As a resident of Arizona you know that pests can be more than a minor annoyance. These Arizona stinging insects can be a real pain when they decide to call your property home. So let’s get to know a little bit about these common stingers that might invade your home.

Tarantula Hawk Wasp

The tarantula hawk wasp is a huge wasp that preys on tarantulas. They can grow up to 2 inches long and tend to have bluish-black bodies with bright orange-red wings and a quarter inch long stinger. The tarantula hawk wasp has one of the most painful stings in the insect kingdom. For about three minutes, victims of the tarantula hawk wasp’s sting writhe in a pain described by experts as a blindingly electric pain that shuts down all rational thought. Luckily the tarantula hawk wasp is known as a fairly docile wasp and they don’t normally sting unless provoked. However, if these tarantula hawk wasps have taken over your home, then it’s all too easy to accidentally provoke one of them just by going about your day.

Sonoran Bumble Bee

The Sonoran bumble bee takes its name from the Sonoran Desert that it calls home. However, the Sonoran bumble bee’s can live in any arid region with a temperate climate and Arizona is right smack dab in the middle of the Sonoran bumble bee’s natural habitat. These bees love to invade your patios, attics, decks, stairways, and sheds. Although the Sonoran bumble bee might look like your average bumble bee, its sting is horridly painful. Experts describe it as a corrosive, burning sting.

Paper Wasp

The paper wasp might be one of the less aggressive species of wasps found in Arizona, but when these things think you’ve stepped into their territory they pack a sting you won’t soon forget. The paper wasp is fiercely territorial around its nest, which creates a significant problem when that nest is located in your garage or right above your porch.

Cicada Killer Wasp

The cicada killer wasp is what’s known as a solitary wasp. However, if your backyard is home to one it’s likely that others will follow as they compete for territory. The cicada killer wasp is a large insect that can grow up to 2 inches long. These things nest on the ground, so if you like to walk barefoot in your backyard beware.

Carpenter Bee

The carpenter bee is a large, stout all-black bee. They tunnel into wood to build their nests kind of like termites–but unlike termites–these bees can sting.

For help getting rid of these stinging insects and more around your home today, call Preventive Pest Control.