Stinging Insects

The Treasure Valley is home to many types of stinging insects. Paper Wasps, Yellow Jackets, Hornets, and Bees are common. Some ideas to avoid problems with them are:

Keep all vegetation well-trimmed and at least 1 foot away from the home.
Lawns should be cut to a proper height and mowed regularly.
Clear out debris from around the home: woodpiles, and construction materials, should be as far from the home as possible.
Fill up old burrows, remove hollow logs, etc., to prevent possible nesting locations for Yellow Jackets or Hornets.
Maintain proper sanitary conditions in and around the home.
Standing water in the lawn and landscape should be avoided.
Avoid cedar fencing if possible.
Avoid Maple, Box Elder, & Weeping Willow trees.

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Please don’t wait to contact us if you notice a hornet’s nest, yellow jackets, or bees in or near your home. We can help remove these intruders for you.

Hornets Nest in Boise, Idaho

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Common treasure valley Stinging Insects

PAPER WASPS

Paper wasps, which range from ¾ to 1 inch long, are usually identifiable by their bodies’ black and yellow coloration. Another notable feature of these wasps is the type of nests they make: a paper mache-like material from which their name was derived. The upside-down umbrella-like nests are often made in places protected from the weather, such as eaves and gables, around fencing, decks, and other areas near humans. Paper wasps feed on caterpillars, other insects, and nectar. These pests are territorial and defend their nest if attacked or otherwise disturbed. The lance-like stinger allows the paper wasp to sting repeatedly; the sting is painful and potentially dangerous.

YELLOW JACKETS & HORNETS

Yellow Jackets & Hornets are roughly 1/2 inch long, typically yellow and black. They can nest underground, in crawl spaces, attics, ducting, wall voids, sprinkler boxes, or trees or shrubs. Nests are made of a paper mache-like material resembling an upside-down soccer ball or inverted teardrops. Colonies are much larger, sometimes exceeding several hundred. They feed on insects and sugars and are prolific scavengers. Yellowjackets and Hornets can sting repeatedly; the sting is painful and potentially dangerous.

HONEY BEES

Honey bee adults are roughly 5/8 inches long and can be many different variations of color: black, yellow, black, or even orange. Honey Bees are considered beneficial insects as they pollinate crops and produce honey. However, problems with humans occur when nesting sites encroach on human habitations: In chimneys, in wall voids, attic vents, in siding, etc. Honey bees alone are not likely to sting humans, but care should be taken as stings can be painful and severe reactions can occur.

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This Month's Featured Pest

Cat Faced Spider

The Cat-Face Spider is an Orb Weaver, as their intricate webs suggest. The Cat-Face Spider tends to make its webs near lights and corners along the outside buildings. Full-grown females are large and have a combination of odd projections on the abdomen and dark indentation markings that some say resemble the ears and eyes of a cat. Despite their large size and bizarre appearance, Cat-Face Spiders are not venomous. It has been our experience that homes close to the Snake or Boise River have more issues with these feline-faced spiders.
As with most other spiders, regular pest control treatments and exclusion methods are essential to keeping the Cat-Face Spider off and out of your home.

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Boise Stinging Insect Control