There are about 20,000 species of bees worldwide. Bees are found throughout the world except at the highest altitudes, in polar regions, and on some small oceanic islands. The greatest diversity of bee species is found in warm, arid or semiarid areas, especially in the American Southwest and Mexico. Bees range in size from tiny species only 2 mm (0.08 in) in length to rather large insects up to 4 cm (1.6 in) long. Many bees are black or gray, but others are bright yellow, red, or metallic green or blue.
Bees Pose a Health Risk
Bees are one of the most aggressive and destructive insects. Bee stings can be very painful. In people who are allergic to bee stings, a sting may trigger a dangerous anaphylactic reaction that is potentially deadly. Honey bee stings release pheromones that prompt other nearby bees to attack In people who are allergic to bee stings, a sting may trigger a dangerous anaphylactic reaction that is potentially deadly.
Bees Can Damage Property
A bee’s hive can create a tremendous amount of property damage in a short period of time. Since honey is so strongly scented with pheromones and sugars, it attracts other bugs such as ants, cockroaches, and crickets, which in turn attract scorpions and spiders. Bees can cause severe structural damage to your home by destroying walls from the inside out.
Bees are a problem when they establish a colony in the walls of a structure. The bees become territorial and defensive of the colony site. The accumulating honeycomb and honey can damage the structure. It is difficult to remove the colony of bees once they are established and the entire hive, honeycomb and all, must be removed or it can attract new colonies.
Africanized Honey Bees
Killer bees are really Africanized Honey Bees. They have come by their "killer" moniker because they will viciously attack people or animals that unintentionally stray into their territory. The Africanized Honey Bee (AHB) colony does not have to be disturbed to provoke the bees; even simple noises or vibrations have been known to cause an attack.
The first swarm of Africanized bees in the United States was documented in 1990 at Hidalgo, Texas. They were found in Arizona and New Mexico in 1993, California in 1994 and in Nevada in 1998. Africanized Honey Bees can be found in most of mid and southern Texas, about one-third of New Mexico, all over Arizona, the southern half of New Mexico and the southern third of California. They continue their northward migration.
The sting of the Africanized Honey Bee is no more potent than your garden variety honey bee and they look pretty much the same. What makes AHBs more dangerous is that they are more easily provoked, quick to swarm, attack in greater numbers, and pursue their victims for greater distances. The AHB colony can remain agitated longer and may attack up to a quarter of a mile away from the hive. AHB colonies can be very large, and they are not particularly selective about the location of their hives. The Queen Africanized bee can lay up to 1,500 eggs a day.
In Arizona, the AHB colonies have grown and the more aggressive colonies are the ones that have survived the droughts of the past few years. The summer is the peak period for bee attacks because there is less honey, and the bees become more protective of their hives.
Solving the Bee Problem
Bee extermination or removal should not be attempted by anyone without professional training and protective equipment. Removing a hive can be dangerous. Professional removal of all bee swarms and established bee hives as soon as discovered is highly recommended. Their presence is a health and safety risk to people and animals in the surrounding area and often results in costly property damage if not removed.
Eliminex offers a variety of solutions for Bee problems including:
• Treatment at Hive Site
• Beehive Removal including complete removal of the hive (honey, comb, eggs and all.)
• Caulking or Sealing Any Additional Entry Points
We have emergency Bee Service calls 7 days a week.
