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Black Wasp in Texas: Identification & Control Tips

. Posted by in , • Houston
a black wasp on Texas wildflowers

Texas is home to many different types of creepy-crawlies that sting, bite or otherwise cause trouble for people. This includes thousands—yes, thousands—of different species of wasps. One type of wasp commonly found in Texas is black wasps. True to its name, a black wasp in Texas is a flying insect with a narrow, black body, long black wings and a stinger.

Most black wasps in Texas are cricket hunters, so named because they sting crickets (or sometimes grasshoppers or katydids), drag their paralyzed bodies to their wasp nests and lay eggs on the crickets’ backs. When the wasp eggs hatch into larvae, the wasp larvae have ready meals waiting for them—the crickets.

While their reproductive habits are definitely gross, there is good news about black wasps. If you find one in or near your home, you can breathe at least a little bit easy, because black wasps are not known to be … Read Full Post »

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How To Identify Different Types of Wasps in Florida

. Posted by in , • Orlando
a cicada killer wasp on a leaf

If you have noticed some six-legged creatures flying around your property, you are probably wondering what kind of insects you are dealing with. Since some insects look alike, it can be difficult for homeowners to figure out what kind of bug is well, bugging them. Wasps are one of the most common flying insects that homeowners encounter, but not all wasps will hurt you. Although some of these creatures are dangerous to humans, some other types might even be beneficial and help get rid of other pests.

Some of the kinds of wasps that you might find on your property include cicada killer wasps, mud dauber wasps, paper wasps and yellowjackets.

Cicada Killer Wasps

As you can see in the image above, the cicada killer wasp is about an inch and a half long, and it’s mostly black with orange wings and some yellow markings on its abdomen. They can look scary because … Read Full Post »

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Do Wasps Bite Or Sting? Advice On Treatment And Prevention

. Posted by in , • Corpus Christi
do wasps bite

Many homeowners have had the unpleasant experience of encountering a wasp while doing yard work or sitting outside with a cool drink. When wasps are around, it’s not easy to enjoy your outdoor living spaces. Since these flying pests are known for their aggressive behavior, it’s valid to wonder: Do wasps bite or sting?

Whether you’ve spotted just one lone wasp, a couple of them or even an entire nest, it’s smart to proceed with caution. While wasps don’t bite humans, they do sting, and these stings typically cause red, painful welts. Fortunately, even if you’re allergic to wasps, a sting from one of these pests isn’t likely to cause serious complications like anaphylactic shock, the way that bee stings can. Some people do experience more severe swelling, redness and discomfort than others at the site of a wasp sting, but most won’t suffer any life-threatening symptoms.

Still, wasp stings are distinctly … Read Full Post »

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Help! I Have Carpenter Bees – Warning Signs & Solutions

. Posted by in • Dallas-Fort Worth, Tyler
Carpenter bees warning signs and solutions

Bees, bugs and butterflies are emerging from their winter nests seeking food and new shelter. Spring is in the air… literally.

When most of us think of bees, we think of honeybees, which are the social and mostly-beneficial insects we love and make movies about. But, there are other bee species out there and they are not all as friendly and helpful.

Carpenter bees, for instance, can cause serious structural damage and staining. While carpenter bees don’t eat wood, they burrow narrow tunnels to create chambers for rearing their offspring.

Carpenter Bees

Carpenter bees get their name from their biological ability to drill through wood. When spring comes around, female carpenter bees start to chew into dry wood, normally logs and lumber. Instead of biting into the wood for food, female carpenter bees are actually forming narrow canals for the purposes of laying eggs.

Known as galleries, these small tunnels are around 4-6 inches deep … Read Full Post »

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Orange Wasp, Mahogany Wasp: Red Wasp Nest Facts

. Posted by in , • Bryan-College Station
red paper wasp

It’s a hot summer day and you walk outside your front door, greeted by a familiar buzzing sound; only, it’s not a bee. It’s another scary looking creature—a red paper wasp. You know it stings, and you know where there is one wasp, a nest isn’t too far away. But what brought it to your doorstep? How can you get rid of it? What if you notice an orange wasp, or a mahogany wasp—are they related? What about a red hornet? What does a red wasp nest look like? And most importantly, how can you keep these pests from coming back and making your home their own?

The first step in understanding how to deal with any type of unwanted pest is to learn more about it. Once you know how to identify red wasps and what attracts them, you’ll be better equipped to get rid of them—for good.

