EMERGENCY SERVICE
Emergency or priority service is available if you need your stinging insect problem handled immediately. Call us
at 800-496-2337 or 877-232-2337.
If you believe that you have insects nesting inside the walls of your home, please call now.
Yellow jackets tend to chew wallboard and, if left unchecked, may chew through the walls of houses. A brownish stain will appear just before they break through. If insects are already entering your home, try to close off the room and place a towel firmly under the door. DO NOT SPRAY THEM! This will only aggrevate the situation and increase their aggression toward you.
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SERVICE
If stinging insects are damaging your property or
restricting your living habits, call us at 800-496-2337 for the DC Metro area and Northern VA or 877-232-2337 for Baltimore, Annapolis and Central & Western MD.
- 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. Unlike many other chain companies that advertise a wide variety of pesticide treatments, John specializes exclusively in stinging insect removals. His experience ensures that your problem will be
handled properly, quickly and professionally. Back to Top
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 offerred 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. See our Emergency Service information above. 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 aggitated 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. Back to Top
CAUTION: THIS REALLY SHOULD BE LEFT TO PROFESSIONALS
Problems of Nest Removal
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. |
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 flammible gas that has caused house fires. Your best protection is to read the labels and use common sense.
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