Stinging Insects in Virginia: 9 Species That Can Send You to the ER

Virginia’s warm climate and diverse ecosystems create perfect conditions for dangerous stinging insects that send thousands of residents to emergency rooms each year.

These nine species pose serious health risks that range from excruciating pain to life-threatening allergic reactions, making identification and prevention crucial for anyone spending time outdoors in the Commonwealth.

Key Insight: According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, at least 5% of Virginia’s population will experience severe allergic reactions to stinging insects, with emergency medical treatment required in thousands of cases annually.

Understanding these species before an encounter occurs can mean the difference between minor discomfort and a medical emergency.

Each species displays distinct behavioral patterns, nesting preferences, and aggression levels that determine your risk exposure and appropriate safety responses.

Velvet Ants (Cow Killers)

Despite their common name, velvet ants are actually flightless female wasps that deliver one of the most excruciating stings in North America. These striking insects measure ½ to ¾ inch in length, covered in dense, velvety hair typically displaying bright red and black warning coloration that advertises their dangerous nature to potential threats.

Female velvet ants earned the nickname “cow killers” due to their legendarily painful sting, which ranks among the highest levels on the Schmidt Pain Index. The intense, radiating pain can persist for several hours and may cause temporary incapacitation in some individuals.

These solitary wasps spend their time searching ground surfaces for host nests—primarily ground-nesting bees and wasps—where they deposit eggs that develop as parasitic larvae. This ground-dwelling behavior increases accidental encounters during yard work, gardening, or outdoor recreational activities.

Important Note: Only female velvet ants possess stingers, but their sting delivers venom potent enough to drop a grown adult to their knees. The pain is often described as feeling like a red-hot nail being driven through the skin.

Velvet ants exhibit several defensive adaptations beyond their potent sting:

• Extremely hard exoskeleton resistant to crushing attempts
• Ability to produce audible squeaking sounds when threatened
• Exceptional speed and agility when escaping on foot
• Bright warning coloration that signals danger to predators

Common Mistake: Many people attempt to kill velvet ants by stepping on them, but their reinforced exoskeleton can withstand significant pressure, often resulting in the insect stinging through shoe soles or attacking exposed ankle areas.

Prevention focuses on recognizing their distinctive appearance and maintaining safe distances. Children and pets face particular risk due to their natural curiosity toward these colorful insects. Professional pest management may be necessary when velvet ant populations become problematic in residential areas.

Paper Wasps

Paper wasps represent one of Virginia’s most commonly encountered aggressive stinging insects, known for their distinctive umbrella-shaped nests and territorial defensive behavior. These slender wasps measure ¾ to 1 inch in length, displaying reddish-brown coloration with yellow markings, though some species appear in darker brown and black patterns.

Their signature nests consist of gray, papery material created by chewing wood fibers mixed with saliva, forming open-celled combs without protective outer envelopes. Paper wasps construct these nests in highly visible locations including porch ceilings, door frames, deck joists, playground equipment, and outdoor furniture—anywhere offering overhead protection.

Paper wasps demonstrate semi-aggressive behavior, generally tolerating human presence at reasonable distances but becoming defensive when nests are approached or vibrations are detected. Unlike more aggressive species, they won’t pursue threats far from their nest, but they can deliver multiple painful stings if cornered or if their nest is directly threatened.

Pro Tip: Paper wasps are most defensive during late summer when colony populations peak and food sources become scarce. Even routine activities like using outdoor furniture or walking through doorways can trigger attacks if nests are nearby.

Individual wasps often display territorial hovering behavior around nest sites during spring establishment, but this rarely escalates to stinging unless physical contact occurs. The primary danger arises when nests develop in frequently used areas like doorways, outdoor seating spaces, or children’s play equipment.

Paper wasps provide ecological benefits by controlling populations of caterpillars, spiders, and other pest insects, but their proximity to human activity areas makes professional removal advisable once nests exceed tennis ball size. Virginia pest control experts recommend early intervention during spring when colonies remain small and less defensive.

