STINGING/BITING INSECTS

Honey bees are social insects found all over the world. They are beneficial insects because of their role in pollination. Honey bees pollinate more than 100 crops in the U.S.

Color: Predominantly golden-yellow with brown bands

Legs: 6

Shape:  Oval; bee shape

Size:  1/2 inch

Antennae:  Yes

There are several species of yellow jackets. These flying insects typically have a yellow and black head/face and patterned abdomen. Active mostly in the late summer and early autumn when a colony is at its peak, yellow jackets are social insects that live in nests with up to 4,000 workers. They feed on sweets and proteins, and therefore commonly invade outdoor events. Yellow jackets are also capable of stinging their victims multiple times. 

Color: Abdomen usually black and yellow pattered similar to bands 

Legs:  Six 

Shape:  Wasp-like 

Size:  Workers 3/8 to 5/8 of an inch long 

Antennae:  Yes

Paper wasps get their common name from the paper-like material out of which they make their nests. Paper wasps will hang their comb nests from the twigs and branches of trees and shrubs, porch ceilings, the tops of window and doorframes, soffits, eaves, attic rafters, etc. Paper wasps are sometimes called umbrella wasps, after the shape of their distinctive nests.

Color: Brownish with yellow markings; a few species with reddish markings 

Legs: 6 

Shape:  Wasp-like, with long legs 

Size:  5/8 – 3/4” (16-20 mm) 

Antennae:  Yes

This group of wasps gets its common name from the fact that they construct their nest of mud. Mud daubers are solitary wasps that do not live in colonies. They are considered nuisance pests and rarely sting.

Color: Usually black, may have pale markings or a metallic luster 

Legs: 6

Shape:  Long and slender with a thread-like waist 

Size:  1/2 – 1+” (12-25+ mm) 

Antennae:  Yes

This hornet (also called Giant hornet) gets its common name from its introduction from Europe into the New York area in the 1800's. European hornets are much larger than yellow jackets and unlike most stinging insects, can be active at night.

Color: Brown with yellow abdominal stripes and pale face 

Legs: 6 

Shape:  Long, robust, wasp-like 

Size:  3/4 – 11/2” (18-38 mm) 

Antennae:  Yes

One of the best-known summer pests, mosquitoes breed in stagnant water or soft soil. They often seek us out by detecting our body heat and the carbon dioxide we exhale. While the female mosquitoes suck our blood, the male mosquitoes feed on plant nectars.

Color: Varies; mostly gray with white, silver, green or iridescent blue scales

Legs: 6

Shape:  Narrow, oval

Size:  1/4 - 3/8 inch long

Antennae:  Yes

A notorious biting arachnid, the blacklegged tick is named for its dark legs, which are in contrast to its pale body. These ticks typically hide in grass and shrubs waiting for a passing host to latch onto. Blacklegged ticks are sometimes called deer ticks.

Color: Orange-brown with dark legs

Legs: 8

Shape:  Flat; broad oval

Size:  1/8 "

Antennae:  No

The American dog tick gets its name from the fact that adult ticks prefer domestic dogs as hosts, and this tick species is only found in North America.

Color: Brown with whitish to gray markings 

Legs: Larvae have 6 legs, nymphs and adults have 8 legs 

Shape:  Oval, flattened 

Size:  3/16” (5 mm) unengorged, 5/8” (15 mm) engorged 

Antennae:  No

Fleas are parasites that feed on the blood of any warm-blooded body. They have the ability to jump vertically up to 8 inches using their powerful legs. The most common species is the cat flea, which often feasts on cats, dogs and humans.

Color: Dark reddish-brown

Legs: 6

Shape:  Flat

Size:  1/12 to 1/6-inch long

Antennae:  Yes

Chicken mites, also known as bird mites, get their common name because they live on the skin of a wide variety of birds, but especially chickens. They become structural pests when they migrate from bird nests into buildings and attack humans.

Color: Nearly white when unfed, bright red when recently fed, or gray to black with blood meal partially digested 

Legs: 8

Shape:  Oval, flattened from top to bottom, not hard-shelled

Size:  1/32” (0.75-1+ mm)

Antennae:  No

Bed bugs likely get their name from their habit of feeding on humans while they sleep in their beds. They are found in virtually every place people tend to gather, including residences, hotels, schools, offices, retail stores and even public transportation.

Color: Unfed adults are mahogany; engorged bed bugs are red-brown. Nymphs are nearly colorless. 

Legs: 6

Shape:  Flat, broad oval when unfed; swollen and elongated when fed.

Size:  Adults are 1/4 inch long. Nymphs range from 1.3 mm to 4-5 mm.

Antennae:  Yes