How to Tell a Bee, Wasp, and Hornet Apart

 

Despite their ability to sting you, these stinging insects are very different.

Unfortunately, flying stinging insects seem to be having a moment at present (murder hornets, anyone?). It is also prime time for these insects to pursue flowers and backyard barbecues, making the chances of encountering a bee, wasp, or hornet very high during the warmer weather.

Even though they are all capable of stinging you, bees, wasps, and hornets are pretty different. In a perfect world, you would go through life never having to encounter one. In reality, you will most likely cross paths with one or all of these pests on Long Island.

Here is how to tell bees, wasps, and hornets apart—from their appearance to their habitat to their stinging power—so you know what you are dealing with if you happen to come across one.

Bees

You probably know a bee when you see one, but it can be challenging to differentiate between it and a wasp or hornet.

What are the most common bee species on Long Island?

The most common types of bees you are likely to come across on Long Island are honey bees, carpenter bees, and bumblebees. Long Island homeowners may encounter solitary ground-nesting bees during the spring. 

What do bees look like?

Bumblebees and carpenter bees are burly insects that are rounder in shape and usually black and yellow in color. Honey bees are banded orange and black in color but also hairy in appearance. Honey bees are likely the most common type of bee you will encounter on long island, New York. Bees commonly range in size from a quarter of an inch to an inch in length.

Where can you find bees?

It depends on what kind of bee you are looking for. Honey bees usually construct hives in hollow trees, while bumblebees will commonly nest in abandoned rodent burrows. Carpenter bees build their nests in wood, including partially decayed trees or structural timber. Honey bees, carpenter bees, and bumblebees can all be seen on flowers foraging for nectar.

Can bees hurt you?

Most bees can sting, resulting in immediate pain and a localized reaction of mild swelling, redness, and itching at the sting site. However, for people with allergies to bee stings, even one sting can be life-threatening.

Honey bees die after they sting a person, and ground-nesting bees are not aggressive, so the chances of being stung by one are low.

Wasps

Wasps and hornets are not the same. A hornet is a type of wasp. The main difference between hornets and wasps, such as paper wasps and bald-faced hornets, is size, with hornets being more robust and larger. Additionally, hornets are social insects, whereas wasps can be social or solitary, depending on the species.

What are the most common wasp species on Long Island, New York?

Paper wasps and yellow jackets are the most common wasp species found on Long Island.

What do wasps look like?

Wasps have a narrow, pinched waist and are black or have various white, orange, or yellow markings. Unlike bees, wasps do not have a great deal of hair. Wasps range in size from a half-inch to an inch in length.

Where can you find wasps?

Wasps construct their nests in the eaves, and bushes, along fences, and inside the walls and ceilings of Long Island homes. Paper wasp nests resemble upside-down umbrellas, while yellow jackets typically build their nests in the ground. Wasps are predators, so they like meat, and they also like sweets. Yellowjackets are often the uninvited guest at barbecues foraging for meat and sugary drinks, such as soda. 

Can wasps hurt you?

Yes, and when threatened, a wasp can sting you multiple times.

People are usually stung by wasps when they get too close to a wasp nest. Like bees, if you are allergic to wasp venom, getting stung by a wasp can trigger a severe allergic reaction.

Hornets

Hornets, including bald-faced hornets and European hornets, are the largest of the stinging insects found on Long Island. Here's what you need to know about them.

What are the most common hornet species in the United States?

The European hornet, a.k.a. the brown hornet or giant hornet, is the primary type of hornet found in the U.S.

What do hornets look like?

European hornets are large and reddish-brown with yellow stripes on their abdomen. Bald-faced hornets, on the other hand, are primarily black with a white pattern on their head, giving them a bald appearance.

Where can you find hornets on Long Island?

It depends on the type of hornet that you are looking for. European hornets generally construct their nests in hollow trees and barns. Bald-faced hornet's nests can be found suspended on tree branches, in a shrub, on a utility pole, or on the soffit of a Long Island residence.

Can hornets hurt you?

Yes, and they can repeatedly sting, resulting in severe pain and injury. An allergic reaction to the insect's venom could potentially be life-threatening.

Long Island Ant Exterminator

 Steps to make your Nassau County, Long Island residence an ant-free home

 Prevention tips to get rid of ants - Ant Exterminator Long Island, NY

If you have never encountered ants in your Long Island home or place of business, count yourself among the fortunate few.  However, if you are like most Nassau County, Long Island homeowners, you have fought your fair share of battles against this troublesome pest – whether it is a colony of carpenter ants nesting in a wall or a procession of house ants walking across your kitchen counter.