Bald-faced Hornets

Bald-faced hornets rank among Virginia’s most territorial and aggressive stinging insects, capable of inflicting severe injuries through coordinated group attacks. These large wasps measure ½ to ⅝ inch in length, displaying distinctive ivory or white markings on their face, thorax, and legs against a predominantly black body that makes them easily recognizable.

These hornets construct massive aerial nests that can reach 14 inches in diameter and 24 inches in length by late summer. The football-shaped, gray paper nests are typically positioned at least three feet off the ground in trees, building overhangs, utility poles, or dense shrubs, with a single guarded entrance that remains constantly monitored.

Bald-faced hornets demonstrate extreme territorial aggression, with workers attacking anything that approaches within 10-15 feet of their nest. Their smooth stingers allow repeated stinging while they release alarm pheromones that recruit additional colony members to join the attack.

Seasonal aggression patterns include:

• Spring: Moderate defensiveness as queens establish nests
• Summer: Increasing aggression as colonies expand
• Fall: Peak aggression with maximum population and resource competition
• Late Fall: Desperate aggression as colonies prepare for winter die-off

The species exhibits coordinated attack behavior rarely seen in other Virginia stinging insects. When threatened, multiple hornets will simultaneously attack while releasing pheromones that attract reinforcements from the nest. Victims often sustain 20-50 stings during a single encounter, leading to severe medical reactions even in non-allergic individuals.

Bald-faced hornets provide ecological benefits by controlling pest insect populations, but their aggressive nature and tendency to build nests near human activity areas make them significant safety concerns. Walking, running, or operating power equipment within their territory can trigger immediate defensive responses.

Professional nest removal becomes essential when colonies are discovered within 20 feet of frequently used outdoor spaces. DIY removal attempts often result in serious injuries requiring emergency medical treatment, as the hornets’ coordinated attacks can overwhelm protective clothing and drive victims to medical facilities.

Sweat Bees

Sweat bees present minimal stinging risk compared to other Virginia species, though their attraction to human perspiration can lead to accidental encounters during summer outdoor activities. These small bees measure ¼ to ½ inch in length, with many species displaying distinctive metallic green or blue coloration, while others appear in drab brown or black patterns.

Despite their common name and tendency to land on sweaty skin, sweat bees rarely sting unless trapped against clothing or accidentally grabbed. Their stings rank among the mildest of any stinging insect, causing brief pain and minimal swelling that typically resolves within minutes to hours.

Most Virginia sweat bee species nest individually in underground tunnels they excavate in bare or sparsely vegetated soil. These ground nests typically occur in garden areas, pathways, or lawn edges where soil compaction remains minimal. Unlike social species, sweat bees don’t defend territory or exhibit aggressive behavior toward humans.

When sweat bees land on your skin during outdoor work, their goal involves collecting salts from perspiration, not stinging. Calm, gentle movements typically encourage them to fly away without defensive reactions.

Encounter frequency increases during:

• Hot summer days when perspiration levels peak
• Outdoor work activities in gardens or landscaping
• Exercise or recreational activities generating sweat
• Areas with flowering plants that attract foraging bees

The primary benefit of sweat bees involves their pollination services for native wildflowers and some agricultural crops. While less efficient than honeybees for most commercial applications, sweat bees contribute significantly to native plant reproduction and ecosystem health throughout Virginia.

Simple management strategies effectively minimize interactions while acknowledging their beneficial ecological role:

• Wearing light-colored, loose-fitting clothing reduces sweat accumulation
• Using outdoor fans disperses body heat and chemical attractants
• Timing outdoor activities during cooler morning or evening hours
• Showering before prolonged outdoor work during peak summer temperatures

Unlike aggressive species requiring professional intervention, sweat bees respond well to basic prevention methods that respect their important pollination role while reducing nuisance encounters.

Honeybees

European honeybees maintain their status as Virginia’s most beneficial stinging insects while possessing the capacity to inflict serious defensive stings when their colonies are threatened. These essential pollinators measure ½ to ⅝ inch in length, displaying orangish-brown to black coloration with fuzzy, hair-covered bodies that distinguish them from aggressive wasps.

