The text and images below should help you understand the difference between the two forms of honeybees. And if you are noticing honeybees on your property, referring to this article will be helpful to determine your plan of action on removing the bees.

Beehive

A beehive (left)(click for larger image) is an established colony with honeycomb that is usually within a structure of some sort. Being enclosed allows the bees and their honeycomb to be protected from predators.  Honeycomb is the mecca of the colony as it allows them to store food and produce new bees.

The bees are very protective when they have established honeycomb since it is resource rich. Usually, the hive will not be exposed and only a few bees will be seen entering and exiting the nest (seen below).

The bees within the hive work as a team to develop the nest, collect pollen, and produce enough food to last them through the winter. Although bees do not hibernate, they will become inactive during the colder months and rely on the food produced during the spring and summer.

Popular areas for hives to nest on properties include trees, irrigation boxes, roof eaves, wall voids, or any cracks/crevices. It is important to have the nest removed by a bee removal professional to avoid injury from stings – bees will become aggressive if they feel threatened.

Bee Swarm

The best way to describe a swarm is a group of bees that are in between homes. During the springtime, a portion of the bees will leave the nest due to overcrowding and search for a new nesting location. This can continue until June or July. The new group will huddle together surrounding the queen and send off a few bees to scout the proximity for an ideal living environment to build a new colony, hence their title of “scout bees”.

At this point, a swarm (right) has not developed any honeycomb and is the reason why swarms are usually docile. It is not recommended to provoke the swarm but generally a swarm of any size is harmless, even though the large cluster of bees appears intimidating.

Since honeybees are looking for a new place to live, the mass of bees will remain in an open space and rest on a tree, fence line, car, etc. is only temporary while the scout bees search for their next nesting spot.

If you have a swarm on your property, you can be assured they will leave within a couple of days. However, keep a close eye on the swarm to be sure that the location they permanently move to is not inside your home. If not, there should be no need to call a bee removal specialist, just wait a couple of days.

Several tragic bee attack stories involving pets have occurred recently in California, Arizona, and other parts of the country as bee swarming season begins and continues until May. During this time, it is our duty as a pet owner to take extra precaution and steps to ensure the safety of our pets.

Here are some guidelines to consider for maximizing the protection of your canine or feline friend while they roam the outdoors.

• Inspect your Home For Bee Activity – Nearby hives can easily be agitated by the movement or barking of your pet. Search for bee activity near roof eaves, in trees, irrigation boxes, or any other type of object that provides shelter in your yard. Verify with your neighbors that a hive does not exist on their property.
• Place Pets Indoors During Yard Work Or Construction – The noise and vibration from lawn machinery can provoke a bee nest. An attack can occur from a hidden hive while this machinery is running, leaving your pet in the line of fire. Having your pet indoors while work is taking place in your yard can prevent your pet from being stung.
• Use neutral-colored collars and non- or mild-scented shampoos – Bees are attracted to bright colors and flowery scents as this reminds them of a pollen-producing flower. Make your pet less susceptible to stings by using plain flea collars and lightly-scented shampoos or sprays.
• Let Your Pets Roam Freely In Your Yard – As of Jan. 1^st, 2007, it is unlawful to tie up a dog for more than three hours. Not only is it against the law (among plenty of other negatives), it makes them a stationary target and decreases their chance to successfully flee from bees. If you do need to tether your dog up for a short while, make sure they are within your vision.
• Carry An Injectable Epinephrine & Capsule-Form Benadryl – If your pet is stung, you will be able to immediately counter any allergic reactions with Epinephrine (EpiPen) or Benadryl. Benadryl capsules can be dismantled and the powder inside administered orally. Check with a veterinarian on dosage amounts and application per your pet’s size.

Honeybees are not out to harm, but can attack when threatened. A swarm of European honeybees are usually harmless. It is not until they have established a hive that they will become more prone to attack a perceived threat.

Africanized Honeybees are more aggressive and can attack in any circumstance. The physical appearance between these two types of honeybees is indistinguishable, so if you spot a swarm or hive of bees, treat them as if they are an Africanized colony.

So as honeybees become more active during swarming season, apply these tips regularly in the care of your pet so that they remain safe and sting-free!

Since you are trespassing on the habitats of other living creatures, it is important to follow a few tips and precautions to provide a safe and memorable hiking experience.

Hiking Safety Tips

Hike With Partner

Two is better than one. And it allows you to share your experience with someone else and keep you company as you trek through the trail. But most importantly, you have immediate aid if an issue arises during the hike. The uninjured can easily seek medical assistance or carry the wounded to safety. Bring water, snacks, and a pal!

Be Attentive

Your five basic human senses can be used as an advantage while exploring nature.  Your sense of hearing allows you to identify upcoming threats. Listen for warning signals such as rattles from snakes or the hum of a bee colony to avoid disturbing these types of harmful creatures.

