Western Exterminators - Pest Control Services California, Arizona, Nevada

Stinging Insects: Bald-faced Hornet | Carpenter Bee | Honey Bee | Paper Wasp | Yellowjacket

	Common name:	Latin name:	Class:	Order:	Family:
	Honey Bee	Apis mellifera Linnaeus	Insecta	Hymenoptera	Apidae

	Size:
	Honey bee worker is 1/2-5/8 inch long; queen is 5/8-3/4 inch long. The pointed abdomen extends beyond the wing, and has a smooth stinger. Drones are 5/8 inch long, with no stingers.
	Characteristics:
	Honey bees have hairy eyes; the first segment of the hind tarsus is enlarged and flattened. Africanized Honey Bee can not be distinguished from domestic honey bees without precise measurements of various parts of the bee’s anatomy or DNA analysis. Africanized honey bees forage earlier in the day and working long into the evening. They also can work at higher or lower temperatures and thus produce more honey per year than European strains.
	Color:
	Brown-orange to sometimes black; body covered with pale colored hairs.
	Where Found:
	A native of Europe and Asia, the honey bee was introduced to the United States for honey production and pollination of crops. The Africanized honey bee (a.k.a “killer bee") evolved in Africa, was introduced to South America, and found its way north into the U.S.
	Comparison:
	European honey bees swarm to form a new colony with a newly hatched queen once a year while Africanized colonies swarm six to eight times per year. Africanized honey bees look the same as the honey bee; only experts can distinguish them. Yellow jacket has a banded abdomen. Other bees have eyes that are not hairy. Some flies look like honey bees, but have just one pair of wings.
	Nest:
	Hives of individual colonies may have 20,000-50,000 bees. An opening 1/8 inch in diameter is large enough to provide an entrance for bees. Africanized Honey Bees occupy and nest in cavities or voids close to ground and even underground. Africanized Honey Bees fly directly into the entry holes instead of first landing at the threshold (European Honey Bee).
	Habitat:
	Hives of individual colonies with 20,000-50,000 bees. Trres, wall voids or sheltered areas.
	Food:
	Honey, flower nectar and a food made from pollen called "bee bread".
	Biology:
	Workers are females that lay eggs which do not get fertilized and develop into males. A queen lays eggs which do get fertilized and develop into females. Drones are males from unfertilized eggs of the workers. Drones fertilize the queen's eggs. The queen mates once, and can lay 1,500-2,000 eggs in a day. Eggs hatch in 3 days as larvae (grubs). They are first fed "royal jelly", made in the workers' mouths, which is later only fed to future queens. Young workers tend the brood, build the comb, ventilate the hive, and guard the entrance. Older workers gather pollen, nectar and "bee glue", a waxy substance from tree buds. Workers live for 5-7 weeks in summer, except ones that develop in autumn and overwinter in the hive. Drones live only a few weeks. Swarming occurs when the colony gets too big, or when the queen begins to fail. Swarms go to a tree branch 1-2 days until finding another hive, hollow tree, or wall, where there is shelter.
	Damage:
	Honey bees are beneficial, providing honey and wax, and pollinating flowers which produce fruit and seed. They are defensive, not aggressive, attacking to protect their hive. Swarming bees have no reason to attack, since they are not defending a hive. Foraging workers are not likely to sting unless provoked. However, stings can be painful, sometimes severe. Remove barbed stinger with fingernail or knife blade; do not rub or scratch; clean. Africanized honey bees are incited to attack sources of loud noise (power equipments-tractors and lawn movers, etc.,) and vibration as well as large, dark colored moving objects within 50-150 feet. AHB sting much more readily, even when swarming, and may pursue up to 300 feet.
	Invasion:
	Honey bees enter structures through cracks and may build hives in walls. Keep lawns free of white clover and flowering weeds. Prevent access by bees to food, water, or sugary substances.
	Control:
	Africanized Honey Bees have been noted throughout the Southwest. While all honey bee swarms are not of this species, you must assume they may be and exercise extreme caution when approaching or treating this bee species. If you suspect the problem involves Africanized Honey Bees due to their aggressive behavior, we recommend you consult a professional exterminator or bee keeper immediately. Poor application techniques may result in aggravating this insect and the applicator and others may be stung if precautions are not taken. Most calls we receive are because honey bees ‘swarm’ during the spring. This is the process these bees use to reproduce. Many times the swarm will ‘rest’ at a location for a few hours and then move on. Monitor their activity to see if they choose to set up permanent residence. If located in a tree, professional bee keepers may come to your property to remove them. Once located inside a structure they become hard to remove and will probably need to be exterminated. Due to the stinging nature of this insect and the possible allergic reactions suffered by some individuals, we recommend using the services of a professional exterminator. They are equipped with protective bee-suits, appropriate control materials and application equipment that insure overall safety in the control process. Once insects have been controlled, entry points on structure should be sealed if nest was located there. If Honey Bees have been in the structure for an extended period, honey removal will need to be done. If honey is left in the old nesting area, staining may occur as well as attraction to other insects or rodents. If you attempt to control these insects and make an application, be sure it is registered for the target pest/location. Read the entire label prior to use. Follow all label directions, restrictions, and precautions.