No matter what the species or size, seeing a stinging insect is enough to put most people’s nerves on edge. Not only have many people felt the pain of a sting from a bee, wasp or hornet, but also some are even highly allergic to a sting. This creates a challenge for many business owners as it is very important to control and reduce the risk of having stinging insects in or near your business facility.

Stinging insects tend to build their nests in the eaves of buildings, but can also nest in trees and even underground. Having a nest located near your business can pose a danger to you, your employees and customers. The first step in eradicating a stinging insect nest is to determine what type of insect you are dealing with. There are many online resources to help identify what kind of pest you are dealing with, but it is highly recommended that you seek a pest management professional to identify stinging insects. Next, you want to have the pest management professional safely remove the nest from your facility so that your business is no longer at risk.

It is important to keep in mind that there are new regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency on pesticides, making it even more important that a trained professional handles your “bee” problems. To the average person, there’s not much difference between bees, wasps and hornets. But to a trained entomologist, there are different treatment protocols that must be in place depending on the species. Any bee incidents should be reported to your local pest management professional.

Stinging Insect Prevention

There are a few tips that can help you avoid infestations of bees, wasps and hornets around your facility this summer. These prevention tips include:

• Making sure all windows and doors are sealed. Any screens with tears in it should be replaced.
• Keeping garbage cans and dumpsters closed tightly and placed a good distance from your facility.
• Making sure all cracks, crevices, and gaps around the exterior of your facility are sealed properly. This includes keeping windows and doors closed unless they have a well intact screen.

If you do notice any stinging insects flying around your facility, or especially if you are finding them inside, it is important to speak with your local pest management professionals. Copesan offers commercial pest management programs for businesses in many industries. Contact us to learn more on how we can aid in your pest prevention efforts!