Stinging Insect Control in Maryland & Northern Virginia

It can be scary and intimidating to find a stinging insect nest on your property. Bee stings are painful and can even cause allergic reactions so obviously you want this threat removed as soon as possible.

While it might be tempting to remove the nest on your own, it’s important to know that stinging insects can become highly aggressive when their nest is disturbed. When threatened, they release pheromones that signal danger to the entire colony, leading to an increased likelihood of multiple wasps stinging simultaneously. This can pose a significant threat to your safety and well-being.

Let our highly trained (and brave) stinging insect exterminators safely remove them from your property for you.

There are three common wasp species in Maryland and Northern Virginia: paper wasps, hornets, and yellow jackets.

Paper Wasps

Paper wasps are long and slender, with long, thin legs. Their coloring can range from ​yellow to black, reddish-brown, or dark brown.

Their nests are distinct and usually attached to an eave, under a window sill, or under a deck, the nest will be roughly circular in shape and can be quite large. The nests can be found in other places, such as inside a piece of equipment or inside hedges.

The queen will begin the nest in the spring, and, as the workers are produced, the nest will be made larger. These wasps like to eat caterpillars and other insects, so they actually act as an important biological control for other pests—however, that doesn’t mean you want them around your backyard! For the homeowner, a paper wasp nest can be dangerous. Paper wasps are very defensive and will sting to protect the nest if they are disturbed.

Yellowjackets

Yellowjackets are about an inch in length and are easily recognized by their black and yellow stripes. They are the insect that is the most likely to sting you. Most yellow jackets are ground nesters, and some build nests in trees or buildings.” If disturbed they will aggressively defend it and may result in a family member, or pet being stung several times.

A ground nest of yellow jackets will have one entry point and can be home to thousands, which makes them a threat to your family and pets, especially when this type of wasp is very common outdoors in the Spring and Summer. They can be found around food and beverages, looking for sugar and other crumbs.

The in-ground nests can be easily disturbed by ground vibration (for example a lawnmower). Once the yellow jacket is disturbed, you must get away as soon and as fast as you can.

Hornets

There is only one true type of hornet in Maryland: the European hornet. These hornets are large, yellow or chestnut-colored, and commonly found near garbage areas, as they eat files and other insects the trash attracts.

Hornet nests are distinguishable by the large paper-covered nests . Usually, there are several hundred hornets in the nests, and these hornets tend to be docile but will sting if disturbed. If you find a nest around the house, you usually have the common bald-faced hornet. The nest is never re-used and only the new queens survive to the next season.

Mud Daubers

The mud dauber is a dark wasp that is long with a very thin waist and generally is yellow and black. The nests look like long cylindrical tubes composed of compacted mud. They seldom will sting and will build hundreds of tubular nests. Their nests are harmless and will do no damage to structures.

There are three species of bees common in Maryland and Northern Virginia: carpenter bees, honey bees, and bumblebees. While BOG Pest Control has a treatment program for carpenter bees, we do not treat honey bees or bumblebees, as they are important pollinators.

Carpenter Bees

Carpenter bees look similar to bumblebees with the primary difference being a lack of dense hair on the tail end. Solitary females will bore holes in unprotected wood where they create a chamber where they will deposit several eggs. Males will guard the entrance of the nest but cannot sting. The female carpenter bee will not defend the nest but will sting if handled.

Honey Bees

Honey bees are social and are familiar to all of us. They are brown, small, and fuzzy and they collect pollen and nectar from flowers to feed other colony members. Honey bees will sting, but only if stepped on or in defense of the nest. While wasps and hornets can sting multiple times, honey bees can only sting once, after which they die.

Bumblebees

Bumblebees are large, hairy, and are black and yellow. They nest in cavities in rock piles, empty mouse burrows, or under layers of dense vegetation and will not sting unless a nest is stepped on. While bumblebees may look aggressive, they are only interested in collecting nectar and pollen from flowers.

If stung, remove the stinger as quickly as possible to stop any additional venom from being pumped into the wound. A local reaction to being stung is normal—if you are stung on the hand, there may be some localized swelling. As long as there is no additional reaction the redness and swelling will persist for about a week. If a severe reaction is experienced, you will need to see a physician as soon as possible.