Do I Need … Read Full Post »

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Why Are Bees Dying?

. Posted by in • Orlando
Why Are Bees Dying

Do you consider bees an unwelcome pest? If so, you aren’t alone. Many people are afraid of this tiny, buzzing, yellow-and-black insect—or, more specifically, scared of its sting. For people allergic to bee stings, an encounter with these stinging insects is genuinely a critical (even life-and-death) event to avoid. Even for those who aren’t allergic, chances are that you’d rather stay away from bees.

While you may know that bees play an essential role in our ecosystem, you may not realize that bee populations worldwide have experienced a significant decline. If you’re among the folks who avoid these little creatures at all costs, that may not sound like such a bad thing. Let’s talk about why bees have been dying, why they’re essential to humans, and what to do if you find a beehive in or around your home.

Why Are Bees Dying?

In 2011 in Brevard County, Florida, about 12 million bees … Read Full Post »

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Why Do Bees Swarm? And What To Do.

. Posted by in , • Bryan-College Station
why do bees swarm

Imagine the scene: you’re outside enjoying the summer weather in your backyard or by your pool, and you spot a mass of tens of thousands of bees swarming on a tree or near a fence. That visual is pretty terrifying – so much so someone decided to make a horror movie called The Swarm, where a mass of killer bees terrorizes and kills people all over Texas! The irony of it all is though the swarm may appear menacing, bees are much less likely to be aggressive in swarms due to their vulnerability. Swarming is a natural occurrence that is absolutely necessary for the propagation and survival of bees.

To understand why bees swarm, you first have to know how a bee colony is set up

A bee colony consists of several different types of bees. There is only one queen bee in any given hive. The activity of the hive revolves … Read Full Post »

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Unexpected Bee Problems to Be on the Lookout for in Austin

. Posted by in , • Austin

Going Beyond the Sting

When was the last time you suffered a bee sting? For your sake, we hope that it has been a while. Although everyone learns to avoid direct contact with bees at a young age, it seems like these hardy pollinators just can’t keep their wings—and stingers—off of us. What’s more, you might be surprised to learn that bees cause lots of issues that have nothing to do with their ability to inflict pain.

Burrowing Carpenter Bees

If you’ve found some unexplained holes in the side of your house, you might be dealing with a carpenter bee infestation. Unlike honey bees, this species likes to burrow into wood and set up colonies in fully sheltered locations. The potential damage to your home may be further compounded by the presence of hungry woodpeckers that dig deep into your exterior walls in search of tasty larvae. The best course of action is … Read Full Post »

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Texas A&M Is Protecting Texas Bees: How Can You Help?

. Posted by in , • Bryan-College Station

Learn about Texas A&M’s Beekeeping Clinic and what’s next for Texas bees

Over the past decade, bee colonies have experienced troubling population declines across the world. The problem has affected central Texas’s bees as well, and local apiaries worry that they won’t be able to support themselves indefinitely. With its recent beekeeping clinic and other efforts to support local beekeepers, Texas A&M University is doing its part to help. You can do yours as well!

 

A Recap of the 2014 Texas A&M Beekeeping Clinic

On June 7, Texas A&M University Held its annual Summer Beekeeping Clinic. Held right here in Bryan and hosted by Texas A&M University Assistant Professor of Apiculture Dr. Juliana Rangel, the clinic aimed to educate amateur beekeepers, beekeeping professionals and concerned citizens about how to care for bees and how to protect them from environmental hazards that can reduce their numbers. The clinic included a hands-on demonstration from Bill … Read Full Post »

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History Lesson: Five Times Bugs Changed the World

. Posted by in , , • Austin

The impact of pests on human history

Whether you’re afraid of them or fascinated by them, it’s safe to say that bugs have had a big impact on the world around you. In fact, they’ve been responsible for everything from widespread deadly diseases to providing sustenance for soldiers. Learning the history of some of these pests can help showcase one of the many factors that have helped shape our culture, and it can also point out the importance of calling a professional pest control company when certain insects decide to become unwanted tenants in your home.

Five History-Changing Bugs

1. Oriental Rat Fruit Flea

Many people erroneously believe that rats were solely responsible for the Black Death bubonic plague that killed approximately 75 million people during the 14th century. However, scientists have discovered that the oriental rat fruit flea is actually the prime culprit for this massive loss of life. The fleas were infected … Read Full Post »

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