Bees are flying insects which can be classified into eusocial and semi-social bees, solitary and communal bees, cleptoparasitic bees and nocturnal bees. The eusocial and the semi-social bees can be further divided into bumblebees, stingless bees and honey bees. They bear marked resemblances with wasps and ants and belong to the superfamily Apoidea. There are almost 20,000 species of the insect available in this planet which have been identified and recognized. But there are believed to be still many more which have not been identified yet. Bees play an instrumental role in pollination and are also known for producing honey and beeswax.

They feed on nectar and pollen grains from flowers. While the former acts as a source of energy for the insects, the latter is a source of protein for them. Bees have two pairs of wings and an antennae which comprises 13 segments in males and 12 in females. The hind wings are smaller. The bees have a long proboscis or complex tongue that facilitates sucking of nectar from flowers. There are some birds like mockingbirds, kingbirds, beewolves and dragonflies which feed on bees. Besides, these bees are also the favorite meal of Merops apiaster (European bee-eater).

Eusocial and Semi-social bees

As the names suggest, eusocial and semi-social bees live in colonies which consist of a queen bee and many workers. At the peak season a beehive can contain up to 40,000 bees. There are one of the most significant pollinators but their numbers have declined in the recent years.

Bumblebees

The nests are built by the queen bees and can house up to 50 to 200 bees at the peak season.

Stinglessbees

They are behaviorally very diverse but are highly eusocial.

Honey Bee

Honey bees are known for their most complex behavior.

Afrikanized Honey Bee

Also known as Killer bees, they vigorously attack people and animals in the event of the slightest trespassing also. You don’t have to disturb their hives to be on their prowl. They are said to be extremely sensitive to their surroundings including noises from vehicles or other equipment and also vibrations. However, their venom is not is as potent as that of a native honey bee only, the only difference being in the mode of attack.

Being less discriminating in nature compared to native honey bees as far as building their nests is concerned, the Afrikanized bees normally choose attics, walls, hollow trees, sheds, utility boxes, trash cans and abandoned vehicles.

The Afrikanized bees are actually descendants of Southern African bees that were imported in 1956 by Brazilian scientists with an attempt to breed a honey bee that would be better suited to the South American tropics.

Protection from Bees

It may be a challenging task trying to get rid of the bees, but if you follow the steps below it can be lot easier.

• Unlike other insects it is less difficult to locate the nests of the bees since they are diurnal in nature. The best time to find their nests, however, is at the beginning of dusk or late dawn. This is exactly when you’ll notice the bees flying towards a particular area. You can also see a cluster of bees surrounding a beehive.
  
  
• Spray chemicals into their nests especially when it is dark. But you should take enough precautions before doing that by wearing thick gloves, sweats with elastic bands. Also wear a mask on the face.
  
  
• Check on the nest the following morning. If you do not see any sign of the bees, chances are highly likely that you have succeeded in destroying them. But if you happen to notice a single bee also, remember to spray once more and again check on the hive the next day.
• If you leave the beehive abandoned there is a possibility that it will be reclaimed by bees in the next season. So it’s recommended that you get rid of the beehive as well. Once you have sprayed the insecticides inside the beehive make sure that they are all dead. After that remove the beehive and throw it in a garbage can and then dispose the bag accordingly.

However, if you feel throwing the bees out of gear is not your cup of tea, feel free to call us. The professional exterminators are well equipped and have the requisite training and expertise to handle the situation effectively.

Threats from Bees

Bees won’t sting unless they feel threatened and a bee can sting only once during its lifetime after which it dies. But you can come under attack from a swarm of bees if you happen to pass by a place with a beehive located within 50 feet. In such an event the bees can become agitated and pose a formidable threat. But how dangerous a bee sting can be? Let’s read below to understand how it can affect your body.

• The stinger penetrates deep into the skin and causes the damage. When a bee stings the lancets located on the side of the stylus moves up and down pushing the stinger deeper and deeper into the body of the victim. Although it may sound strange, as a matter of fact the bee does not have any control over it at this point of time. And even after the stinger is torn away from the bee’s body, it can keep going more and more inside.
  
  
• The venom of a bee is toxic like that of a snake but since it is injected in a small amount, the sting can only cause swelling and inflammation. The poison of the bee is called apitoxin which also releases pheromones, a kind of chemicals capable of stimulating social response in members of the same species and this is what signals other bees to come and attack the victim. The venom apitoxin has different components like melittin, which is an acidic toxin, and also histamine.
  
  
• As mentioned earlier, the bee stings can cause swellings and inflammation, but if somebody is allergic to bee stings, the venom can pose a formidable life risk. The histamine which is released from the venom is a kind of nitrogen compound that triggers immune response to protect the body. But for people allergic to bee stings, the histamines will over react and jeopardize the healthy cells of the body. The symptoms begin with a dry cough, followed by swollen eyes, sneezing, respiratory distress, low blood pressure and anaphylactic shock which is a kind of allergic reaction to a chemical that has already become an allergen eventually resulting in death.
  

Prevention from Bees

Summer is the ideal time for bees to build their nests. Since they are highly social creatures, bees usually live in large colonies. But sometimes they move out of the large group and go to other places in search of a home. Bees usually build their nests either in tree trunks or any other place they find suitable. So under these circumstances your backyard or places in and around your home may become vulnerable to these insects.

You can follow some simple steps to prevent bees from building their nests in your vicinity.

• Bees usually require three things for survival like food, water and shelter. So if you remove all of these, you can actually prevent bees from building their nests in and around your house. Flowers provide food for the bees in the form of pollen grains, swimming pools hot tubs or livestock watering dishes are potent sources of water and walls of homes, animal burrows etc act as an ideal abode for these creatures. They may also enter through very small openings, thus augmenting the chances of a powerful bee infestation.

The best way to prevent bees from establishing a colony on your property is to deny them an ideal environment for survival. Honey bees require three things in order to survive: food, water and shelter. Honey bees use nectar and pollen from flowers as food. Honey bees visit swimming pools, hot tubs and pet and livestock watering dishes to consume water not only for themselves, but also to take back to cool the hive. They nest in a wide variety of locations, such as animal burrows, overturned flower pots, cavities in saguaros, trees or rocks, irrigation valve boxes, drainage tiles, discarded automobile parts or appliances, and in walls of homes. They may enter openings as small as 3/16-inch in diameter (about the size of a pencil eraser) as long a there is a suitable-sized cavity behind the opening for a nest.

To prevent bees from nesting, you must take care of certain factors like:

• Cover all possible holes and cracks in tree trunks or anywhere else in and around the house including animal burrows in the ground.
• Make every effort to cover your chimneys properly.
• Remove all garbage as well as trash cans that may provide a nesting site for bees.
• Make sure you cover all the windows, drains and attic vents with screens.
• Keep shed doors tightly closed and in proper shape.
• While entering abandoned buildings exercise caution for they may be a sought after place for the bees to build their nests in.