October has rolled around, bringing with it the cool breeze, pumpkin spice everything, and of course, the delightful scares of Halloween. But as you gear up for a season of tricks and treats, beware of the real-life creepy crawlers lurking in your backyard – the buzzing invaders known as bees, wasps, and hornets! Let’s unmask these Halloween villains (and heroes?) and learn how to keep a safe distance from them this spooky season, and year round.
Bees – The Friendly Ghosts of the Insect World
First on our lineup are bees, the friendly ghosts who buzz more in delight than in fright. Often seen floating from flower to flower, bees only live for about 28 days, and are unlikely to be sticking around for long if you see them at this time of year, unless they are queens (who will be looking for a quiet place to hibernate).
The rest of the year, they usually have a Casper-like disposition, though can turn to poltergeist-like behavior if they feel threatened, stinging and swarming if they feel they need to protect the hive.
That said, if you see a bee swarm on your property, stay away and call your local bee keepers or pest control company. While they won’t be able to suck up the bees like Ghostbusters, they will capture the swarm and relocate them to a hive where they can continue to thrive without posing a danger to you.
Wasps – The Tricksters
Next up are the wasps, the tricksters of the insect world. Wasps have earned themselves a bit of a reputation, and they’re much more likely to give you a ‘trick’ than a ‘treat’. They are known to crash your picnics, stop by your barbecue, and help themselves to your candy.
Wasps can be a bit more aggressive compared to their bee cousins, largely because they can sting you and continue with their lives quite happily, whereas our friendly bees die if they deliver a sting. Identifying wasp nests early on, calling us, and keeping a safe distance can save you from a painful trick this season.
Hornets – The Terrifying Monsters
Lastly, we unmask the terrifying monsters of the insect world – the hornets. These are the creatures that horror stories are made of, the larger, scarier relatives of wasps. If the sight of a wasp sends you running, the sight of a hornet may make your soul leave your body – if only for a second! While the average wasp is less than an inch long, hornets are often well over two. Besides that, they look almost the same, though hornets are more orange in color than the bright yellow and black of wasps.
Hornets have a knack for building nests in the most inconvenient of places, bringing real horror to your home. Should you spot a hornet’s nest, stay far away and call the experts – a sting from one of these hurts more than the average wasp sting, though they are reportedly less aggressive than most wasps. Still, best not to stick around and find out!
Keeping the Horrors at Bay
As with so many of the monsters in Halloween horror movies, knowledge is what you need to avoid being stung by any of these winged creatures. Identifying what you’re dealing with and understanding their habits can help keep you and your little trick-or-treaters safe this season and in warmer weather.
If you spot some of these scary stinging creatures seemingly flying to and from somewhere on your property, call us in to investigate. We’ll safely seek out their nest and move them on so the only scares you need to worry about are the trick or treaters at your front door.