Carpenter Ant Exterminating

In the United States, ants are the number one nuisance pest. With more than seven hundred species of ants occurring in the country and more than twenty types known to infest homes and other structures, it is not surprising that so many people report having issues with ants. However, there are some simple steps that Nassau County, Long Island homeowners can take to reduce the chances of accidentally inviting ants into their homes.

1. Ant hangouts

It is probably not shocking to hear that ants most often infest kitchens. Kitchens are full of food and water, which attract ants as well as other pests such as mice and cockroaches. Ants may also be found in garages, bathrooms, bedrooms, living rooms, basements, inside walls, and in or around air conditioning and heating units.

2. Eliminating sources of water

Decreasing moisture levels and standing water around your Long Island residence can go a long way to help prevent ant infestations. Fix leaky pipes, and routinely check under kitchen and bathroom sinks for areas of moisture. Use dehumidifiers in damp basements, crawl spaces, and attics. Make sure that gutters and gutter leaders are working properly, so that water flows away from the home’s foundation.

3. Eliminating sources of food

Keeping the kitchen clean will help prevent ants from coming indoors. Wiping down counters and sweeping floors regularly will get rid of crumbs and residue from spills. Refrigerate ripe fruit and store food in airtight pest-proof containers. Sticky jars, particularly any containing honey, syrup, soda, or other sweets need to be wiped down. Lastly, use a lid on garbage cans and get rid of trash regularly.

4. Pet food

 Dogs, cats, and other pets can incidentally invite ants into your Nassau County home. Pet food and water bowls attract pests. Therefore, pets should be fed and then the food bowls should be removed from the floor. Store pet food in airtight sealed plastic containers rather than the paper bags they usually come in, which can be easily accessed by ants, mice, and other pests. Inspect doggie doors and cat doors to assure that pests can not enter your Long Island home through them. Keep in mind, that ants can enter through even the smallest openings.

5. Eliminate entry points

 Inspect the outside of your Nassau County, Long Island home for potential pest entry points. Trees and shrubs should be pruned away from your house, as branches can transport ants and other pests, including wildlife onto your home. Cracks and crevices on the outside of the home should be sealed with silicone caulk, paying special attention to areas where utility pipes and wires enter.

6. Do not do it alone

Without the proper training, pesticides, and pest control equipment, getting rid of ants in Nassau County can be an uphill battle. What's worse, an ant infestation can continue to grow if it is not properly exterminated. Some ant species, like carpenter ants, can cause serious property damage and others can pose health risks to your family. Even ant species that are considered nuisance pests, like odorous house ants can contaminate food. Pest control Long Island ant exterminating professionals from DQ Pest Control can resolve any ant control problem.

So if you do find ants in your Long Island home, contact a licensed Nassau County ant exterminator from DQ pest control. Our exterminating Nassau County team will be able to identify the ant species, ascertain likely entry points, and determine an effective pest control treatment plan.

Rabid Raccoon found in Nassau County, Long Island, NY

Local animal trapper says animals get a bad rap, but the county says to be alert for rabid raccoons on Long Island.

Nassau County health officials have asked residents to be on the lookout for unusual behavior in raccoons after one in Nassau County was found to have rabies. Following the recent finding of a rabid raccoon in Nassau County, health officials have advised the public to be on the lookout for sickly raccoons.

The Nassau Health Department announced Thursday that an animal collected in Hicksville by a wildlife trapper and submitted to the state for analysis tested positive for rabies, the first confirmed case of the disease on Long Island since 2007.

On Friday evening, Suffolk Health Commissioner Dr. James Tomarken ordered an increase in the countywide rabies-watch program, particularly along the county border in Babylon and Huntington. Residents of those towns have been asked to report “abnormally acting raccoons” and dead raccoons. Dead raccoons should be discarded in the garbage, but health officials warned that people and pets should have no direct contact with dead or dying animals. The county recommends using a shovel, wearing rubber gloves, and double-bagging the carcass.

The rabies virus infects the central nervous system, usually transmitted through a bite from a rabid animal. The virus can also be transferred from the saliva of a rabid animal through open cuts or skin lesions.

Suffolk County residents have been asked to report raccoons that come into contact with people or pets to the county Department of Health Services. The county has also asked that no one, including trappers and nuisance wildlife rehabilitators, transport or relocate any wild animals to help prevent the possible spread of the rabies virus.

