Swarm Season: Pests to Prepare For

a swarm of bugs outdoors at dusk

Springtime is one of the best times of the year for many people. The gloom of winter slowly fades and nature begins to wake up, spring flowers blooming and trees starting to bud. In addition to flowers emerging from the ground, many pests are also coming out of their winter hiding places.  As spring pests in Central TN come out of their hibernation, they will congregate in large groups or swarms looking for food, a mate or to find new places to nest. These large swarms of insects can be frustrating to deal with for many homeowners.

Common Swarming Pests in Tennessee

When dealing with large swarms of insects, it can be important to know what type of pest you are dealing with, especially when trying to determine whether you are seeing flying ants or termites. Below are some of the most common spring swarming pests and how to identify them:

  • Ants: Ants are known to swarm in the spring as they look for food and to establish new colonies. Carpenter ants are particularly dangerous to have swarming in your yard. They, like termites, will tunnel into the wooden structure of your home causing extensive damage if left untreated. Swarming ants have a thin waist, long legs and forewings that are much larger than the hindwings. 
  • Termites: Termites are common in Tennessee due to the warm, humid weather in the spring and are one of the most destructive insects to a home. They will burrow into and eat the wood of your home, often causing thousands of dollars in damage. You can easily identify a termite by its four large wings that are all the same size, long thick abdomen, and short legs. Seeing a termite in your home is most homeowners’ worst nightmare. If you see signs of termites, call an exterminator immediately.
  • Bees and Wasps:  Bees can be identified by their round black and yellow bodies. They will seek out open cavities to build their nests such as hollow trees, under sheds, in the eves of a home or even in your home’s siding. Carpenter bees will burrow into wood and damage the structure of your home, it is essential to take care of a carpenter bee swarm quickly.  Wasps will have a thin long body with a tiny waist. They will often build nests in trees or the eves of a home.
  • Mosquitoes: Mosquitoes are common outdoor pests in the spring and summer. They are known for their bites that leave itchy red bumps on your skin. These small insects become more active in the spring as the females emerge from their winter hibernation and begin laying their eggs in areas with standing water.

Keeping Pests Out of Your Home and Yard

As the temperatures outside begin to rise, many people begin thinking about summer barbecues and enjoying time in their yards. Dealing with swarming pests while trying to spend time outside can be frustrating. Swarming pests are not just unpleasant, they can also cause damage or introduce unwanted bacteria into your home making it important to prevent swarming pests from entering your yard or home. Here are a few simple ways to keep swarming pests out of your yard and home.

  • Clean any crumbs and spills in your kitchen immediately.
  • Seal cracks and holes on the exterior of your home.
  • Close all doors and windows without screens.
  • Stack all of your firewood 20 feet away from your home and make sure it is elevated off of the ground.
  • Turn off outdoor lights when not needed.
  • Collect and dispose of yard waste such as leaves, grass clippings, and fallen fruit.
  • Eliminate any standing water and fix leaking faucets.
  • Clean up leftover food quickly after having meals outside. 

Spring Pest Control in Central TN

Spring is usually thought of as a time of renewal and happiness as the gloom of winter passes but dealing with swarming pests can be a nightmare. If you are tired of pests in your yard and home, contact the experts at The Bug Man today. We have been keeping homes pest free in Central TN for over 20 years. Our experienced technicians will be able to quickly and effectively eliminate any pest infestation. Contact us today for a free quote and learn more about our services!

Do Bees Die in the Winter

Winter bee activity in Central TN - The Bug Man

Everyone associates the buzzing of bees with spring or summer. Bees and all other types of stinging insects are at their peak during these times of the year, often during the fall. So what happens during the winter? It’s hard to imagine that any insect can survive Central Tennessee’s cold temperatures. The truth is that certain types of bees can survive the winter months depending on how low the temperature drops. Here’s what you need to know about winter bees from the experts at The Bug Man.

Winter Bee Activity

Some species of bees seem to disappear in the late summer or early fall after their activity peaks. If the temperature drops below 50°F, bees are less likely to be as active as they are in the summer. The three most common bees in our region each react differently to winter temperatures:

  1. Honey bees: For honey bees to survive the winter, they must have a robust population with a secure hive and a large store of honey. Male honey bees die off, leaving the female bees to crowd tightly together in their hive with the queen in the middle. The female worker bees will vibrate and shiver around the queen bee, keeping alive until warmer days return.
  2. Bumblebees: All bumblebees in a colony except the queen will die if temperatures become too cold. The queen bees will hibernate, or overwinter, by digging small holes in the dirt.
  3. Carpenter bees: These wood-destroying bees can remain dormant through the winter in their nests. During the winter months, young carpenter bees that hatched in the summer will hibernate in their nests. During the summer, older bees will die after larvae are laid.

Preventing Bees in Central Tennessee

During the winter, you don’t have to worry about a full-blown infestation, but it’s a great time to start getting ready for the coming months. Follow these steps before bees become active in the spring:

  • To prevent pests from entering your home, seal cracks and crevices around the exterior of the property.
  • Plant your gardens far away from your property, or stick to grasses and non-flowering shrubs.
  • Mow your lawn regularly and avoid letting areas become overgrown.
  • Install tight-fitting screens on your windows and doors.
  • Fill in holes in the yard left by animals to get rid of nesting sites for bees and other wasps.
  • Invest in tight-fitting lids for outdoor trash and recycling cans.

