All posts in “AHB”

Africanized Bees swarm more often, is this strange?

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Africanized honeybees have become the dominant type of honey bee for beekeeping in Central America and in tropical areas of South America due to them outcompeting the European subspecies, and there are claims that they have improved productivity.

Tends to swarm more frequently and go farther than other types of honey bees. The swarm above was very limited maybe 50 bees.

Defends its nest agressively, very defensive. May sence a threat from 50 – 100 feet away from nest.

Respond more quickly to a threat, sending more bees if necessary – more bees = the more stings. May chase up to 1/4 mile or more.

Will move nest if food becomes scarce.

Some fun at ProBest Pest Management!

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Some fun at ProBest Pest Management!

 

The staff and management at ProBest Pest Management tries real hard to honor and say thanks to all the staff as often as possible. Since we are not the largest company out there, we have to be somewhat imaginative I mean what would the point be to have an employee of the month when there are really only 10 of us.

Amount 8 months ago we did an EXTREME AFRICANIZED BEE JOB, they were some of the nastiest of the bees we ever have to deal with. Well one of the crew was stung 13 times and another 3 times. Well just a few days ago it happened again – 11 stings and that is with a bee suit on. I was going to show the picture of his face but he had to take the next day off cause it swelled up, WOW – got to watch out for stinging pests and that is why you should always call a Pest Management Professional… Even if we get stung – we get rid of the bees.

So to honor the dedication and professionalism we decided to start a little trophy system.

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Just to gloat a little, after working for over 25 years in the pest control field – I have only been stung twice to my recollection.

The weather is swarmer and bringing out the swarmers…

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The weather is swarmer and bringing out the swarmers…  Africanized Bees that is!

Wow we have had at least 12 calls in the last few days on bees swarming, so I thought a little bee information should be spread.

  1. Africanized Honeybees (AHB) aka “Killer Bees” look just like European Honeybees (EHB).
  2. (AHB) swarm frequently up to 10 times more often than (EHB).
  3. (AHB) more aggressive, respond in greater numbers, will pursue for 1/4 mile and possibly wait for you if you jump into water.
  4. (AHB) are probably not mean per se, they are just more prone or sensitive  to noises or vibrations.
  5. (AHB) can remain agitated  for over a hour and may attack any curious bystander or pet.
  6. The American Medical Association (AMA) says that 7 stings per pound can be lethal, but remember 1 sting can kill you if you are allergic.
  7. If you are hiking, (AHB) will bump you sometimes to let you know you may be close to their hive/colony.
  8. Just like any unforeseen pest, anything can be dangerous and deadly but so far only 5 human deaths (AZ) can be connected to (AHB).
  9. Check your home monthly for sign of pests and if you see bees call a Pest Management Professional – this IS NOT a Do It Yourself option!
  10. If you decide to DIY – the number to call is 911 or  Poison Control is 1-800-222-1222

Rodney doing a little bee work…

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