Posts from the ‘Bees’ Category
A bee recently attacked me and it does not look like a regular honeybee. It has some green on the body. Can you help classify it for me? I am a little worried.
Most people in Southern Arizona think of the infamous Africanized Honey Bee, or its more docile counterpart the European Honey Bee, when thinking of a bee. However, both of these non-native bees steal the thunder from the important 4000 native bee species found in the United States.
The native bee, the Metallic Green Bee, live in solitary nests acting independently for survival. They are ¼ to 1/ 2 inch long building nests reaching up to 20 cm deep from the ground surface with lateral tunnels adjoined to the main tunnel. You may find that a large number of these bees will nest in the same area (aggregations), but they will still live primarily in singles.
The bees are attracted to the salt on your skin due to sweat. And there it is-you are accidentally stung. The consolation? The sting is considered painless. In fact, unless you have an allergic response, your day can continue without interruption.
These important pollinators are most active in April through November during early morning or dusk. So just a couple of months are left to catch a glimpse of the Metallic Green Bee flitting about from flower to flower in your yard!
Q: What exactly is a swarm of bees? Is it dangerous when bees do this?
“Swarming” has been defined by the general public as a term that can either refer to dangerous bee activity or bees just flying around. The true meaning of a “swarm” is bee reproduction at the colony level. When a colony swarms, the queen bee departs along with 60% of her colony members and her remaining colony is left to pursue a new queen. When this cluster (swarm) that left the colony begins a new search for a nesting site, this is referred to as “swarming.”
Swarming is actually the cluster moving from its previous colony to a holding area until the bees find a home. Bees in swarms are not defensive as they do not have a nest to protect.
It is important to note that when you see a swarm of bees, even though they might be docile, honeycomb construction may be starting underneath the bees. Make sure that you do not swat the bees as this will agitate the colony and thus will cause your repeated stings. Also, note that when a bee’s body is crushed by severe swatting, it produces a pheromone that incites other bees to attack.
The best advice is to contact your bee exterminator in Tucson and have it professionally moved.
With a heat wave coming through Southern Arizona it is no wonder why so many pests are being seen. Plenty of homeowners and property owners have been coping with these creepy insects on a daily basis.
Angie’s List , which allows members to offer consumer reviews, records searches for pest control companies up 48 percent in March compared with the same month a year ago.
Phones are ringing off the hook – a full two months before the bugs usually arrive. These early unwanted guests include ants, bees and wasps, spiders and bed bugs.
Homeowners and property owners are better off calling professionals. People think they can save a lot going with do-it-yourself. They might be successful at first breaking up the colony but ultimately it can create more problems or simply the colony can repopulate elsewhere. Professional services, like Northwest Exterminating work like bug detectives. We are trained to look for the right and best solution for your property.
April’s temperatures have been at record-highs reaching up into the upper 90s. The thing with pests this month, is that it probably won’t stop. It will still continue on for several months. The pest invasion has begun….so beware!
It may sound crazy, but a bee safety plan (similar to a family’s fire safety plan) is good practice. Living in Tucson, we often hear or read stories about hikers getting swarmed by bees and not knowing how to get away safely and quickly. Northwest has customers ask what to do if they are faced with an aggressive swarm. Here are some tips to developing and communicating a bee action plan.
1) Walk around the home weekly inspecting for bee activity. You are better to take care of a bee problem when the activity is new before the colony becomes more established and potentially more aggressive. Call a licensed professional to remove the bees if activity found.
2) Walk quickly away from the source of the bees protecting your airways (cover your mouth and nose.)
3) Do not swat at the bees. This can cause them to become even angrier.
4) Get inside a building or room closed off from the bee activity. Do not jump in water.
5) If going for a hike, wear light colors and unscented lotions. Bees are attracted to darker colors and floral scents.
6) When walking on trails always look ahead and assess an escape path from bees. We often think through what we will do if a snake or bobcat is on or near the path, but what about bees? You may have to walk as far as 1/2 a mile to a mile to be removed from trailing bees.
7) Prior to using any motorized equipment, walk around the home and make sure that no bees are near the structure, in trees, etc. Bees are attracted to vibrations. Many people operating lawn or heavy equipment have been the target of these colony bees.
8) When outdoors playing away from home, leave car windows closed so that you can quickly get in car and get away from bees if necessary.
9) Does your family have a first aid kit for outdoor excursions? Disinfectant, tea tree oil, Benadryl, and possibly even an auto injector (for those allergic to bee stings) may be potential items that would help aid in relief from bee stings.
10) Call 911 immediately if someone is showing symptoms of anaphylactic shock.
“Bee” safe this Spring Southern Arizona!
It has been said that there has been a controversy over the possible links between massive bee die-offs and agricultural pesticides. Is this true?
Yes, the controversy over possible links between massive bee die-offs and agricultural pesticides is true but it is also shadowed by another threat: the use of those same pesticides in backyards and gardens.
Neonicotinoid pesticides are present in everday consumer plant treatments, and may expose beesto far higher doses than those found on farms, where neonicotinoids used in seed coatings are already considered a major problem by many scientists.
“It’s amazing how much research is out there on seed treatments, and in a way that’s distracted everyone from what may be a bigger problem,” said Mace Vaughan, pollinator program director at the Xerces society, an invertebrate conservation group.
To get more information please visit this website http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/04/neonicotinoids-gardens/#more-106221