Need Help With Bee Control?

Any time of year, you should contact your local bee control experts if you have bee problems. You can count on us to identify areas around your property that could harbor nests or overwintering stinging insects. As spring and summer approach, we can also help you prepare for pests.

Contact us today to get started!

Demystifying Red Velvet Ants: The Buzz on the Fuzz

Demystifying Red Velvet Ants

Some call them red velvet ants. Some call them cow killers. Most don’t call them what they really are: wasps.

Have you seen a fuzzy red bug that looks like an ant walking around lately? Check out our blog for the buzz on the fuzz! There’s a great buzz in Middle Tennessee over a pretty little bug called by a variety of names.

If you’ve seen a fuzzy red thing walking around on the sidewalk or in your yard lately, it’s probably a female red velvet ant. When left alone, they aren’t looking to threaten humans. However, when picked up and toyed with, a threat may emerge.

When most people see something fuzzy, they think, “Aww, cute! I want to touch it.” However, when it comes to velvet ants, it is not recommended that you pick them up, because they may sting you. And, if something can be called a cow killer, its sting hurts…a lot!

Velvet ants are wasps that cannot actually fly. They feed on the cocoons of ground-nesting bees. Essentially, the mama velvet ant bores a hole in the cocoon of bees nesting underground and lays her eggs inside the cocoon. Then, when the velvet ant eggs hatch, they prey on the eggs in the cocoon.

Interesting, huh? Wasps killing bees in a dynamic, underground battle.

In an even more interesting twist, velvet ants often prey on cicada killers. A cicada killer is a large wasp that preys on cicadas. Female cicada killers capture cicadas, sting them, and then place them in holes they’ve burrowed into the ground. As their young hatch, they feed on the burrowed cicada.

That shifts our food chain paradigm to wasps killing bees and/or other wasps who kill cicadas.

Is your head swirling yet? Or is that just the buzz of all of these insects swarming around in your yard preying on each other? 🙂

If you’ve got a question, please post a comment. As always, you can find us on Facebook at Facebook.com/TheBugManTN.

The Buzz on Bees and Other Sting Things

The Buzz on Bees

“Killer” bees. Yellowjackets. Wasps. Nests. Allergies. Pain. Do you feel the fear? Honeybee, carpenter bee, bumble bee… How do I tell them apart?“Killer” bees. Yellowjackets. Wasps. Nests. Allergies. Pain. Do you feel the fear?

With warmer weather comes more bug activity, including bees and wasps. In this season, there are many different kinds of stinging insects flying around your home, car and work place. But you may not be able to tell those insects apart–especially if you swat at them fiercely or run away.

Through this blog, we’ll try to teach you a few memorable points about a few of the stinging insects active in your neighborhood. However, this explanation will not be exhaustive. If you’re seeing insect activity, please call us. We’ll come out and identify–as well as try to remove–the wasp nest or beehive from your property.

Carpenter Bee

Though carpenter bees don’t pose a public health threat. They do have the potential to damage wood through the building of their nests. Sounds a lot like termites, huh?

Painting and staining the wood on your house may help prevent carpenter bees because they prefer to nest in untreated wood. However, they will occasionally make themselves at home even in treated wood. If you discover carpenter bees, we will assist you in treating them, and recommend having the holes filled or repaired.

Bumble Bee (not to be confused with Honeybees)

These bees have quite a fuzzy appearance. However, don’t let their apparent softness fool you, because bumble bees can sting more than once. In defending their nest, bumble bees will chase any threatening thing (that means you) a considerable distance.

Dealing with bumble bees can prove tricky because they defend their homes so aggressively and can sting multiple times. Please don’t try to take care of a bumble bee nest on your own. For your own safety, let us help you.

Honeybee

These little buzzers only sting once. That’s good news if you ever come in contact (literally) with one. Unfortunately, a honeybee sting is one of the most painful stings. Like bumble bees, honeybees chase invaders of their nest for a relatively long distance.

Taking care of a honeybee nest is the same as taking care of a bumble bee nest. Consider the safety that comes from a professional pest management company and spare yourself the stinging.  If we find a honeybee nest, we recommend contacting a beekeeper to have them relocate the hive.

Though they can harm you, both the honeybee and bumble bee are beneficial because they help in the process of pollination.

“Killer” Bees

By the way, don’t worry, because “killer” bees aren’t active in Tennessee. However, if you visit Arizona, California, New Mexico, Nevada or Texas, you would find them there. The name “killer” bee is applied because they attack as a group, which causes more damage to humans. If someone is highly allergic to bee stings and gets attacked multiple times by this species of bee, the person may die of an allergic reaction, if left untreated.

Yellowjacket

Wrapping up today’s little list of sting things is the yellowjacket. Getting stung by a yellowjacket can cause an allergic reaction. Over 500,000 people are sent to the emergency room every year because of stinging pests like these.

Yellowjackets often hang out at BBQs and picnics near the sugary beverages and meaty meals, or by trash cans and recycling bins. Remember to properly dispose of your meats and sweets. Overall, proper trash disposal is very helpful in pest control.

If you suspect yellowjacket activity, call a pest professional.

Those are your bug basics for today. Thanks for reading!