BEES – Friend or Foe?
Man has been thankful to bees for honey, beeswax and most important of all, the fertilization of many of our crop-bearing plants. Social and living in colonies of 20,000 to 80,000 individuals, bees are normally gentle unless provoked. Weather patterns and human activity often affect the ‘temperament’ of bees. Windy, cloudy days when they are unable to forage for nectar, pollen, etc., can cause a cross or frustrated colony of bees to ‘take it out’ on some innocent passerby. It is for this reason that bees can quickly go from friend to foe.
Those of us who fear bees do so because of their potent sting. Bee stings consist of a poisonous sac and several other parts of the bee’s anatomy that are torn from the bee’s body and deposited into the skin of the unfortunate individual. The stinging action is an instantaneous reaction and if the barbed stinger is not immediately removed, the reflex action of the muscles attached to the sting drive it deeper into the skin, which in turn permits more time for the discharge of poison from the poison sac. It is the discharge of the toxin that augments the sting. Different individuals are affected in various ways by bee stings. Variation is due to the part of the anatomy that is stung, the amount of toxin that has entered into the system and the natural immunity of the individual. Although most people suffer nothing more than initial pain at the sting site, allergic reactions to bees can range from slight to serious shock.
Bee colonies exist in three types of castes which include the queen (a fertile female), worker (infertile female) and drone (male). Each hive will have only one egg-laying queen. Colonies are primarily comprised of workers who build, forage and repair the hive. Drones have but one purpose and that is to mate with the virgin queens and once they have served this purpose, they are banned from the colony. The sounds made by a buzzing nest of drones are quite ominous, however, they lack a stinger and are entirely harmless.
The presence of bees can become a significant risk when they nest in the wall voids of homes where they will enter the living areas if not controlled. The mere existence of bees can present a danger to humans when they are found nesting in close proximity to homes and areas of human activity. This is when control techniques are sometimes necessary.
Keeping the health of the occupants of your home or structure as the first priority, we offer several different approved pest control techniques for the treatment of bees. These methods may include handspraying, dusting, fogging and the use of residual crack and crevice aerosol products among other treatments. Because each occurrence is different, treatments will be employed as applicable in specific situations.
Bees are an unwelcome sight and can be unnerving, disrupting your peaceful home or building. It is for this reason that we suggest a recurring service plan for residential or commercial properties. This will maintain a healthy barrier around your structure should insects come looking for food and shelter from the elements.
