In this blog, we are going to see the five most dangerous insects and also see about ways to get rid of pests. This kind of insect could cause extreme pain, we better should keep our distance from them.
On a scale of 0 to 4, the Schmidt Pain Index rates insect stings. A 0 denotes minor discomfort, similar to a gentle pinch. The number four denotes extreme pain.
5 Most Dangerous Stinging Insects
- Bullet ant
- Tarantula hawk
- Warrior wasp
- Red harvester ant
- Paper wasp
Bullet Ant
With a length of around one inch, these ants are the largest of the ant family. Bullet Ants, like the others on this list, are not naturally aggressive but become so as a protective strategy. Poneratoxin, a neurotoxic peptide released by their sting can cause strong muscle contraction and also a burning feeling, and excruciating agony.
Schmidt Pain Index: 4.0 +
Tarantula hawk
Tarantula Hawks are not violent by nature, at least not toward humans. Tarantulas have much to be afraid of. Female Tarantula Hawks will immobilize the spider before laying eggs on its belly. The immobile types of spiders will then be fed to the newly hatched larva.
Schmidt Pain Index: 4.0
Warrior wasp
This wasp is nearly 2 inches long, with jaws that are longer than its front legs. They can build wasp nests at any place which is safe for them to stay. This bug is primarily found in South and Central America, which is fortunate for us.
Schmidt Pain Index: 4.0
Red harvester ant
These pests are reluctant to sting, but if they do, they could be dangerous to us. Nests of Red Harvester Ants are typically found in open places and resemble a flat, circular patch of earth.
Schmidt Pain Index: 3.0
Paper Wasp
Paper wasps get their name from the substance they use to construct their nests. They are commonly found in surroundings with plants because they eat on insects like caterpillars and use fibre from plant stems to make nests. Paper wasp nests can have up to 30 adult wasps in them.
Schmidt Pain Index: 1.0
How to get rid of them?
Here are some of the effective methods to get rid of Stinging Insects.
- Use Wasp traps
- Remove Old Nets
- Call An Exterminators
Use Wasp Traps
Of course, this treatment will not work for pest infestations, but it can be useful if you need to keep any stray insects out of your outdoor picnic. These traps can be bought at a home improvement store or made at home using an old plastic soda bottle and some sweet nectar (like soda or juice).
Remove old Nets
Old nests are really not reused (other than by carpenter bees), but wasps will return year after year to a nice nesting spot. It’s vital to remove the old nests and make the place less favourable for them to nest in the same spot repeatedly (fixing holes, screens, etc.). Before trying to remove the nest, ensure that it’s completely empty. In the winter, for example, wasp workers die off, leaving only the queens to rebuild the following year. During the warmer months, proceed with extreme caution if you attempt to dismantle what appears to be an old nest.
Call An Exterminators for Active Nest
Because bees are vital pollinators, their colonies should be relocated rather than destroyed whenever possible. We understand why you don’t want bees near your home (especially if someone in your family is allergic); nonetheless, employing a professional to relocate the hive is better for the environment and safer for you. Wasps are usually hostile, and removing their nests can be harmful.
With a few exceptions, most wasps are fiercely protective of their nest and will attack if it is threatened. You risk being stung repeatedly if you try to remove an active nest by yourself. (Many stinging insects have “smooth stingers,” which enable them to sting repeatedly until the threat—in this case, you—is gone.)
If you discover a nest, we recommend contacting a pest control expert.
Updated April 10, 2018
By Crystal Vogt
As relatives to the bee in the insect family Hymenoptera, there are over 20,000 different species of wasps. Unlike a bee, whose stinger usually falls out after a single sting, a wasp can sting multiple times, though only female wasps sting, while male wasps bite. Wasps come in a variety of colors, but most tend to be marked with yellow or orange stripes. A few types of wasp are considered to be particularly aggressive. About 50 people die each year from allergic reactions to wasp stings.
Be careful around wasps and all stinging insects, even if they are not thought to be very aggressive. Don't disturb nests and be mindful of foods, aromas and bright colors that might attract some insects.
The yellow jacket is a very aggressive wasp. Yellow jackets are mostly found during late summer and early fall months, especially August, making them a nuisance and danger at outdoor picnics, festivals and barbecues, where the smell of foods can lure the insect in proximity of humans. This wasp type is considered predatory and can live in colonies of 4,000 to 5,000. Yellow jacket nests are typically found in protected areas such as trees, shrubs, near roof gutters and under household awnings. Yellow jackets will aggressively attack en masse if they feel their nest is being threatened.
Hornets are one of the most aggressive types of wasp, and many are able to sting through clothing and protective gear. Like yellow jackets, hornets are very protective of their nests, which can usually be found in the ground, hollows of trees, tree branches and near roof gutters, among other protected places. Certain types of hornets, such as the bald-faced hornet, will protect its nest by employing two of its team to circle near the nest surveying the area for threats. Once these "watchmen" feel their nest is in danger, they alert their team inside, and all attack as a united group.
