What’s Attracting Bees and Hornets to My Yard?

Bees, hornets, wasps, and other stinging insects have important roles to play in our ecosystem. They help with pollination, work to control the populations of dangerous spiders and crop pests, and feed on fly larvae, to name a few. So when these insects come into our yards, it isn't necessarily a bad thing. In fact, having these stinging insects around can actually be beneficial as they help flowers and plants kill sac spiders which can cause bite wounds similar to those caused by brown recluse spiders, reduce the number of Asian lady beetles and other frustrating overwintering pests on properties, and eliminate flies before they threaten your family with the over 65 harmful diseases they are known to spread. But these stinging insects can quickly go from helpful to harmful when they decide to create their nests near our homes!

One of the biggest reasons stinging insects attack people is that they view that person as a threat to their nest. So if you find a paper wasp flying around your deck, you're probably not in any immediate danger. That wasp probably isn't interested in stinging you. But, if there is a stinging insect nest nearby and you get too close, not only will that wasp be inclined to sting you, but dozens or even hundreds more may come out to defend their nest as well. This is a serious threat!

So, while it can be helpful to have stinging insects visit your yard, it's definitely not beneficial to have them establish a nest in your yard or, worse, within the walls of your home! To prevent this from happening, it is important to understand what attracts bees, hornets, and wasps to create a nest in a yard in the first place. And the most important factor to take note of is the availability of food sources.

Do you have lots of flowers in your yard? Stinging insects feed on the nectar of flowers and plants, and an abundance of nectar will make your property the ideal location for them to nest. Do you have bugs? There is a wide range of insects that stinging insects will feed on. And the more bugs you have in your yard, the more suitable your property will be for them to establish a nest. There are many reasons that your property may have high insect populations. 

Here are a few:

• Moisture. Lots of insects are drawn to damp, shaded areas. It may be because they have thin skin and require moisture to survive. It may be because there are moist, rotting wood areas for them to feed on or tunnel into. Or it may be both of these factors. But one thing is for sure; moisture problems breed bug problems!
• Tall grass. Insects love overgrown lawns as they provide them with the perfect place to hide out and feed on other insects.
• Fruit. If you have fruit trees or berry bushes in your yard, you can expect to have insects hanging out on your property. This will then draw stinging insects to your property as well.
• Open trash. Many species of insects can find a suitable meal in a bag of trash. In fact, some of them would even prefer to feed on rotting organic matter rather than a piece of fresh fruit.
• Lights. Many bugs are drawn to outdoor lights. If you have exterior lights, you may have more insects visiting your home. And if that’s the case, you’ll most likely have higher spider populations around your home as well. Wasps will then be drawn to your property to feed on those spiders as well as the other insect pests around your home.
• A lack of pest control. Oftentimes, homeowners will have lots of insects on their property because bugs naturally encroach upon their yard. The solution for this problem is to have routine treatments performed by a professional to deal with all of the many pests that can be found invading your yard. This will help to naturally control stinging insect populations and prevent the creation of nests near your home!

It’s a bug-eat-bug world out there, but that doesn’t mean that your New York yard has to look like a scene from Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom! With routine pest control services from Parkway Pest Services, you can help protect your home and property from over 30 common pests. Our programs include quarterly visits, year-round protection, proper pest identification, interior and exterior service, and unlimited service calls. Click here to learn more. These programs also include the direct and indirect control of bumble bees, hornets, wasps, yellow jackets, honey bees, cicada killers, and digger bees, all of which are common stinging insects in New York City and the surrounding area! Find out if you are in our service area!

If you need assistance with one-time stinging insect control or want to implement ongoing pest control services for your home, give us a call. Our team of pest professionals is standing by to help. For immediate assistance, reach out to us at Parkway Pest Services today!