Digger Bees Nesting in Homeowners Backyard in Middletown, NJ
Challenge
Recently, I went out on service call for one of our Home Protection Plan clients in Middletown, NJ. This service call was intended to be just another routine spring treatment service. However, if there’s one thing I learned in over a decade in pest service is that nothing is routine!
As I was treating the exterior of the client's property, I noticed little mounds of soil throughout the backyard. Upon closer inspection, I came across a community of digger bees in one of the holes. Digger bees are roughly 1/4 to 1/2 inch long and vary in color (mostly shiny metallic or dark, but some with markings of white, yellow or reddish brown). Digger bee nests are commonly located in areas of the landscape where the grass is sparse or very thin. Female digger bees “dig” nests into the ground that are about 1/2 of an inch deep. Although the venom from a digger bee sting is strong enough to cause a severe allergic reaction in some people, they are non-aggressive and usually only sting if they are being stepped on. In fact, a sting from a digger bee is a lot less painful than the sting of a yellow jacket. As I continued my inspection throughout the property I came across approximately 50-60 digger bee holes.
Solution
For treatment, I applied a highly effective liquid solution along the driveway and the entire exterior of the property. When this solution is applied to the exterior perimeter foundation or outside entry points of a structure, it'll target these pests as they travel over the treated surfaces. Once pests are exposed, they will slowly be eliminated. Social insects such as digger bees will interact with one another through feeding or grooming processes and infect each other for rapid control of entire colonies or nests.
In a short amount of time, the digger bee population will be completely eradicated and the homeowner can enjoy a pest-free backyard to barbecue in!
