SERVICE
If stinging insects are damaging your property or restricting your living habits, call us at 800-496-2337 . Emergency or priority service is also available if you need your stinging insect problem handled immediately.
Bee Removal | Ant Control | Stink Bug Control
29 years experience
Specializing in stinging insect problems
Treatment of all types of stinging insects
Safety of your family and pets come first
Fast, professional, effective treatments
Serving D.C., Northern Virginia and Maryland
Locally owned and operated
Occassional encounters with bees, wasps and hornets are inevitable and stinging insects are beneficial, but they can be a problem when they choose a nest site too close to your home. Most "problem" insects are social rather than solitary. This means that large numbers work and live together in the same nest. The nests may be built in or around human dwellings, making frequent encounters more likely. A person's proximity to the nest also increases their chance of being attacked by multiple individuals. Even solitary-nesting insects can be a nuisance. For example, carpentar bees tunnel into wood structures, and cicada killer wasps excavate burrows in the lawn. Nest removal and methods of treatment vary depending on the specific insect and location of the nest. See the section on Nest Removal & Treatment below.
If stinging insects are damaging your property or restricting your living habits, call us at 800-496-2337 . Emergency or priority service is also available if you need your stinging insect problem handled immediately.
Bee Removal | Ant Control | Stink Bug Control
29 years experience
Specializing in stinging insect problems
Treatment of all types of stinging insects
Safety of your family and pets come first
Fast, professional, effective treatments
Serving D.C., Northern Virginia and Maryland
Locally owned and operated
Occassional encounters with bees, wasps and hornets are inevitable and stinging insects are beneficial, but they can be a problem when they choose a nest site too close to your home. Most "problem" insects are social rather than solitary. This means that large numbers work and live together in the same nest. The nests may be built in or around human dwellings, making frequent encounters more likely. A person's proximity to the nest also increases their chance of being attacked by multiple individuals. Even solitary-nesting insects can be a nuisance. For example, carpentar bees tunnel into wood structures, and cicada killer wasps excavate burrows in the lawn. Nest removal and methods of treatment vary depending on the specific insect and location of the nest. See the section on Nest Removal & Treatment below.
NEST REMOVAL & TREATMENT
There is no way to eradicate stinging insects completely. However, problem situations can usually be eliminated by removing nests built in or near your home. It does little good to control individuals, because a whole summer's supply is always available from the nearest nest. Before the problem insect(s) can be controlled, they are identified and the nest(s) is located. If the nest cannot be found, we will not spray. Insecticides will be applied to nest areas in most situations. Only approved pesticides are used and in the smallest quantities possible to effectively handle the problem.
Above-Ground Nests
Most wasps and hornets attach their nests to a stationary object - under the eaves of your house, inside an unused car, on a tree limb or within a shrub. An appropriate treatment is applied directly into the nest. This application will effectively kill all nest occupants. Some workers are likely to be out foraging. A dusting of insecticide will be applied to a small area around the nest in order to kill stragglers as they return to the nest. If the insects rebuild the nest, the procedure will be repeated at no extra cost. In the case of honey bees, the nest and queen will be removed, intact if possible, and offered to local beekeepers. The worker bees will follow their queen, allowing effective control of honey bees without harm to the colony.
Below-Ground Nests
A few of our common stinging insects make their nests underground. These include yellow jackets, bumble bees, mining bees and cicada killers. Cicada killers and mining bees in particular can do a great deal of damage to the lawn, so it is advisable to eradicate them as soon as possible. For these two solitary insects, a general application of approved insecticide over the affected area will usually be sufficient to control the problem. Recommendations to limit the possibility of reinfestation are given at this time. Yellow jacket and bumble bee nests will be individually treated. An appropriate insecticide is applied directly into the nest. We will then remove the infestation so that it cannot regenerate.
Nests Inside Walls
If you believe you have a nest inside the walls of you home, please call immediately. The workers chew wallboard and may actually break through into your living area. A yellowish stain is usually apparent on the wall shortly before this occurs. Several types of stinging insects may build nests inside walls or attach their nests to the inside walls of a building. Once the outside entrance hole has been located treatment may begin. The outside entrance is never blocked, because this may drive agitated individuals into the building. This treatment is usually effective in killing all or most individuals.
