From wasps to grubs, watch out for these spring insects in Oklahoma

With Oklahoma's springtime temperatures in full force during the month of March, you have a better chance to see insects that have emerged from their winter hiding spots to find food and mates.

Insects are valuable parts of Oklahoma's ecosystem as they pollinate plants or keep other insect populations in line. Some are pests to both plants and humans.

Here are some of Oklahoma's most visible insect species during spring months.

Red paper wasps

In early March, any red wasps you see will probably be large queens searching for a place to build their nest.

While you may be tempted to destroy a nest that's too close to your home with chemicals, an insect expert from Oklahoma State University said there's an easier way to keep them away if you catch it early.

"If you choose not to kill those and actually go out in the dark, they won't move; they're blind in the dark," said Andrine Shufran, an OSU Extension specialist and director of OSU's Insect Adventure. "Just take a knife or stick and scratch (off) the one or two cells that they're starting to build."

It might take a couple of nights, but the wasp queen will eventually decide to build her nest somewhere else, Shufran said. It's beneficial to keep red paper wasps alive because they are better pollinators than honeybees.

"They're really important if you want to have tomatoes and cucumbers and that sort of thing," she said. "But people are so concerned about having them near the doorways, and it's just them protecting their babies."

Honey bees

Bees are taking advantage of springtime flowering to collect their food.

In the United States, Shufran said there are 4,000 species of bees. Aside from the larger bumblebee that plods around flowers, Oklahoma residents will likely recognize honey bees that swarm in greater numbers and are commonly kept by commercial beekeepers.

Honey bees aren't native to the U.S., but their ability to pollinate and produce honey has made them an integral component of our own food production.

Crane fly

Whether you call them  crane flies  or "skeeter" hawks, the spindly-legged flying insect is an annoyance to humans and a plaything for pets every spring.

Crane flies begin to emerge from grassy areas around this time of year, and can be seen throughout the Oklahoma City area. You might have seen them in your yard, or they might have snuck into the house.

Despite their colloquial name, crane flies have nothing to do with mosquitoes. They aren't related and do not feed on mosquitoes.

Grub worms and beetles

Springtime is when beetles and their larval grub worms start making their presence known in Oklahoma.

As larvae, beetles feed on roots and can cause damage to gardens.

By May, weather conditions are ripe for a variety of beetles to complete their development and crawl out of the ground. Even earlier than that, Shufran said, Oklahomans are likely to start seeing dung beetles.

"Which is always fun if you're a dog owner," she said.

Mosquitos

The deadliest animal on Earth, the mosquito, thrives around standing bodies of water. While there is less of a chance to contract a deadly disease from mosquitoes in Oklahoma, they still present a nuisance and a risk for West Nile Virus.

More: OSU scientists warn 'alpha-gal' ticks linked with redcedar tree spread

Ticks

Several tick species live in Oklahoma and present a headache for people who spend time outside in tall grass.

Ticks have been known to carry Lyme disease, Tularemia, Heartland virus and other diseases, and the Lone Star tick can trigger an allergic reaction to red meat known as alpha-gal syndrome.

Green lacewings

Shufran said Oklahomans might be seeing more of the green lacewing hanging around nighttime lights as the weather gets warmer.

Fear not, though, because these insects are important to sustaining the ecosystem.

"Those are top-of-the-line good guys,' Shufran said. "They're predators as both larvae and adults, and they will eat anything squishy."

Their voracious appetite helps keep the aphid, caterpillar and mealy bug populations in check, she said.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: From ticks to crane flies, these Oklahoma bugs are emerging for spring