All posts in “honeybee”

Fantastic tree in Phoenix, Arizona

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tree

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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

I located a honeybee colony in my house and had it removed, now what?

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Most times if you located it early enough you are probably alright but if its been there for a long time you may have some issues.

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Normally I ask questions and hope for the best but from time to time you never know what might happen. I’ve seen times when not only was there a distinct smell, but there was Wax Moths everywhere. I don’t know how they do it but they got into the house and were flying and flirting around in every room. So here are my tips:

  • Monthly checks of your home during Honeybee season – Africanized Honeybees swarm in Arizona as soon as it becomes warm and wills swarm right up to our mild winters.
  • If you see bees going in and out it is time to call a Pest Management Professional.
  • Keep an eye after the bees have been removed for any signs of leakage. The beeswax and honey will melt and secondary pests will come by for something to eat.
  • Leakage may be inside or outside, pay attention to smells and spotting on walls or ceilings.
  • Honey won’t mold but dead bees might so again pay attention to the smells.

Honeybees in your pool?

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Do you have a pool? Just like us, insects and critters need 3 things – water, food and shelter. The problem is that they don’t know the difference between a natural source of water or a swimming hole or fountain.

Here in Arizona there are many crevices from rock or cactus which may allow a swarm to take up residence close to your home. The water of your pool or fountain just becomes handy for them and they will come to your water source. So lets assume you live beside a mountain and there are bees coming there everyday, what do you do? So this becomes a bigger issue because you don’t have any idea where they are and you don’t have permission to deal with them, unless they are on your property.

I have seen people create a separate water device away from the pool, like a fountain or just a container that you replenish daily. This may be enough to pull them away from that water source to that dish or container. But to my knowledge there isn’t much I can do to keep them away from the water.

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pool Photo by PPMA

Hey I saw a fuzzy ant, is it dangerous?

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Yes and no, actually it’s a wasp and yes it can sting. They were actually called “Cow Killers” and can add a real punch when stung – it was said that a female sting was so painful that it could actually kill a cow. They are a solitary wasp and are found throughout the U.S., the females are large, wingless and hairy. They are 1/8 to 1 inch in length and can be orange, red, yellow black or white. The males don’t have stingers and also they have wings. They are rated Class IV and a tarantula sting at a Class II. Remember wasps, hornets, yellow-jackets all can sting multiple times while honeybees can only sting once (unless its the Queen – no barbs on her stinger). Do you know why – Comment below.

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NO need to worry, just don’t pick them up or accidentally step on one and you will be fine. Another reason to always wear shoes in Arizona, scorpions to Velvet ants (wasps).

New pesticide label to strengthen pollinators.

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Many types of plants, including fruit and vegetable crops, depend on animals for pollination. Although honey bees are often first thought of as pollinators, many other types of animals pollinate crops and wildflowers, including wild bees, ants, beetles, wasps, lizards, birds, and bats. The EPA is concerned about declines in pollinator health, and is working to protect bees and other pollinators from pesticide risks through regulatory actions, voluntary changes to pesticide use by registrants and research programs aimed at increasing the understanding of factors associated with declining pollinator health.

ProBest Pest Management and the National Pest Management Association are continuing to watch as this story developes.

You’ve heard about dogs used to sniff drugs etc but what about honeybees?

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So far I’ve heard about dogs for drugs, termites and bed bugs, pigs for truffles, rats for bombs and now honeybees are being trained to sniff out bombs. I think this is a great idea, and its happening in a place where it is needed. Croatian scientists training bees to detect explosives and landmines, they are training the honeybees to focus on TNT.

Apparently honeybees are able to smell flowers from about 2.7 miles and are equal or better than dogs. Now just for the record I would hate to see dogs used in this mission, I guess it is necessary just like Police dogs but terrible when one gets hurt. By the way I support the intentional injuring or killing of a police dog to that of killing a Police Officer and should be a felony.

Blaze  This is Blaze, K9 partner of  a Orange County, FL Sheriff Deputy Nicholas Blazina. Nick was one of the Scouts of Troop 234 Longwood, Fl where I was an Assistant Scoutmaster. Great job Nick & Blaze and thank you for your service to Protect and Serve.

Let’s talk about Honeybees!

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Let’s talk about Honeybees!

Let’s talk about the Africanized version of the Honeybee

  • Africanized bees swarm more often, up to 10x.
  • A swarm isn’t likely to be real aggressive – don’t take chances. The reason for this is that they are full of honey and they are not defending anything yet.
  • A swarm is looking for a home – they send out scouts looking for a home and they probably will move on.
  • It is possible to relocate them if they are in  a tree or bush, not easy I said it was possible.

Notice the last picture, they have started to build honeycomb. This would make them more aggressive! Remember what I said previously in other home seals – It is impossible to set the bees make to zero or do over once they are mad….

OK so why tell you this, because there is no reason to panic. If you noticed a swarm, wait they may move on and this will save you money on hiring a Pest Management Professional. Now you notice I said hire a Pest Management Professional – that’s because we have bee suits and we understand bees.

 

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