Honey bees often make nests inside walls. As with above-ground honey bee nests, if accessible, the nest and bees will be removed without harm to the colony. This will not always be possible. If the nest must be destroyed, the same methods as described above will be used.
All nests inside populated buildings should be completely removed even if this requires carpentry. Nests are often occupied by dermestid beetles that can infest and damage dwellings. Insect remains may cause an odor problem as they decay and can attract other pests. Nest removal is even more important in the case of honey bees and should be completed almost immediately due to the potential damage from melting wax. Honey in the hive may also attract a variety of other pests.
In Wood
Carpenter bees bore into wooden structures and create a network of tunnels in which they lay their eggs. They are not quick to sting, but over time can do damage to homes, lawn furniture and lumber if left unchecked. Each entrance hole is treated with a direct application of pesticide to prevent eggs and larvae from maturing. About one month after treatment, all holes should be filled with a silicon caulk.
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CAUTION: THIS REALLY SHOULD BE LEFT TO PROFESSIONALS
Problems of Nest Removal
The carbon dioxide you exhale alerts insects to your presence. If you are regarded as a threat or if you smash an individual, a chemical danger signal will be emitted. Any other members of the colony close enough to pick up this signal, will join in an attack against the intruder - you. Obviously, this could be a very painful situation. It is also dangerous. While one or two stings is usually not a great threat to people without an allergy to the venom, too many stings can be a danger to anyone. Some wasps attack an intruder's face or spray venom at the eyes, which can cause blindness. Normal localized swelling can even be life-threatening when the victim is stung near the throat.
Problems with Insecticides
Pesticides can be dangerous when sprayed liberally or in poorly ventilated areas. They should not be inhaled in large quantities or for an extended period of time. They are also potentially flammable under certain conditions. Today's homes are well insulated and may have central climate control systems that restrict fresh air exchange. Filtration units do not intercept poisonous dusts used for indoor insect control. Homeowners should be conscious of the residual affects of chemicals used within the home. Wasp and hornet spray is especially dangerous. The pressurizing component is propane, a highly flammable gas that has caused house fires. Your best protection is to read the labels and use common sense.
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The carbon dioxide you exhale alerts insects to your presence. If you are regarded as a threat or if you smash an individual, a chemical danger signal will be emitted. Any other members of the colony close enough to pick up this signal, will join in an attack against the intruder - you. Obviously, this could be a very painful situation. It is also dangerous. While one or two stings is usually not a great threat to people without an allergy to the venom, too many stings can be a danger to anyone. Some wasps attack an intruder's face or spray venom at the eyes, which can cause blindness. Normal localized swelling can even be life-threatening when the victim is stung near the throat.
Problems with Insecticides
Pesticides can be dangerous when sprayed liberally or in poorly ventilated areas. They should not be inhaled in large quantities or for an extended period of time. They are also potentially flammable under certain conditions. Today's homes are well insulated and may have central climate control systems that restrict fresh air exchange. Filtration units do not intercept poisonous dusts used for indoor insect control. Homeowners should be conscious of the residual affects of chemicals used within the home. Wasp and hornet spray is especially dangerous. The pressurizing component is propane, a highly flammable gas that has caused house fires. Your best protection is to read the labels and use common sense.
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When a hornet or wasp stings, it injects a protein based venom under the skin. The venom usually will cause local swellings and itching for several days. Persons with a history of allergies or those who develop more severe sting reactions, (i.e. stomach disorders, difficulty breathing, dizziness or fainting) should seek prompt medical attention. Physicians advise persons known to be allergic to venom to have antihistamine tablets, or even adrenalin injections, readily available. For others, antihistamine ointments or cold compresses may slow the spread of venom and provide relief from excessive swelling. For more information, click here.
We have many types of ants in the United States. Many species exist and to the untrained eye, they all look the same. Some common species include Odorous House Ants, Pharaoh Ants, Fire Ants, Carpenter Ants, Thief Ants, Acrobat Ants, etc. It is important to understand that ants: 1) will invade any structure once a food supply or nest site has been found. 2) Once they have chosen a structure for nesting or food, simply spraying will not provide control.It might make the problem even worse! 3) Once control is obtained, it is suggested that outside treatments are continued from time to time to insure they do not reinfest the home.