The virus, usually transmitted through a bite from a rabid animal, infects the central nervous system. The virus can also be transferred from the saliva of a rabid animal through open cuts or skin lesions.

Dell Cullum, an East Hampton wildlife trapper, said that they are already experiencing a thinning of the raccoon population on the east end of Long Island due to a widespread outbreak of distemper over the past couple of years. Raccoons can contract feline or canine distemper, though distemper is not transferable to humans.

“There is no cure, and the raccoons die after a short period of time. However, before death, they will have seizures that resemble what people think are signs of rabies,” like chattering teeth, Mr. Cullum said. He called the latest news unfortunate for the animals. “It’s a shame, as these critters get a bad enough rap.”

Animals most associated with the rabies virus are skunks, raccoons, foxes, coyotes, and bats. Mr. Cullum said, though, that feral cat populations were more likely to be infected by rabies. “I’d worry more about them than a raccoon,” he said.

Excessive drooling, aggression, fearfulness, and other uncommon behavior are signs of rabies. On the East End, however, abnormal behavior can be challenging to pinpoint because, Mr. Cullum said, raccoons here are no longer strictly nocturnal. “Due to the abundance of trash and its accessibility day and night, the raccoon finds it safe to forage day or night,” he said, noting that he gets many calls about raccoons seen during daylight hours.

He said that the best way to tell if a raccoon is sick with distemper or rabies is disorientation. “Most commonly, the sick animal will walk in circles, stumble, or show difficulty using their back legs . . . this looks terrifying; however, at this point, they are usually very close to death.” Mr. Cullum recommended videotaping a suspicious raccoon and sending the tape to the health department.

Raccoon Removal in Long Island

Raccoons are nuisance animals that can become aggressive and spread disease to humans and pets. They are active year-round but can be most destructive in late winter and early Spring as they seek nesting or denning areas to birth their young.

Raccoon Description

• Raccoons are stocky with short front legs and long back legs.
• Adults are 20 to 30 inches long and weigh 10 to 35 pounds.
• They have grayish-black fur, rounded ears, and a distinguishing black “mask” over the eyes.
• They are very furry with a striped tail, having alternating light and dark rings.
• These mammals are widespread throughout the United States.

Raccoon Behavior

• Raccoons are brilliant. According to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, studies have shown that these mammals can remember solving tasks for up to three years.
• Raccoons are nocturnal animals and are active year-round.
• They make their homes:
  – Natural dens – in wooded areas along streams, lakes, marshes, swamps, and farmland in hollow trees, ground burrows, brush piles, or rock.
  – In cities/suburbs – in backyards, beneath decks, or in outbuildings, such as sheds, barns, or abandoned buildings.
• – In houses – in attics, chimneys, and the spaces beneath the home or porch.

• Like many wildlife, raccoons have their young in the Spring, generally having. litters of 3 to 6 babies, or “kits.”
• The kits stay with their mother for the first year, then begin to leave as newborns are born the following Spring.
• They are omnivorous, eating just about anything. Preferred food includes:
  – Plants: fruits, plums, gooseberries, blackberries, blueberries, dogwood berries, wild cherries, currants, grapes, apples, hawthorns, acorns, hazelnuts, and beechnuts, corn, grains.
  – Animals: crayfish, clams, fish, frogs, snails, insects, turtles, rabbits, muskrats, eggs and young of ground-nesting birds, turtle eggs.
  – Human foods: garden fruits, nuts, vegetables, outdoor pet food, garbage and compost scavenging, bird feeder grains.
• To feed, raccoons use the well-developed sensory nerves on their paws to feel their food and remove unwanted parts.

Raccoon Damage & Disease

Raccoons can cause a great deal of damage to homes and yards and be threatening to human health, including:

• In gardens and yards – Raccoons will eat garden vegetables and fruit; they will raid trash cans and eat pet food left outside.
• To home exteriors – Raccoons will rip off shingles, fascia boards, rooftop ventilators, and crawlspace doors to get into the home (particularly attic and crawlspace) to nest.
• To home interiors – They will use insulation for nesting and urinate and leave feces in the areas they den, leaving parasites and foul odors.
• To people and pets – Raccoons carry diseases and parasites. They can spread rabies as well as the raccoon roundworm to people. Rabies is deadly, and raccoon roundworms can cause serious problems or disabilities, particularly to young children. Raccoons can also transmit canine distemper and parvovirus to dogs.

