Stinging Insect Control

Stinging Insects In Central Texas

Central Texas has several stinging insects, and the right response depends entirely on which one is nesting. These are the ones Stride handles most.

Because a wasp nest, a ground yellowjacket nest, and a honey bee colony each call for a different approach, identifying the insect is the first thing Stride does. The Texas A&M AgriLife guide to paper wasps covers the most common of them.

Stride treats every stinging insect in Central Texas. For the one you are dealing with, see our dedicated pages: paper wasps, red wasps, yellowjackets, bald-faced hornets, cicada killers, mud daubers, velvet ants, honey bees, and carpenter bees.

Signs You Have Stinging Insects

A few signs point to stinging insects nesting on a property:

• Visible nests under eaves, in soffits, or in shrubs and trees.
• Steady traffic in and out of one spot, a gap in the siding, a wall void, or a hole in the ground.
• Round, clean holes in eaves, decks, or fascia, the work of carpenter bees.
• Wasps around trash, sweet drinks, and food outdoors, a sign of foraging yellowjackets.
• Tube-shaped mud nests on walls and under overhangs, left by mud daubers.

Are Stinging Insects Dangerous?

For most people a single sting means pain and swelling, but for someone with a venom allergy it can be a medical emergency. The NIH MedlinePlus guide to insect stings describes the reactions and when a sting calls for immediate care.

The bigger risk is the nest. Yellowjackets and wasps can sting repeatedly, unlike honey bees, and disturbing a ground nest or a wall void can bring many of them out at once. Africanized honey bees, present in parts of Texas, defend their nests far more aggressively than ordinary honey bees, which is another reason to leave a large colony to a professional.

Not every stinging insect is a threat. Mud daubers are solitary and rarely sting, and carpenter bees are mostly a wood-damage concern rather than a stinging one. Identifying the insect keeps the response matched to the actual risk.

How We Get Rid of Stinging Insects

Stride treats stinging insects through the five-step Stride Forward process, with identification driving every decision:

1. Inspect. We locate the nest and trace the traffic back to eaves, voids, or ground sites.
2. Identify. We separate wasps and yellowjackets from honey bees, because bees are relocated where possible rather than treated.
3. Recommend. We point out the nesting sites to seal and the food and trash outdoors that draw yellowjackets.
4. Treat. For wasps and yellowjackets we treat and remove the nest, including void and ground nests, at the time of day when the colony is present so the whole nest is reached. For honey bees we advise relocation through a beekeeper.
5. Evaluate. We return to confirm the nest is inactive and seal the site so a new colony does not reuse it.

Our GreenPro certification guides this reduced-risk approach.

How to Keep Stinging Insects Away

Keeping stinging insects from nesting comes down to closing off the sites they use:

• Knock down new, small paper wasp nests early in the season before they grow.
• Seal gaps in siding, soffits, and around utility lines where wasps and bees nest.
• Keep trash lidded and clean up sweet drinks and food outdoors, which draw yellowjackets.
• Paint or seal exposed wood on eaves and decks to deter carpenter bees.
• Fill old carpenter bee holes once they are inactive so they are not reused.
• Check eaves, grills, and playsets regularly through spring and summer.

Stinging Insect Control Frequently Asked Questions

Stride Forward is our Integrated Pest Management program where we partner with our clients in the long-term removal and prevention of pests. Keeping your property free of unwanted insects and rodents works best when we work together.

The program combines habitat manipulation, biological control, cultural behavior changes, and the targeted use of products designed to repel or eradicate pests. Our approach follows five steps, with non-chemical methods prioritized before any product application.

Our Certifications & Awards

Stride Pest Control holds QualityPro and GreenPro certifications through the NPMA’s Foundation for Professional Pest Management, and fewer than 3% of pest control companies nationwide hold both. QualityPro requires background checks on every service member, a drug-free workplace, and 16 standards that exceed state and federal requirements.

Our Austin and Round Rock office operates under Texas Department of Agriculture license TPCL #667951, with Burton Johnston as Responsible Certified Applicator. Our San Antonio office operates under TPCL #827449, with Alex Randall as Responsible Certified Applicator. Our office manager, Michael Honeycutt, is an Associate Certified Entomologist through the Entomological Society of America.

Founded in 2013, we have served nearly 12,000 customers across Central Texas and hold a 4.9-star rating across 2,400+ reviews with an A+ from the BBB.