Pharaoh Ants are nocturnal and very small. They invade many commercial buildings, hospitals and nursing homes. If you have a problem with Pharaoh Ants, you will only see a few scouts or workers at any one time. Most of the ants never leave the nest; nests can be in walls, ceilings or attics. Another ant which is similar to the Pharaoh yet very different is the Thief Ant. This species looks much like a Pharaoh Ant yet its biology and nest site is unique. Thief Ants are parasites. They are very small and nest inside other ant colonies. They mingle with these host ants undetected and feed on food the host ants supply. It is not unusual to control one colony of ants only to have these annoying Thief Ants become active. This happens because the ant nest you treated has died off and now the Thief Ants are looking for a new host! As it leaves the dead colony you suddenly see a migration of ants parading around. In most cases they will disappear but in some instances they are able to establish themselves close to where they originally were living or in the first nest they came from if it still has a good food supply.
It is not uncommon to see a fire ant mound . These ants are very persistent. Fire Ants are the most common ant to forage inside. There are different species; not all fire ants are red. The Little Fire Ant is tan and the Black Imported Fire Ant is red and black. Any of these can nest under the slab of a patio, garage or town house. They don't bite as many people describe but in fact they sting. Fire ant stings cause irritations which can take days to weeks to heal.
Odorous House Ants and Argentine Ants are easy to confuse with each other. These ants can be active at any time of day and will feed on anything. They can number in the thousands and once they set up scent trails into a structure, it is difficult to keep them out. Either species will readily nest under pine straw, wood chips or any type of slab. Because of the numbers in the colony, these ants are among the hardest to completely control. If a large wooded area is harboring a nest close to your structure and cannot be treated, you will continually have a problem.
We have a few species of ants which can cause damage to structures. The most common is the Carpenter Ant. This ant is usually large, black and travels alone. You may find a trail, but only a few ants will be present.
Another wood destroyer is the Acrobat Ant. These are very small and many times are improperly identified. Both of these species (carpenter ants and acrobat ants) can cause damage to wood in and around structures. None of them eat the wood as a termite does; these ants rip and tear the wood to create nests. These nests may occur in the wall, around windows, doors, decks, attics, and landscape lumber. If you suspect you have any of these ants which are wood destroyers, call us immediately!
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Description
Generally thought of as an agricultural pest, stink bugs will readily take up residence around any garden or landscape rich with plants and lowers. Stink bugs have a shield shaped body which is very wide and measure about 1/2 inch long. The most common species range in color from green to brown.
The eggs are elliptical (1.6 x 1.3 mm), light yellow to yellow-red with minute spines forming fine lines. They are attached, side-by-side, to the underside of leaves in masses of 20 to 30 eggs.
Damage
In its native range, it feeds on a wide variety of host plants. Fruits attacked include apples, peaches, figs, mulberries, citrus fruits and persimmons. This true bug has also been reported on many ornamental plants, weeds, and soybeans. Feeding on tree fruits such as apple results in a characteristic distortion referred to as cat facing, that renders the fruit unmarketable.. Stink bugs may be predators of other insects. However, they will readily resort to plants, fruits and vegetables if no other food is around. Don't be mislead into thinking any stink bug is a good bug. A few around the garden won't do a big deal. Yet, if you have them eating the very produce you are trying to grow, the damage they do will quickly ruin all your effort.
Furthermore, Not only can they emit an odor which "stinks" but many people have an allergic reaction to this secretion. Try not to handle them: not only will they release that nasty smell but many species are able to inflict a nasty bite!
Leave the control of stink bugs to professionals.
Control
Before Bugs Enter a Building: Mechanical exclusion is the best method to keep stink bugs from entering homes and buildings. Cracks around windows, doors, siding, utility pipes, behind chimneys, and underneath the wood fascia and other openings should be sealed with good quality silicone or silicone-latex caulk. Damaged screens on doors and windows should be repaired or replaced.
After Stink Bugs Have Entered the Structure:
If numerous bugs are entering the living areas of the home, attempt to locate the openings where the insects gain access. Typically, stink bugs will emerge from cracks under or behind baseboards, around window and door trim, and around exhaust fans or lights in ceilings. Seal these openings with caulk or other suitable materials to prevent the insects from crawling out.
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