What Are These Savage Little Black Bees Buzzing Around Illinois?

There's a lot of buzz surrounding annoying little bugs in Illinois. You better beelieve they're in Northern Illinois. In fact, one of my coworkers told her kid these bugs are flies but she's pollen their leg.

And, to answer your question, these nuisances can sting you but they're not really a force to bee reckoned with. However, they're annoying and probably out closer to your home than you

ENOUGH WITH THE PUNS

People have been taking their questions about these little bees (carpenter bees) to social media.

A Belvidere resident shared this on Facebook,

Anyone else in the area have their backyards/pools invaded by these little boogers?! Tiny little black bees (look different than a sweat bee) that are stinging us left and right. It’s hard to enjoy being outside. If you’ve found a way to get rid of them please let me know!

Their name gives a little hint on where they may be living, near wood. That's not the only place they may be holding the fort.

Pennsylvania State University

Carpenter bees often look for a comfy dwelling away from the elements and away from the sighs of their hunters, birds.

These little freaks like roof overhangs, decks, and patio furniture, according to Best Bee Brothers.

Being carpenter bees, (keyword: carpenter), they can do damage to wood on your home or wooden structures.

HOW TO GET RID OF CARPENTER BEES

You want to get a jump as soon as you spot a carpenter bee. Not only can they do damage to property they can also sting. You can find a bunch of carpenter bee traps here.

LOOK: Here Are 30 Foods That Are Poisonous to Dogs

To prepare yourself for a potential incident, always keep your vet's phone number handy, along with an after-hours clinic you can call in an emergency. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center also has a hotline you can call at (888) 426-4435 for advice.

Even with all of these resources, however, the best cure for food poisoning is preventing it in the first place. To give you an idea of what human foods can be dangerous, Stacker has put together a slideshow of 30 common foods to avoid. Take a look to see if there are any that surprise you.