Paper Wasps, which can be found throughout North America, are an aggressive type wasp who build their nests with chewed wood pulp, hence the name "paper" wasp. The insect can grow up to 1-inch long, and possesses a distinctive reddish-brown body with yellow rings and long legs that dangle during flight. The paper wasp is considered a social insect that is most active during the spring, summer and fall months. By November, all males and the original queen die within a nest, while the new queens burrow into the ground and wait for the winter to pass.
The cicada killer wasp is larger than most wasps, growing to a length of up to 2 inches. Though this type of wasp is not generally aggressive, mating male cicada killer wasps can be highly aggressive and can be disturbed very easily. The insect gets its name from what it hunts and eats: the cicada. This species of wasp is mostly found during July and August in hotter climates where cicadas are present.
Hornets are actually known for being one of the most laid-back types of wasps that you may encounter. So, why are we including them on this list? Well, while they don’t tend to seek people and animals out to be aggressive, if they feel their nest may be in danger or you’ve gotten too close to them, they can attack with an unrelenting vengeance. They have powerful stingers that can penetrate even through thick clothing and protective gear, and will often attack as a large swarm.
2. Paper Wasps
These wasps are well known for being aggressive, predatory, and very territorial. In fact, if their nest happens to be destroyed, they often return to rebuild it in the exact same spot. Due to their territorial nature, they are extremely unfond of people getting close to their nests and have a tendency to attack if they feel you’ve gotten within a certain range or if they think you may be a threat. Not only can paper wasps sting, but they have powerful and painful bites. They can sink their powerful mandibles into victims and simultaneously sting them, multiple times. Unlike honeybees who lose their barbed stingers and die after the encounter, wasps have smooth stingers that remain intact and can be used over and over. Furthermore, these striped stingers have acutely painful venom that they inject with each stab into their victim.
3. Bald-Faced Hornets
Bald-faced hornets are very easily agitated. While they are technically hornets, their personalities are more reminiscent of yellow jackets. They have a particular aversion to vibrations which can be easily carried through walls, branches of trees and even through the air. There have even been cases of people being attacked simply because they were mowing their lawns and the vibrations stirred them into a frenzy. Probably the most dangerous part of their aggression lies in their tendency to pursue their victims. However, if they are pursuing or attacking you, while it is wise to run away, try to avoid failing around your arms as you do, since these swinging motions can increase their aggravation.
4. Warrior Wasps
These wasps are notoriously large with a propensity for aggression. Not only are warrior wasps aggressive, but they will even perform threatening displays to ward off any intruders on their territory. Their threat display is a loud drumming noise, which accounts for their nickname the “drumming wasps.” This noise is created by simultaneously and rhythmically scraping on their hive when they feel threatened. This cautionary drumming is thought to be performed in order to avoid confrontation due to the fact that their stingers are barbed. This means, similar to bees, once they sting, their stingers detach from their bodies, sticking in their victims and ultimately killing the wasps. These stings are also described as utterly excruciating. When entomologist Justin Schmidt underwent a dangerous series of experiments by personally experiencing the stings of various wasps, he compared warrior wasp stings to “torture” and said it felt like “you are chained in the flow of an active volcano.” The pain is also unrelenting, sometimes lasting over 2 hours. As such, it seems to be in the best interest of both you and warrior wasps to stay away from one another.
5. Yellow Jackets
Yellow jackets may actually be the most aggressive stingers on this list. They are one of the most common culprits when it comes to being stung in your own backyard as they are native to North America. When they attack, yellow jackets tend to sting repeatedly with their venomous stingers, and will even bite their victims. Their aggression tends to spike in the months of Autumn and reports of stings increase at this time. Executive member of the Montgomery Country Beekeepers’ Association of Pennsylvania, Scott Famous, states that, “when the weather turns colder, food sources disappear and [the yellow jackets] begin to starve. Starvation makes them angry and aggressive as they work hard to seek food.” When this aggression spikes, not only humans bear the brunt of their sour dispositions. It is actually common for yellow jackets to attack and even massacre beehives in order to steal their food.
Citations
8 of the Worst Stinging Insects (2017) SciShow. Available at: //www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NHJjEFk32c&t=322s (Accessed: May 2020). Ambrose, K. (2019) Yellow Jackets: Fall’s Fearsome and Feisty Wasps that can Sting Repeatedly, The Washington Post. Available at: //www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2019/11/09/yellow-jackets-falls-fearsome-feisty-wasps-that-can-sting-you-repeatedly/ (Accessed: September 2020). Gardner, K., Klass, C. and Calderone, N. (2004) Stinging Insects: Bald-Faced Hornets and Aerial Nesting Yellow Jackets, Cornell Department of Entomology. Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oneida County. Available at: //idl.entomology.cornell.edu/wp-content/uploads/Bald-Faced-Hornets-Yellow-Jackets-CCE.pdf (Accessed: September 2020). Meet the Biting, Stinging Creatures of ‘Kings of Pain’ (no date) The History Channel. A & E Network. Available at: //www.history.com/shows/kings-of-pain/articles/kings-of-pain-creature-facts (Accessed: September 2020). Vogt, C. (2018) Types of Wasps That Are Very Aggressive, Sciencing. Available at: //sciencing.com/types-of-wasps-12365156.html (Accessed: September 2020).