Pest Blogs

At a glance Maintained paint and properly assessed gallery repairs can reduce nesting. Homemade scents and a fixed fall sealing date are not dependable prevention.

At a glance Round entrances and fresh sawdust support a carpenter bee inspection, but old holes alone do not prove activity or establish structural safety.

At a glance Female carpenter bees excavate brood galleries and feed their young pollen; they do not eat wood. Reuse and hidden extent require inspection.

At a glance Males cannot sting, but females can deliver painful stings. Severe allergic symptoms require emergency care; wood damage is a separate assessment. Key

At a glance Prevent access to unused nesting cavities and remove outdoor food attractants. Do not rely on peppermint, plants, or decoy nests to make

At a glance Hornets do not make honey stores like honey bees. Their insect prey and sugary foods explain their behavior; species identification determines how

At a glance Africanized and European honey bees cannot be reliably distinguished by ordinary appearance. Avoid disturbing colonies; defensive attacks and sting emergencies need prompt

At a glance Cow killers are velvet ants: solitary wasps, not ant-colony pests. Wingless females can deliver painful stings, so avoid handling rather than treating

At a glance Bees may visit a swimming pool to collect water. The useful response is to distinguish ordinary foraging from a nearby nesting problem

At a glance Male carpenter bees can hover territorially but cannot sting. Females can sting, especially if handled. Confirm the insect and assess repeated wood

At a glance Cicada killers are solitary wasps; confirm identification, keep clear and weigh tolerance or habitat management before treatment. Key Takeaways Cicada killer wasps

At a glance Use several identification clues, respect nest defenses and choose the appropriately qualified removal provider. Key Takeaways Body hairs, wing and waist features,

At a glance Florida allows registered live removal and licensed eradication; confirm the provider, cleanup and repair scope. Key Takeaways Florida distinguishes live removal by

At a glance Identify paper wasps, mud daubers, yellowjackets, and cicada killers in Florida, understand their different nests, and decide when professional help is needed.

At a glance Recognize Florida mud daubers and their different mud nests, understand spider provisioning and development, and assess nuisance nests without disturbing active insects.

At a glance Understand Florida wasp sting risks, compare social and solitary wasps, recognize medical emergencies, and assess nests near people without unsafe DIY removal.

At a glance Compare Florida wasps and bees, learn how wasps collect prey and visit flowers, and balance ecological benefits with safe decisions about nests

At a glance Identify paper wasps and open comb nests, compare yellowjackets and mud daubers, and learn how colony activity affects safe decisions around your

Carpenter bees excavate wood to make brood galleries; they do not eat the wood as termites do. Identify the bee and inspect whether the galleries are active before choosing a response. Wood maintenance and a qualified, targeted plan can protect the building while avoiding unnecessary harm to pollinators.

Understand social and solitary wasp activity, Florida winter exceptions and why a quiet nest is never a safe DIY removal window.

Honey bees have two compound eyes and three simple eyes. Learn how these eyes differ, how bees see color, and what vision can tell you about bees around a home.

Learn the northern giant hornet’s identifying features, its effect on honey bee colonies, Washington’s eradication timeline, and Florida look-alikes worth checking.