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Description:
For the purpose of this discussion, description
is limited to the common, garden-variety, Honey Bee and it’s hybridized
form, the Africanized Honey Bee, sometimes referred to as the “killer
bee.” Both
are common in Southern California. Typical Honey Bees and Africanized
Honey Bees look identical. It is very difficult
to accurately tell them apart in the field. Both are about one half inch
long, having two pair of wings, the front being larger and longer. Their
bodies are
constricted in the middle and the larger aft portion is banded, generally
black/dark brown and yellow. They are most often seen when collecting nectar
on flowers
or going and coming from an entrance to a cavity that is either in a tree,
ground or a building. They may also be seen moving in a large swarm or collected
together in an oval-shaped ball, hanging from a tree branch, often about
the size of a football or smaller.
Biology & Habits:
Honey Bees are social insects, having a hierarchy of a queen, workers and drones
that form large colonies. The worker bees are the ones most commonly seen gathering
nectar from various flowers. Individual bees are usually quite docile while
foraging for food. They carry pollen and nectar back to the hive, which is
tended by the colony to form honey. Pestgon, Inc., finds that, Honey Bees,
including the Africanized Honey Bee, often start a hive in wall voids and attics
of commercial buildings and other structures. Unlike Honey Bees, Africanized
Honey Bees commonly build their nest or hive in ground holes, water boxes,
woodpiles, air conditioner voids, electrical boxes, vents and many other voids,
often in or close to the ground. If their hive area is disturbed they attack
and sting the intruder in mass. They swarm often, are very aggressive
and particularly vicious. They are known to chase a person as far as one quarter
of a mile. Both man and beast have been killed by the brutal attack of Africanized
Honey Bees.
Economic Impact:
Obviously, fear of bees for tenants and the public
at large can be very costly to owners and property managers in terms of business
relations. Left unchecked, Honey Bees are more than just a nuisance but a serious
liability. The longer Honey Bees are active in a wall void or
attic, the more honeycomb they build up. Pestgon, Inc., always recommends,
that after the bees are removed, the honey and the honeycomb be removed
and cleaned up, or it will sour and liquefy and begin
dripping into the building. Such a circumstance can cause untold damage to
the structure, both inside and out, and complicate future pest control issues.
Management Methods:
The experts of Pestgon, Inc., are specially trained and licensed to remove
Africanized Honey Bees. Pestgon provides highly qualified licensed
general contractors to deal with the complexities
of bee
hive removal or any subsequent building repair.
Additional Links:
Bee Swarms