Stinging Insect Control in Southeastern Wisconsin

The bald-faced hornet is bluish-black with easily distinguished white spots on its face, thorax and abdomen. They are usually about 1 inch long. They will occasionally build nests on the sides of homes and are extremely protective of them, aggressively stinging any human or animal intruder who poses a threat.

The bumblebee is black with yellow stripes on the thorax and abdomen, growing up to 1 inch long. Bumblebees live in colonies, preferring to nest under porches and cement stoops, though occasionally nesting in walls, firewood, and sheds.

The carpenter bee is black with yellow markings and a robust 1-inch long shape. Outdoors, carpenter bees make nests in logs, dead tree limbs, decks, fences, and window sills. They are named after their tendency for chewing perfect holes in bare wood to make a nest for their young.

Honeybees are golden-yellow with dark brown bands around a ½ inch long body. Honeybee nests are often found in chimneys, attics, or crawl spaces. Swarms can be found amassed on buildings, fence posts, and tree branches. Though the large swarms are frightening, honeybees are docile and passive unless disturbed or threatened.

Though often mistaken for bees, yellow jackets are actually small wasps with black and yellow stripes, measuring between ½ to 1 inch long. A difficult Yellow Jacket problem is when they nest inside an attic, a chimney, or, worse yet, inside the wall of a home. Because the insects in a nest inside a wall actually think they are in the ground, they will chew at the drywall and eventually break through. So, if you hear scratching or buzzing sounds from inside a wall at your house, our professional exterminators will assess the situation and determine the most effective method for eliminating the infestation. It may involve using a vacuum trap, opening the wall to remove the nest, or spraying inside the wall with a non-toxic pyrethrum aerosol made from chrysanthemum flowers.

Wasps have many species (cicada killers and mud daubers), ranging in color from reddish-brown to dark red and orange. Some wasp species have bright red and yellow stripes. Depending on species, wasps range in size from ½ an inch to 1.5 inches long. Wasps prefer to nest beneath soffits and decks, in the corners of windows, and under awnings and porches. Wasps like to nest in sheltered areas like hose reels, electrical boxes, attics, crawl spaces, and gas grills. Wasps are carnivorous predators feeding on spiders, caterpillars, and other insects.