Honeybee colonies contain 20,000-80,000 individuals in established hives, making them the largest social insect colonies in Virginia. Unlike aggressive yellowjackets, honeybees exhibit purely defensive behavior—they sting only when directly threatened or when protecting their hive from perceived attacks.

The species provides enormous economic value through pollination services essential for Virginia agriculture. Honeybees pollinate over 100 crop species grown throughout the Commonwealth, contributing an estimated $100+ million annually to the state’s agricultural economy through increased yields and improved crop quality.

Honeybee stings differ significantly from wasp stings: The barbed stinger remains embedded in the victim, tearing away from the bee and causing its death. This single-sting limitation makes honeybees far less dangerous than multi-sting wasps, though their defensive pheromones can recruit additional defenders when colonies are threatened.

Emergency situations requiring immediate medical attention:

• Multiple stings exceeding 10-15 bee stings in non-allergic individuals
• Any sting reaction in individuals with known bee allergies
• Stings occurring in mouth, throat, or facial areas causing swelling
• Systemic reactions including difficulty breathing, widespread hives, or dizziness

When honeybees establish unauthorized colonies in wall voids, attics, or other structures, removal requires specialized approaches that preserve both the bees and property. Professional beekeepers and pest control services use live removal techniques that relocate entire colonies to appropriate hives rather than extermination methods.

Prevention and coexistence strategies:

• Maintaining flowering plants at appropriate distances from high-traffic areas
• Sealing potential nesting cavities in structures before swarming season
• Contacting local beekeepers for colony relocations rather than extermination
• Understanding seasonal swarming behavior typically lasting 24-48 hours

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services provides guidelines for ethical bee management that balance safety concerns with conservation of these critical pollinators.

Carpenter Bees

Eastern carpenter bees pose dual threats to Virginia homeowners through both structural damage potential and defensive stinging behavior when protecting their nesting sites. These robust insects measure ½ to 1 inch in length, often confused with bumblebees due to similar size, but carpenter bees display characteristic shiny, hairless black abdomens that distinguish them from their fuzzy relatives.

Female carpenter bees excavate perfectly round, ½-inch diameter tunnels directly into wooden surfaces using their powerful mandibles. They prefer weathered, unpainted, or softwood surfaces including deck railings, eaves, fence posts, outdoor furniture, and playground equipment for tunnel construction.

The structural damage occurs as multiple generations expand existing tunnels, creating elaborate gallery systems that can weaken wooden structures over time. A single female can excavate up to 10 inches of tunneling in her lifetime, with subsequent generations extending these networks indefinitely throughout residential properties.

Male carpenter bees appear highly aggressive, hovering near nest sites and dive-bombing perceived threats, but they cannot sting. Females rarely sting unless directly handled or trapped, but their sting delivers particularly potent venom when used defensively.

Structural damage progression:

1. Year 1: Initial ½-inch entrance holes with 4-6 inch tunnels
2. Years 2-3: Tunnel extensions and new branches from existing holes
3. Years 4+: Complex gallery systems potentially compromising structural integrity

Prevention focuses on maintaining painted or treated wood surfaces, as carpenter bees strongly prefer untreated, weathered wood for tunnel excavation. Promptly sealing abandoned tunnels with wood putty prevents reuse by subsequent generations and reduces ongoing structural damage.

Professional treatment becomes necessary for established infestations affecting critical structural elements or when multiple active tunnels compromise building integrity. Virginia pest control specialists use targeted treatments that eliminate active populations while preserving structural wood.

Fire Ants

Imported fire ants represent Virginia’s most medically dangerous stinging insects, capable of inflicting hundreds of painful stings during single encounters that can trigger severe systemic reactions requiring emergency medical intervention. These reddish-brown to black ants measure 1/10 to ¼ inch individually, but their collective defensive swarming behavior makes them exponentially more dangerous than their size suggests.

Fire ant colonies construct distinctive raised mounds reaching 10 inches in height and 15 inches in diameter, extending up to three feet underground. These mounds typically appear in open, sunny areas including lawns, fields, recreational areas, and roadsides throughout affected Virginia counties.

