Are Honey Bees Creating Big Problems at Your House? Find out how to take preventative action now.
April 30th, 2012
Spring is a bridge of sorts between the heavy pressures of many pests that affect our homes. For example, cooler temperatures still encourage termite activity and the weather becoming increasingly warmer encourages scorpions, ants and other frustratingly invasive pests. One pest that is tough to ignore during this time of year is the honey bee. I am quick to argue that honey bees are invaluable and sometimes I find it even difficult to label them a pest. However, honey bees can be extremely invasive by seeking out breaches in the home’s envelope and establishing a colony within the home’s walls. Aside from creating a potential mess of honey and wax, honey bees are capable of defending their nest by inflicting a painful sting. These factors force homeowners to take action when honey bees infiltrate the home.
Safe Treatment
Treating a nest of bees appropriately is important to keep the home and the residents safe. By neutralizing the bees, we can eliminate the threat of being stung. If the problem is treated immediately, the homeowner can also prevent potential honey and wax issues at a later date. If the colony becomes established, there is sure to be a large wax structure potentially made up of thousands of cells. Large groups of cells are called combs. These cells serve two purposes, they house the young developing bees and they are also used to store honey. The thousands of bees continuously fan the combs with their wings preventing it from getting too hot and melting. If a colony of bees is killed there will be no airflow and the wax and honey will melt in the hot Arizona summer. This mess could cause damage to drywall and attract ants, beetles, and various other pests who wish to capitalize on this tasty treat. It is important that the homeowner is aware of the potential circumstances when the decision is made to have the colony treated. We can then remove the combs and honey if necessary.
Types of Bees
Keep in mind, bee stings are linked to commotion within the immediate vicinity of the nest, including vibrations and direct contact. If there is a lot of activity around a nest, the bees are likely to get agitated and interpret the activity as a threat. Both a standard European Honey Bee and an Africanized Honey Bee (AHB) will sting to defend the nest. The difference largely rests in the behavior of each species. AHBs are much more aggressive than their European counterparts, actively defending the nest within 100ft. and often times pursuing the threat over several hundred feet.
AHBs are a frequent topic of discussion amongst our customers because of the bees’ frightening dispostion. The entire state of Arizona is within the distribution range of
This is what can happen if you don't treat be invasions properly. These combs were found in an attic, causing major problems.
AHBs and as a result there is interbreeding with the European bees. When customers encounter bees, they want to know if the bees are Africanized. I tell them some degree of Africanized in many of the colonies we encounter is likely, but without the proper identification equipment and process we cannot be sure aside from gauging the level of aggression.
Being proactive can help prevent bees from finding their way into your home. Make sure the home is sealed appropriately, noting the eaves and any area where the stucco and stem wall of the home meet that may be open to the wall interior. Should bees become an issue, after we treat, we will also seal the area to prevent future infestations.
Spring is a bridge of sorts between the heavy pressures of many pests that affect our homes. For example, cooler temperatures still encourage termite activity and the weather becoming increasingly warmer encourages scorpions, ants and other frustratingly invasive pests. One pest that is tough to ignore during this time of year is the honey bee. I am quick to argue that honey bees are invaluable and sometimes I find it even difficult to label them a pest. However, honey bees can be extremely invasive by seeking out breaches in the home’s envelope and establishing a colony within the home’s walls. Aside from creating a potential mess of honey and wax, honey bees are capable of defending their nest by inflicting a painful sting. These factors force homeowners to take action when honey bees infiltrate the home.
Safe Treatment
Treating a nest of bees appropriately is important to keep the home and the residents safe. By neutralizing the bees, we can eliminate the threat of being stung. If the problem is treated immediately, the homeowner can also prevent potential honey and wax issues at a later date. If the colony becomes established, there is sure to be a large wax structure potentially made up of thousands of cells. Large groups of cells are called combs. These cells serve two purposes, they house the young developing bees and they are also used to store honey. The thousands of bees continuously fan the combs with their wings preventing it from getting too hot and melting. If a colony of bees is killed there will be no airflow and the wax and honey will melt in the hot Arizona summer. This mess could cause damage to drywall and attract ants, beetles, and various other pests who wish to capitalize on this tasty treat. It is important that the homeowner is aware of the potential circumstances when the decision is made to have the colony treated. We can then remove the combs and honey if necessary.
Types of Bees
Keep in mind, bee stings are linked to commotion within the immediate vicinity of the nest, including vibrations and direct contact. If there is a lot of activity around a nest, the bees are likely to get agitated and interpret the activity as a threat. Both a standard European Honey Bee and an Africanized Honey Bee (AHB) will sting to defend the nest. The difference largely rests in the behavior of each species. AHBs are much more aggressive than their European counterparts, actively defending the nest within 100ft. and often times pursuing the threat over several hundred feet.
AHBs are a frequent topic of discussion amongst our customers because of the bees’ frightening dispostion. The entire state of Arizona is within the distribution range of
This is what can happen if you don't treat be invasions properly. These combs were found in an attic, causing major problems.
AHBs and as a result there is interbreeding with the European bees. When customers encounter bees, they want to know if the bees are Africanized. I tell them some degree of Africanized in many of the colonies we encounter is likely, but without the proper identification equipment and process we cannot be sure aside from gauging the level of aggression.
Being proactive can help prevent bees from finding their way into your home. Make sure the home is sealed appropriately, noting the eaves and any area where the stucco and stem wall of the home meet that may be open to the wall interior. Should bees become an issue, after we treat, we will also seal the area to prevent future infestations.
