All posts in “Africanized bees”

Yikes! Can you imagine seeing this in a tree?

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Yikes, is right!

OK this doesn’t happen very often, the swarm decided to stay put and start making honey comb. This can be very DANGEROUS, when they start to make honey comb they will start to really defend and protect their new hive. Also this is a BIG hive probably upward of 50,000 bees and remember if you agitate or accidently mess with them they will become nasty and quick. By the way you can’t put nasty on hold or back to what they were before you decided to mess with – always call a Pest Management Professional such as ProBest Pest Management 602-249-7378

 

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Bees are busy these days

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I often have to walk around bushes and trees and sometimes they are just a humming with activity. This is the case in the Spring, people often get freaked out with all the activity. Honeybees are very important to our lives, 1/3 of all the food we eat are pollinated by bees. The only real time to be worried about honeybees is when they have taken up a home within your home. In this case they have something to defend, and defend it they will especially Africanized honeybees. Africanized honeybees are more prone to attack just because of a smell or lawnmower noise. They are virtually the same size as European honeybees and swarm 2 to 3 times more often Just use caution, unless you are allergic and then use extreme caution especially if there is a hive close to your home. If you are hiking some colonies will bump you to tell you they are close, just back away. Generally speaking swarms won’t attack unless you mess with them, they are full of honey and not yet defending a hive or colony. So don’t mess with them and they probably won’t mess with you.

Bee careful out there.

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Fantastic tree in Phoenix, Arizona

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I think this is a Orchid Tree, Bauhinia variegate. The honeybees were going crazy, it sounded like a whirling buzzing noise and the tree was covered with bees pollinating.

When the bees are out gathering nectar and pollen generally speaking they will not attack, if you bother them or swat at them they may defend and sting you but they are not in hive defense mode. A lot of people panic when they see a few bees on a tree or bush, the honeybees are just there to gather the fruit of their labor. The same goes with water areas, this could also be your pool or water fountain. Swarms occur and should be left alone, they will probably move on. Let them be and more than likely they will leave you be. We as humans can come into contact with bees daily so just take care and if you notice them coming and going from your home – just check them out and see exactly where they are coming from.

Bee safe

Honey bee swarms

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Here are a few tips on honeybee swarms:

  1. Generally speaking  a swarm such as the one above will move on in time, usually 24 hours.
  2. When a swarm happens the bees take in honey and are therefore less aggressive, don’t provoke them.
  3. A swarm will send scouts out to look for an new home.
  4. If they land on a tree, bush or fence give them some time. If they land on your house it is better to take care of it ASAP.
  5. By just looking at them it is impossible to determine if they are Africanized.
  6. Once they establish a hive or colony they will defend with their lives.

What do you want to know by ProBest Pest Management!

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DrBugKVBdidyouknow1

Cockroaches are known to carry such diseases as polio, typhoid, gastroenteritis and hepatitis.

Africanized bees live in colonies with as many as 80,000 other bees; they are quick to get excited and attack in great swarms.

A scorpion can have up to 12 eyes.

Ladybugs aren’t really bugs at all, they’re beetles!

Insects are cold blooded and do not have lungs.

 

The war on bugs, whose winning?

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“Entomologists study ways to kill urban pests”  Why is this important, I’ll point out some remarks made in this story. Please read the story lots of great information.

  1. “There is definitely an economic impact to bed bug infestation,” Romero said.
  2. Psychological effects are often underestimated. Romero said having bed bugs can cause sleeplessness and anxiety.
  3. There is concern over chemicals in insecticides that could be harmful to humans, but Romero said they must be used properly and according to procedures.

Here are some factors that I see and read daily.

  1. Hanta Virus (weekly reports)
  2. Bubonic Plague
  3. WNV (West Nile Virus) from mosquitoes also Malaria or Dengue Fever from around the world
  4. Africanized Bees
  5. Ticks (Lyme Disease)
  6. Assassin bugs (Chagas Disease)

So as we continue the fight against those bugs/insects/pests that can kill us if not kept in check, new manufacturing continues to create new molecules to destroy those killers. What can you do?