The species exhibits coordinated swarming behavior when mounds are disturbed, with hundreds of workers immediately climbing onto perceived threats and stinging in unison. Each ant can sting repeatedly while gripping with mandibles, creating burning sensations that intensify as more ants join the attack.

Fire ant stings develop characteristic progression:

• Immediate: Intense burning pain at sting sites
• 30 minutes: Red, swollen welts with central pustule formation
• 8-24 hours: White, pus-filled pustules that remain painful
• Several days: Pustules may become infected if scratched or improperly treated

Common Mistake: Many people attempt to eliminate fire ant mounds with boiling water, which kills only surface ants while the queen and thousands of workers remain protected in deeper chambers. This often results in multiple new mounds appearing nearby as the colony relocates.

Fire ants cause significant impacts beyond human health concerns:

• Agricultural losses: Attacking livestock and destroying crop seedlings
• Equipment damage: Mounds interfering with mowing and farming operations
• Wildlife impacts: Predation on ground-nesting birds and small mammals
• Medical costs: Millions of dollars annually in affected regions for sting treatment

Emergency medical attention required when:

• Multiple fire ant attacks result in dozens of stings
• Systemic allergic reactions develop (difficulty breathing, widespread hives)
• Children or elderly individuals sustain significant sting numbers
• Secondary infections develop in pustule areas

Professional treatment involves targeted baits that worker ants carry back to eliminate entire colonies, including reproductive queens. The Virginia Department of Agriculture monitors fire ant distribution patterns and provides identification assistance for suspected new infestations throughout the Commonwealth.

Yellowjackets

Yellowjackets represent Virginia’s most aggressive and dangerous stinging insects, responsible for the majority of serious sting incidents requiring emergency medical treatment throughout the Commonwealth. These compact wasps measure ⅜ to ⅝ inch in length, displaying distinctive bright yellow and black striped patterns with hairless, segmented bodies that distinguish them from beneficial bees.

Virginia hosts multiple yellowjacket species, with ground-nesting varieties causing the most homeowner problems. These aggressive insects construct paper nests in underground cavities, wall voids, attics, or dense vegetation, with mature colonies containing 1,000-5,000 individuals by late summer.

Ground nests present particular hazards because they remain virtually invisible until accidentally disturbed by lawn mowing, yard work, or recreational activities. The vibrations from power equipment can trigger defensive swarms involving hundreds of yellowjackets that pursue threats for considerable distances, often inflicting dozens of stings during single encounters.

Yellowjacket aggression intensifies throughout the season due to biological factors:

• Colony populations peak during late summer and early fall
• Natural food sources become scarce, increasing scavenging behavior
• Workers become more defensive preparing for winter colony die-off
• Proximity to sugary foods and proteins increases human encounters

Pro Tip: Yellowjackets can sting repeatedly without losing their stinger, and their venom contains compounds that attract additional colony members to join attacks. Multiple stings can overwhelm even non-allergic individuals.

These wasps exhibit pursuit behavior uncommon among other Virginia stinging insects. When defending their colony, yellowjackets will chase threats for hundreds of yards, navigate around obstacles, and continue attacking until the perceived threat is eliminated or moves far from their territory.

High-risk situations include:

• Mowing lawns or using power equipment near hidden ground nests
• Outdoor dining areas with sugary drinks or protein-rich foods
• Garbage collection areas and compost bins
• Late summer picnics and outdoor gatherings when populations peak

Yellowjackets become particularly problematic around Virginia homes during September and October when natural food sources decline and workers desperately forage for sugars and proteins. Their attraction to outdoor dining areas, garbage receptacles, and pet food creates frequent human encounters during peak activity periods.

Professional nest location and treatment provides the only safe removal method for established yellowjacket colonies. Expert pest control services use specialized protective equipment and treatment methods designed to eliminate entire colonies while minimizing risk to residents and property.

Bumblebees

Bumblebees present relatively low stinging risk to Virginia residents despite their intimidating size and loud buzzing flight patterns. These beneficial pollinators measure ½ to 1 inch in length, displaying robust, densely hairy bodies in various color combinations including yellow and black, with some species showing orange or red markings.

