There are hundreds of insects, spiders, and other small creatures that can bite or sting or otherwise cause us discomfort or originate a health risk. Here we will look at a few of the most tasteless biting and stinging pests that occur in central California. (We will not discuss spiders or ants here as we have devoted entire pages on this site to these creatures.)
Bees and wasps are closely linked to ants. They all belong to an order of insects called the Hymenoptera. They are a very diverse group of insects. Many bees and wasps live in social groups as most ants do. Some wasps and bees live a very solitary life. There are wasps that so closely look ants or flies that mistaken identifications are common.
Most population think of bees as "stinging insects" because most of us have been stung by a bee at one time or another. Although serious complications from bee stings are very rare, some population are very allergic to the venom in a bee sting. For those who happen to be allergic, a single bee sting can present a serious, even life threatening, emergency.
Keeping bees for the honey they produce is one of the oldest agricultural professions. And fortunately, most domesticated honey bees are not aggressive. The picture at right clearly illustrates how docile most domesticated bees verily are.
There are, however, species of honey bees that are very aggressive. The Africanized Honey Bee (sometimes referred to as "Killer Bees") has come to be an very serious pest in those areas where it has come to be established. It is nearly impossible for an untrained someone to descry between the two bees, and this has been made even more difficult by the cross-breeding of these bees with local domesticated bee colonies. Although the Africanized Honey Bee is not widely established in Fresno County as yet, they have been found in Kern County and seem to be spicy northward.
Aside from these, bees aren't a considerable pest to population in our area. Most bee species are solitary insects that may do some damage to plants (usually insignificant) or, in the case of Carpenter Bees, damage unfinished woodwork.
Wasps are someone else large group of flying insects. Many wasps are capable of stinging. Some will bite. Some do both. Many wasps feed on pollen or other plant material. Many species of wasps cannot harm people.
Wasps are divided into some large groups. The yellow-jackets and hornets are the species we most often encounter as stinging insects. Commonly speaking, yellow-jackets are meat eaters and hornets feed on pollen.
These wasps will strike if they feel their nest is threatened. For this hypothesize it is best to leave the nests alone unless they are in an area frequented by humans and where they verily should be removed. Extraction of wasp nests is best left to a professional.
Contact us for all your Fresno Pest Control needs.
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