Beware of Bald-faced Hornets!

photo courtesy of Piccolo Namek; wikipedia.org

In the last couple of weeks, some Mid-Georgia Pest Control techs have had the unfortunate experience of multiple stings from bald-faced hornets.  This has occurred on the job as well as off.  They are certainly around this year and will sting if disturbed!

photo courtesy of ento.psu.edu

Although they are called hornets, bald-faced hornets are actually a type of tree-nesting wasp.  They get their name from the white/ivory markings on their face.  Bald-faced hornets can be found throughout North America, but they are very common in the southeastern US.  

In the spring, queens emerge from hibernation and begin building nests for the new colony.  The first batch of eggs become workers to help complete the nest.  Nests are made by chewing up wood which mixes with a starch in the saliva.  This gets spread around and dries into a paper-like substance.  The nests are gray and football shaped, and they may be larger than the diameter of a basketball.  Typical locations for these nest are in trees and shrubs or attached to buildings.

photo courtesy of The High Fin Sperm Whale; wikipedia.org

photo courtesy of Jason Edgecombe; wikipedia.org

If left undisturbed, bald-faced hornets will probably not disturb you.  However, they are extremely protective of their nests and will become very aggressive if disturbed.  Colonies can contain 100-400 members.  If you find a nest near your home, do not try to remove it or kill the inhabitants on your own.  Give us a call at (770)962-4240.  If you find a nest away from the house that can be left alone, all the wasps, except for newly fertilized queens, will die off as winter approaches.  The new queens will hibernate in hollow trees, under logs, or underground until next spring. 

photo courtesy of ento.psu.edu

Green Tree Frogs!

In the last few weeks, my family has taken 2 overnight trips to my in-laws' home in South Carolina.  As we were locking up for the night, both times we saw a tree frog on the door.  I'm not sure if it was the same one or not, but it looks like my in-laws have a new friend at their house.

The green tree frog is a common backyard species.  They are often found around ponds, lakes, and streams and spend much of their time in trees eating insects.  Although there is a river across the street from my in-laws' house, this particular frog seems to prefer sticking to the glass door.  They are good at climbing on smooth surfaces and are often seen on windows or glass doors.  These frogs have also become popular pets.  Maybe if it's there next time, we'll catch it!

Green tree frogs range from bright yellowish olive to lime green.  They may have small patches of gold or white or a line running down their side.  Males are slightly smaller than females and have wrinkled throats because of their vocal pouch.  They are mostly found in the central and southeastern parts of the United States. 

Fun fact: the green tree frog is the state amphibian of Georgia and Louisiana.

 

Bugs in the News!

Have you ever heard of the "kissing bug"?  Despite the sweet name, this isn't a bug you want to cuddle up with.  It gets it's name because it tends to bite people on the lips.



 

photo courtesy of wikipedia.org

Kissing bugs, sometimes called assassin bugs, have been in the news lately because of an infection they spread called Chagas Disease.  Chagas Disease was named after the Brazilian doctor who discovered it, Carlos Chagas.  So, why the big uproar about them lately?  An article was recently published in the Public Library of Science journal which has caused some controversy.  Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of Baylor College of Medicine's National School of Tropical Medicine, compared Chagas to HIV/AIDS.  The diseases themselves are different, but Hotez says he was trying to "call attention to the disease; make people aware of it.

The kissing bugs that cause Chagas thrive in the thatched roofs, stick and mud construction found in rural and poor regions of Central and South America.  There are roughly 10 million people in these areas that are infected with Chagas.  In the US, around 300,000 people have Chagas.  However, they were likely infected before coming to the US.  Bites typically happen at night, and parasites from the bug's feces infect the itchy wound.



photo courtesy of wikipedia.org

Although many people live with Chagas without any symptoms, 30% of those infected will develop serious health problems such as heart failure and fatal digestive problems.  The good news is that Chagas can be cured.  The bad news-the drugs needed for this treatment cost around $11,000.  Because most people infected with Chagas are from destitute areas of Latin America, this expensive treatment is out of reach.
"This might be called a forgotten disease of forgotten people-impoverished people in the developing world," says Dr. William Schaffner, chair of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and president of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases.  He hopes the comparison between Chagas and HIV will help rally resources.