  • Check your home monthly.
  • Keep trees and shrubs trimmed and away from your house.
  • Repair screens and keep doors closed.
  • When traveling – keep an eye out for various bugs like Bed Bugs.
  • If you encounter a pest, do some investigation and have it checked – don’t panic.

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How do those honeybees get into your home?

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How do those honeybees get into your home?

 

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As you can see any crack or crevice that they can squeeze into, as long as there is room inside to build a honeycomb to raise future bees. The bees have also decided that they only work on Sunday’s, cause that is the only day I get the calls.

The one thing I have noticed is that the new colonies are smaller probably indicating Africanized Honeybee’s. The weird factor in this is that the last 3 swarms or colonies have not been very aggressive probably due to just moving into their new digs.

How can you remove honeycomb from a structure?

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How can you remove honeycomb from a structure?

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Honeybees can take up residence in any home if there is space available and sometimes they don’t make it easy to get to them.We don’t always remove the honeycomb, it is not always necessary. Maybe the bees haven’t been there very long or it is just impossible to get to as the case above is. depending on the location you may have to cut stucco, or come in from the inside out and this all involves dismantling and construction. All of this is time consuming and somewhat dangerous unless you know what you are doing.

Sometimes it is necessary to call in someone with more construction ability than I have. If it involves cutting stucco or getting into a brick structure then I think you need a professional that understands construction and building plans.

The bees are coming! How do I know?

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The bees are coming! How do I know?

bee swarm

The weather has warmed up and we had a great deal of rain, that is going to equal a lot of bug. With the temperatures today in the high 80’s you can bet the Africanized Honeybee’s who swarm more often anyway are all ready making brood to divide the colony.

The hive mind decides on the event and all of a sudden the colony is at it’s maximun and they swarm. One-half or so of the colony depart in a frenzy, they may alight on a branch and then send scouts out to find a new home. Once located the Queen will check it out and if she is happy they will move into their new home.

Here are a few facts about the swarm:

  • The bees will have taken on additional honey, typically they are more docile when full. But they might still sting, just less likely to become agitated unless they are defending their home. Swarm tend to be more docile!
  • The old Queen moves with the new swarm, she is fertile and more likely to succeed in a new build. The honeycomb is difficult work, so the stress on the entire colony is BIG.
  • The new Queen probably not yet fertile, she will take a mating flight after the swarm leaves. It is possible for her to become a free lunch for a bird or other insect, if she fails to return the old hive still has the ability to create a Queen from previous eggs.
  • Africanized honeybees swarm up to 10x more then European Honeybees.

What is Anaphylactic shock?

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What is Anaphylactic shock?

 

Anaphylaxis is a severe, whole-body allergic reaction to a chemical that has become an allergen. After being exposed to a substance such as bee sting venom, the person’s immune system becomes sensitized to it. It is estimated that more than 400 people die each year in the U.S. from bee stings.  This reaction can lead to difficulty breathing and shock ultimately leading to death.

  •  A single bee sting, for example, may not cause an allergic reaction the first time.
  •  Another bee sting may produce a sudden, severe allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis or anaphylactic shock.

Experts say that between 1% to 15% of the US population is at risk of having an anaphylactic reaction if exposed to at least one allergen – they add that these figures vary according to various definitions of a reaction. Approximately 1% of those with anaphylaxis may consequently die.

Only a very limited portion of the population (one or two out of 1000) is allergic or hypersensitive to bee or wasp stings. The average person can safely tolerate 10 stings per pound of body weight. This means that although 500 stings could kill a child, the average adult could withstand more than 1100 stings.

If you are unsure – call 911 immediately or Poison Control 1-888-222-1222 for more information.

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