Raccoon Removal in Nassau County, New York

Raccoons are adorable animals.  Nevertheless, they’re less than cute should they become occupants of your attic in Nassau County, Long Island. In this situation, the critters are pests and need to be removed.  Raccoons are wild animals that will do damage to your home as well as damage the landscaping. They can also bring unwanted parasites, such as fleas, into your house.  Raccoons carry diseases, such as rabies and leptospirosis, which can be given to your own pets. So, they must be humanely trapped by Nassau County Pest Control Professionals.

A Licensed Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator will identify how the raccoons are entering your home in Nassau County, Long Island. If you plan to remove the raccoons yourself, you need to be aware of the laws concerning raccoon removal in New York.  In New York State, it is illegal for a homeowner to trap and relocate wildlife under New York State Environmental Conservation Law 11-0511.  Whether you have raccoons in the attic, fireplace, chimney, or under your deck, you need to hire a licensed pest control trapper to remove the raccoons from your premises. Should your home or garage become inhabited by raccoons in the Spring, chances are the unwanted visitor is a pregnant female raccoon.  Therefore, it is imperative that the wildlife trapper search for raccoon pups when doing a Long Island raccoon removal from your premises in the Spring.   If raccoon pups are present, it may become necessary for the pest control experts to cut open a ceiling or a wall to remove them.

Our animal control experts have found repellents such as Critter Ridder and Shake Away Animal Repellant to be ineffective when it comes to getting rid of raccoons.  Mothballs, ammonia, bleach, coyote urine, loud radios, and ultrasonic high-pitch sound emitting devices are ineffective when removing raccoons from an attic.  There is no quick fix or magic spray when it comes to raccoon control and wildlife removal from your home in Nassau County.  Therefore, you must hire a licensed wildlife trapper to remove the raccoons from your home in Nassau County, Long Island.  At DQ Pest Control, our pest control specialists have the necessary equipment, skills, and expertise to remove rabies vector animals, such as raccoons.

Raccoons digging up the lawn

If animals are digging up your lawn in the Fall, it is being done by raccoons and or skunks in search of grubs. You will need to hire a licensed Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator to trap these animals. Contact DQ Pest Control wildlife removal services for Long Island raccoon removal. The animal removal process is the first step in the process of saving your lawn. The following year, you will need to control the grubs in your yard to prevent raccoons and skunks from digging up the sod again.

Stop Grubs In Your Lawn

White grubs can be serious lawn pests. Knowing when to control them saves you time and money.  If your grass turns brown and pulls up quickly in July and August, or if you notice a lot of critters such as skunks or raccoons tearing up your lawn, your grass may be infested with grubs. White grubs are the larvae of Japanese beetles, June beetles, or masked chafer beetles. They cause damage to lawns by feeding on the roots of the grass.  Get rid of the grubs, and the raccoons and skunks will stop digging up your lawn.

Identifying the Pest

Grubs are milky white with a brownish head. They typically curl into a “C” shape when disturbed. Depending on the species, they may have a 1-year or a 3-year life cycle. Annual white grubs (larvae of masked chafer beetles or Japanese beetles) begin their life cycle in mid-to-late summer, proliferate, and do most of their feeding in late summer. Larvae of June beetles take 3 years to complete their life cycle, so damage from them may appear in lawns in spring, summer, or Fall.

When to Control Grubs – Nassau County Exterminator

Controls are most effective on immature grubs. For most species and locations, July or August is the prime time to treat with an insecticide. However, because grub populations vary from year to year, you may be able to save the cost of treatment if you first sample your lawn to estimate how many grubs are present. Dig up several pieces of sod about a foot square. If you find five or fewer grubs per square foot, you need not apply grub control. The lawn will withstand the amount of feeding these few grubs do. If 10 or more grubs are present, treat your lawn for grubs. If the average count is between five and 10, whether or not to control depends on the health of your grass, your tolerance for damage to the lawn, and the presence of natural controls.

Natural Grub Controls – Nassau County Pest Control

Milky spore is a natural bacterium that can effectively control Japanese beetle grubs, but it usually takes several years for it to become established in the soil. It requires some grubs in the ground to live on, so don’t use it in combination with chemical grub controls. Milky spore is ineffective on other types of grubs.

Beneficial nematodes are microscopic worms that live in the soil. They seek out grubs, and after entering their bodies, release bacteria that kill the grubs. The two significant types of insect parasitic nematodes are Steinernema spp. and Heterorhabditis spp. The nematodes are applied as a live product, so make sure if you use them that they have been handled carefully to keep them alive and that their shelf life has not expired. These nematodes are effective on all types of grubs in the soil.

