Missouri Stinging Insects: Identify Before You Act
Yellow Jacket
Bright yellow and black banding, smooth and shiny body, narrow waist. No visible hair. Aggressive, especially in late summer. Nests in ground, wall voids, or under eaves in paper comb. Can sting repeatedly.
→ Professional treatmentBald-Faced Hornet
Large, black with white facial markings. Builds large gray paper football-shaped aerial nests in shrubs and trees. Highly aggressive near the nest. Missouri's most visually alarming stinging insect.
→ Professional treatmentPaper Wasp
Slender, narrow-waisted, brownish with yellow markings. Open-comb umbrella-shaped nest under eaves, in door frames, under deck railings. Moderately defensive of nest. Will sting if threatened directly.
→ Treat or tolerate depending on locationHoney Bee
Golden-tan, fuzzy body, distinctly hairy legs for pollen collection. Docile unless severely provoked. Swarms (exposed ball of bees) are temporary and non-aggressive. Colonies in wall voids require a beekeeper, not pesticide.
→ Contact a local beekeeperBumble Bee
Large, very fuzzy, black and yellow, slow-moving. Rarely stings unless physically handled. Ground-nesting, small colonies. Significant pollinator value. Tolerance is strongly preferred — treatment rarely warranted.
→ Tolerate if possibleCarpenter Bee
Large, black and yellow, shiny black abdomen (no fuzz where bumble bee has yellow fuzz). Males hover aggressively but cannot sting. Females bore round holes in unpainted wood. Wood damage warrants treatment.
→ Treat for wood damageD&D Pest Control treats yellow jackets, hornets, and wasp nests throughout Franklin County and rural Missouri — visit ddpestcontrolmo.com.