Profitable Insights
Pest Control Tips for
Bees
History: Bees have been producing
honey for at least 150 million years. A native to Asia and the Middle
East, the
common honey bee was introduced to North America by early European
colonists.
At the time of their arrival, these insects were known only as the
European
bees. Europeans who were interested in beginning new lives as farmers
in the
United States brought bees with them to help pollinate crops.
By
the early 1800s, honey bees were widespread in the United
States. The European honey bee, the Indian, and the dwarf honey bee had
all
been introduced to the States and were successfully adapting to a new
climate.
It was around this same time that Europeans and curious Americans began
using
bees in the commercial honey making process.
Honey
bees are highly social insects and communicate
with each other, relaying direction and distance of nectar and pollen
sources.
Bees make combs of waxen cells placed side by side that provide spaces
to rear
young and to store honey. The bee colony lives on the stored honey
throughout
winters, and therefore, can persist for years.
Prevention: Preventing a honey bee
infestation is at best difficult because they are flying insects. Keeping them from finding
miniature holes in,
around, and under your siding is extremely difficult if not impossible. You can do a regular
inspection
of the exterior of your home looking for flying insects
entering or exiting places around the home.
Removal: Two very
important things
to remember.
1. First, the honey bee is protected. What that means is if you find a honey bee infestation, you cannot kill it. Bee keepers are the only authorized agent to destroy a honey bee colony. In most cases, bee keepers gladly come out to remove honey bees from residential neighborhoods because the swarm gives new life to his colony.
Note: Your local Agriculture Agent has names of all bee keepers close to you. Look in the blue pages of you phone book for his number.
As an additional note here; infestations typically are not found in the home and usually do not crop up over night. Bee infestations usually are found in a swarm on a branch of a tree. This is typically what freaks out family because the swarm looks quite ominous.
2. If you call your local pest control company and they come out, they will charge you between $250.00 to $500.00. They will also have you sign a document that says you have contacted a bee keeper and the bee keeper determined that the colony cannot be removed safely. At that point, the colony will be destroyed. Remember though, call the bee keeper first.
Why Honey Bees
Infest Homes:
When colony populations are high, the queen may move part
of the colony
to new harborage. Bees swarm at this time, usually finding hollow trees
to
begin their new colony, but they occasionally work their way into
building wall
voids.
A
honey bee colony in a house wall can cause major
problems. The bees
can chew through the
wall and fly inside. Their storage of large amounts of honey can seep
through
walls causing additional damage.
After
the colony is moved you can safely remove the
nest. If the nest is not removed, the wax combs -- normally cooled by
the bees
-- will melt and allow honey to seep through the walls. Honey stain can
never
be removed; the walls will have to be replaced. As well, the freed
honey
attracts robber bees, wasps, ants and such. The comb wax will attract
wax moths
that may persist for several years.
Close
up
of honey bee head.