Weather and irrigation practices can work in your favor to control grubs, too. Grub populations are usually highest when soil conditions are consistently moist. Many grubs will not survive in dry years or if you withhold irrigation water during hot summer months. This strategy may work well for bluegrass lawns that recover well from summer dormancy.

Chemical Grub Controls

Apply curative chemical grub controls at the correct time when grubs are small and actively feeding near the soil surface. This is usually from early July until mid-August. Chemicals labeled for curative control are carbaryl, halofenozide, and imidacloprid.

Because grub populations vary so much from year to year, preventative chemical controls are seldom justified. But if your lawn has been attacked by grubs consistently, a preventative insecticide application in late May or June may be warranted. Imidacloprid and halofenozide provide extended, preventive grub control.

Water in chemical controls moves the chemical into the soil, where it can act on the grubs. Watering the lawn after chemical application moves the product down to the thatch layer and stimulates the grubs to move upward in the soil, closer to the chemical.

Raccoons in the Attic ?

Many suburbanites see raccoons as mere pests, and others may consider this little critter a huge headache and even a potential threat. But, for those that have had raccoons in the attic, they can be real nightmares. They make a lot of noise, can cause extensive damage, and pose a health risk to your family.

Here are some basic facts about raccoon habits:

Raccoons are nocturnal, foraging for food at night and resting in the daytime

• Raccoons are scavengers and are particularly fond of garbage left by humans; however, they have been known to dunk their food in water before taking a bite. How civilized!

The hands of raccoons are similar to those of primates in that they are adequately spaced evenly, making them very agile

They do not hibernate in the winter, but they do go into a restful state and eat very little

Raccoons are typically loners, but mothers stay with their cubs from the spring births until the first winter

Raccoons are vagabonds; they will travel to follow food and shelter but will remain at places as long as they need

Here’s the catch. Note the last two points: raccoon mothers and babies stick together for about 16 weeks and they will travel and commit to a place that offers comfort. Here’s where your home comes into play—this can present a place that offers warmth, cover, and food for a raccoon mama nursing her young.

Wildlife removal, particularly when a raccoon takes up residence, is best handled by a professional. They can be difficult to evict and time is of the essence—before too much damage is done. Learn more about how we get rid of raccoons in your home in upcoming posts. And note that the springtime is when baby raccoons are born and homeowners should be particularly suspicious of noises they hear or other curious findings that may indicate a raccoon guest.

About DQ Pest Control:

DQ Pest Control is a family-owned and operated New York animal control and pest remediation company serving the New York metropolitan area and Long Island. Specialist David Quinn is a New York exterminator with many years of experience in the family business.

Honesty and Efficiency in the Long Island Home Buying Process: Trust the Termite Dog

The process of purchasing a home can be a bit intimidating. It is one of the biggest investments of your life and you want to be sure that you are getting truly the home you want. Once you’ve got an accepted contract, you begin the inspection process to give yourself some peace of mind that the home is safe and sound. One of the inspections you will likely obtain is a termite inspection. Using a company that utilizes the services of a termite detection dog is the best way to ensure that there are no termite infestations or that any issues can be effectively resolved.

Why is a termite dog better than a routine inspection? In a word—honesty. The termite detection dog has no concerns with contracts, timelines, ulterior motives, or human error.  They simply sniff out the problem or confirm that none exists. Their noses, designed by Mother Nature, never fail and are believed to be more precise than advanced instrumentation or other human detection methods.

Find a New York exterminator that uses this service to have this additional layer of security in your investment. Here, Barney, the Detection Dog helps homeowners find termite problems early so that they may take care of the problem more quickly and more cost-effectively.

Think about this:

• A termite detection dog can find termites in areas that are inaccessible to their human inspector counterparts, such as inside walls.
• The dog is trained to find termites, period. There is no room for error or subjectivity.
• Finding termites before they have caused damage that would be evident to the human eye will save all parties money and headache.

The results found by a detection dog are instant, a critical piece of the puzzle when working in the real estate escrow cycle.

Dogs have been used for many years for their natural abilities and superior sense of smell. Police and law enforcement officials have been using dogs for decades to sniff out evidence, cadavers, drugs, and more. Organizations around the world have been instituted to offer the training these dogs need to become masters of their skills. Now, you have this expertise that no human technology can match to help you make wise decisions for the biggest investment of your life: your home

Nassau County Termite Inspection, the Canine way