Venomous pests are found virtually everywhere, and homeowners may encounter one while living on the property.

Bees and Wasps

Bees and wasps are flying, stinging insects commonly found in and around homes throughout much of the world. Stings from these insects are normally not serious, except in people who are allergic to the venom or when large numbers of the insects attack at once. Even when they are not a serious threat, bees and wasps can be a nuisance and a source of fear, especially during the summer months when people gather outside the home. 

• More than half of all fruit and vegetable crops are pollinated by honey bees.
• Wasps contribute to the ecological cycle by preying on many insect-pests that are harmful to crops.

• Bees vs. Wasps: While many homeowners refer to bees and wasps interchangeably, inspectors should know the ways that they differ.  Differentiation between these insects is important because different methods may be necessary to remove them if they become a nuisance. Bees and wasps differ in the following ways:

• Bees feed solely on pollen. Wasps, by contrast, are predatory and feed mostly on insects. Some common bees include honeybees, carpenter bees and bumblebees. Some common wasps are yellowjackets, hornets and paper wasps. Yellowjackets and hornets can appear virtually identical, although hornets usually have larger heads.
• While bees have robust, hairy bodies with flat rear legs, wasps’ bodies are slender with narrow waists connecting the thorax and abdomen. Wasps appear smooth and shiny and have slender legs shaped like cylinders.
• Wasps, especially yellowjackets, are generally more aggressive than bees and they are more likely to come into contact with humans while in search of food. Wasps can become a nuisance in the warmer months because they often disrupt outdoor activities where meats and sweet liquids are present. A flying insect that repeatedly lands on a hot dog at a picnic or circles a dumpster is almost certainly not a bee.
• Stinging wasps can sting repeatedly, while honeybees will die shortly after stinging once. Other bees, however, can sting repeatedly.

• Where do bees and wasps nest?

• Bees and wasps prefer attics because they are warm and protected. They will find it easier to enter and infest an attic that is covered by slate or wood roofing as opposed to metal or asphalt shingles. Poor flashing may also allow easy insect entry. Inspectors entering attics with open (unscreened) gable vents should be on the lookout for bee or wasp infestation.
• Yellowjackets typically nest underground using existing hollows. Occasionally, nests can be found in dark, enclosed areas in a building, such as crawlspaces, wall voids and attics. Nests are enclosed in a paper-like envelope, but they are rarely exposed or observed unless excavated. The nest entrance is small and inconspicuous. Colonies are readily defended because yellowjackets will sting when the nest area is disturbed.
• Hornets produce large, conspicuous grayish paper-like nests in trees, shrubs and beneath building eaves.
• Paper wasps will nest in small cavities in the sides of buildings, within metal gutters and poles, outdoor grills, and similar items.
• Honeybees, unlike wasps and other types of bees, produce a persistent, perennial colony. These hives can grow very large, containing tens of thousands of bees, and are usually found outdoors, especially on trees. Hives that are discovered inside buildings must be eliminated as soon as possible. If allowed to develop, large amounts of wax and honey will be produced which may damage the building when the hive dies out or when the combs melt due to excessive heat. Rodents and insects will also be attracted to such sites.
• Bumblebee nests are commonly constructed in abandoned rodent burrows, and they may also be found indoors in small hollow spaces, particularly if insulating debris is available.

• Nest Control:  Nests should be destroyed if they are close enough to humans to pose a stinging threat. They should always be approached with caution, preferably at night when most of the “workers” are present but reluctant to fly. A few additional tips:

• Be aware that bees and wasps are attracted to lights, especially flashlights carried by homeowners as they enter dark attics or crawlspaces.
• Use extreme caution when performing bee or wasp control from a ladder.
• If a nest is not discovered until fall, control may be unnecessary, as imminent freezing temperatures will kill the colony.
• If there is direct access to the nest, a fast-acting dust or wettable powder formulation can be applied. If the nest must be removed during the daytime, a can of aerosol insect killer can be used to keep the bees or wasps at bay. Heavy clothing should be worn for added protection.

Snakes

Rattlesnakes, copperheads, and other snakes often reside in crawlspaces with dirt floors and in a home’s landscaping and drainage. Snakes are easily startled and may react aggressively toward intruders. The following snakes may be encountered:

• Bull snakes are large, non-venomous snakes common in the central parts of the U.S., northern Mexico and southern Canada. They are usually yellow in color, with brown, black or reddish- colored blotching. Due to its patterns and semi-keeled scalation, the bull snake is often mistaken for the Western Diamondback rattlesnake. The bull snake capitalizes on this similarity by performing an impressive rattlesnake impression when threatened; the snake can produce a convincing “rattle” sound, and flatten its head to appear more characteristically triangular. Their mimicry is so impressive that it is frequently the bull snake’s undoing when discovered by humans.

• Copperheads are fairly large, venomous snakes with broad, triangular heads, vertically elliptical pupils, and heat-sensitive pits between each eye and nostril. The body is tan to brown, with dark “hourglass”-shaped crossbands down the length of the body. Small dark spots are common between crossbands on the back. The unpatterned head is dull orange, copper or rusty-red. When young, a copperhead has a yellow-tipped tail. The head is solid brown, and there are two tiny dots in the center of the top of the head. Copperheads are quite tolerant of habitat alteration and remain common in suburban areas of many large cities. They can be found throughout the eastern and central United States but are absent from most of Florida and south-central Georgia. Copperhead bites can be painful, although the symptoms are generally not as severe as bites from rattlesnakes.
• Coral snakes possess the most potent venom of any North American snakes, and they can be found in a number of southern states from North Carolina to Texas, although they account for less than 1% of venomous snake bites in the U.S. There are several reasons they don’t claim more human victims — they have short fangs that have difficulty penetrating clothing, they are more reclusive than most other snakes, and they typically inject only a relatively small quantity of venom when they bite. Any skin penetration, however, is a medical emergency that requires immediate attention. Coral snakes have a powerful neurotoxic venom that paralyzes the breathing muscles. The following symptoms are characteristic of coral snake envenomation:
  • nausea;
  • drowsiness;
  • vomiting;
  • excessive salivation;
  • difficulty breathing; and
  • paralysis.

  It is important to note that coral snake bites do not result in significant swelling, discoloration or pain, and effects of the venom may take hours to develop.

  Identification: Physically, coral snakes are anomalies among North American venomous snakes. Unlike rattlesnakes, cottonmouths and copperheads, coral snakes are not pit vipers. Thus, they lack the characteristic pit viper’s triangular head and vertically-oriented eyes, and they are quite small, shy and may appear harmless. Fortunately, they can be easily identified by their distinctive red, yellow and black color pattern. The sequence of these colors — red-yellow-black — is critical for identification, as other snakes perform a successful mimicry except in this one aspect. The harmless milk snake, for instance, would appear almost identical if its color pattern were not red-black-yellow. A useful way to remember this distinction is:  “Red touch yellow, kill a fellow. Red touch black, poison lack.”

• Garter snakes are harmless, and can be found everywhere from Canada to Central America. Most garter snakes are striped or banded lengthwise, and some are spotted between the stripes. They are found in moist environments, and most varieties are roughly 2 feet long.