Unlike aggressive wasps and hornets, bumblebees exhibit docile temperament and rarely sting unless directly handled or their nest is physically disturbed. Their colonies remain small, typically containing 50-400 individuals compared to thousands in wasp colonies, reducing encounter frequency and defensive responses.

Bumblebee nests consist of waxy pollen clumps constructed in protected ground locations including abandoned rodent burrows, dense grass clumps, compost areas, or spaces underneath structures. These hidden nests rarely conflict with human activities unless accidentally uncovered during yard maintenance or construction projects.

Important Note: Queens and workers can sting multiple times if threatened, but they must be directly provoked to defensive behavior. Most bumblebee encounters involve individual foragers visiting flowers rather than defensive nest protection.

Beneficial ecological services include:

• Efficient pollination of wildflowers, vegetables, and fruit trees
• Critical pollination for tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants through buzz pollination
• Support for native plant reproduction and ecosystem health
• Enhanced crop yields compared to other pollinator species

Bumblebees demonstrate “buzz pollination” behavior unavailable from other Virginia pollinators, using flight muscle vibrations to release pollen from flowers with tightly held pollen stores. This specialized service makes them irreplaceable for certain agricultural crops and native plant reproduction.

When bumblebee nests are discovered:

• Consider leaving undisturbed through the growing season if location permits
• Nests naturally abandon after first frost when colonies die off
• Relocate outdoor activities to avoid accidental disturbance
• Contact professionals only if nests pose immediate safety risks

Management typically focuses on prevention rather than elimination. Sealing potential nesting sites like gaps under decks or sheds prevents establishment while maintaining distance between active nests and high-traffic areas reduces accidental encounters.

The Virginia Department of Agriculture actively promotes bumblebee conservation due to their agricultural importance, encouraging homeowners to protect colonies when safely possible while managing only those presenting direct safety threats to residents or property use.

Safety and Emergency Response

Protecting yourself and your family from Virginia’s dangerous stinging insects requires understanding seasonal activity patterns, recognizing high-risk situations, and knowing appropriate emergency responses when encounters occur. Most serious medical incidents happen during late summer and early fall when colony populations peak and natural food sources decline.

Immediate first aid for stings:

1. Remove stingers quickly by scraping with fingernail or credit card edge (never pinch)
2. Clean sting sites with soap and water to prevent secondary infections
3. Apply ice packs to reduce swelling and numb pain for 15-minute intervals
4. Monitor for allergic reactions including difficulty breathing, widespread hives, or dizziness
5. Seek emergency care immediately if severe reactions develop

Emergency medical attention required when experiencing:

• Difficulty breathing, wheezing, or throat tightness
• Rapid pulse, dizziness, or loss of consciousness
• Widespread hives or severe swelling beyond sting sites
• Nausea, vomiting, or severe abdominal cramping
• Multiple stings exceeding 10-15 in non-allergic individuals

Property prevention strategies:

• Remove attractants: Keep garbage sealed, clean up fallen fruit, eliminate standing water
• Structural maintenance: Seal cracks in foundations, repair screens, cap chimneys and vents
• Landscape management: Trim vegetation from structures, fill ground holes, maintain clear sight lines
• Professional inspections: Schedule regular property assessments during peak season

High-risk activities requiring extra caution:

• Lawn mowing and landscaping during late summer months
• Outdoor dining and food preparation in yards
• Children’s outdoor play near potential nesting sites
• Home maintenance projects involving attics, eaves, or wall voids

When to call professionals immediately:

• Active nests within 20 feet of frequently used areas
• Anyone in household has known sting allergies
• Multiple nests discovered on same property
• Ground nests suspected but location unknown

Protective measures for yard work:

• Wear long pants, closed shoes, and light-colored clothing
• Avoid floral perfumes or scented personal products outdoors
• Keep antihistamines readily available for mild reactions
• Work during cooler morning hours when insect activity decreases

Virginia’s stinging insect season typically runs from April through October, with peak danger periods during August and September when most emergency room visits occur. Understanding species-specific behaviors and maintaining appropriate prevention measures significantly reduces your family’s risk of dangerous encounters requiring medical intervention.