two inches long, female cicada killer wasps are not aggressive and rarely sting unless they are handled roughly, stepped upon with bare feet, or caught in clothing, etc. Males aggressively defend their perching areas on nesting sites against rival males but do not sting. Their coloring resembles the yellow jackets, reddish black areas along with black to reddish brown markings and yellow stripes and brown wings.
– Mud dauber constructs nests with mud, with many species belonging to this class. Most species are long and slender. They are not aggressive and unlikely to sting; however, but has the potential to get defensive around their nests. They grow up to an inch long and are either all black or a metallic blue, with few species having yellow or greenish colored markings.
– Yellow jackets females are capable of stinging repeatedly. They can get up to a half inch long and their color alternates black and yellow body segments, with some having white and black coloring. Their nests are usually in aerial locations but they are also known to construct their nests in bushes or corners of buildings.
– Bald faced hornets are most active during the day. They are mostly black in color with nearly all white faces and get up ¾” long. Though they are classified as a hornet, they are truly a wasp. Live in social colonies and are fairly aggressive, especially when in close proximity to their nest.
Stinging Insect Pest Inspections, Control & Removal in Bloomfield Hills, Canton, Farmington Hills, Milford, New Hudson, Northville, Novi, South Lyon, Wixom & Greater Ann Arbor, Michigan
If you spy any of these stinging pests on your property grounds, allow Knock Em Out Pest Control to remove them to avoid stings and the negative impacts of their defense. Contact us for all your pest control needs.