EpiPen

This auto injector saves lives – literally. If you are allergic or don’t know if you are allergic to insect stings, like bee venom, you should carry this handy medication dispenser with you. The chemical inside an EpiPen combats allergic reactions by narrowing blood vessels and opens airways in the lungs.

Wear Light-Colored Clothing

A bright-colored shirt and a pollen-producing flower can appear the same to a bee. Your neon tees or tie-dye muscle shirts should be left at home; theses threads can attract many confused bees. While worker bees are usually not attack-prone when collecting pollen, you probably don’t want bees buzzing by you on your peaceful journey.

Be Scent-Free

We’re not talking about BO here – that doesn’t attract bees, but you might lose some hiking partners if it’s too bad. Instead, some perfumes and cologne replicate the scents emitted from flowers and lure nectar-seeking bees toward the source – that being you. So, keep the fancy fragrances off and enjoy the natural scents all around you.

Don’t Panic

As in any problematic situation, you must maintain a clear head to escape danger. Don’t swat at bees buzzing around you – they could interpret this as a threat and sting. If you are under attack, run away from the bees while covering your head. Pull your shirt up to cover the back of your head and neck. Always look where you are going so you do not trip stumble off the hiking trail.

Remove Any Stingers Correctly

If you are stung, be sure to rake your fingernail across the skin to remove the stinger. If you are noticing any signs of an allergic reaction, now is a good time to bring out the EpiPen. Allergic reactions can include swelling, nausea, difficulty breathing, wheezing, and hives. The severity of the symptoms can vary depending on the person.

With these few tips in mind, you can engulf yourself in wilderness and return from your hike unscathed. Just remember, you are entering into undeveloped territory where a variety of creatures live, so be attentive, prepared, odorless, and you should be just fine.

While the sole purpose of a male bee is to mate with the queen, female honeybees- worker bees- are responsible for a variety of duties to achieve a common goal shared by each buzzing body in the colony: sustain the hive.

Until recently, entomologists were not certain how worker bees were assigned to each of the numerous tasks available to preserve the hive. The genetic code in each member of the female bees was identical and provided insufficient evidence that their genes influenced job assignment.

Now researchers claim the contributing factor to what causes workers bees to take on different roles inside the hive is the chemical that attaches to their genes.

The chemical can alter which genes are turned on or off, termed “epigenetic” patterns, thus changing how the bee’s brain functions. When one certain chemical tag latches on to their genes, this will instinctively cause a bee to perform one specific duty, a bee completing another job will have another chemical pattern attached to its genes.

To test the theory, researchers removed “nurse” bees inside the hive, forcing foragers to change roles to make up for the loss of nurse bees. Consequently, the chemical profiles had changed in the bees that switched duties to appropriately fit the profiles of a nurse bee.

Scientists believe that the epigenetic changes in humans can alter the way we act and influence behavior.

The once popular method of scraping a flat edge – usually a credit card – across the stinger to remove is now discouraged. The idea of scraping the stinger is to prevent forcing more venom from the sac attached to the barbed stinger in your skin. It was believed that removing the stinger by pinching would cause more venom to flow into the body – but this is just not true.

Unless you have a plastic card in hand, it’s not worth the extra time to search for one to remove the stinger. A more modern and efficient technique would be to quickly flick the stinger off with your fingernail. This allows only a miniscule amount of bee venom to enter your body.

Quick and prompt stinger removal is imperative to minimize venom flow and lessen any allergic reactions.

Time is of the essence in situations similar to the group of four people in Pflugerville. They encountered an aggressive bee attack that resulted in one victim being stung more than 300 times. With their expedited ride to the hospital for treatment, none of the victim’s injuries were fatal.

A person that has no allergic reaction to bee venom can easily survive 300 stings; however, even one sting to a person that is allergic can cause a fatal reaction known as anaphylactic shock. Symptoms can develop quickly and can include abdominal pain, dizziness, wheezing, swelling, difficulty breathing, and nausea.

A 10-year-old boy was able to save his father after the boy’s dad was stung twice while mowing the lawn. The boy heard his father in the bathroom and quickly went to aid his father. The boy was able to pedal his bicycle to alarm his mother. The man was rushed to receive treatment and survived because of the young boy’s quick thinking.
If you know that you are allergic to bee venom, it is wise to ask your doctor about obtaining an Epi Pen to counter allergic reactions.

So if you are ever stung, make speed your priority over technique. Your goal is to allow the minimum amount of bee venom into your body.

Especially during summer, bees have established hives and are continuing to collect pollen to increase honey flow for their inactivity during the winter. Bees become more susceptible to sting or attack when there is a hive to protect.

Suppose you are walking down the sidewalk and you suddenly feel a intense pain on your arm. You look down and noticed a honeybee has pricked you.  Do you know the next step to make sure your unlucky misfortune does not turn into a serious problem?

Pro Pacific Bee Removal has decided to create a handy, easy-to-follow resource that visually instructs how to properly remove a bee sting. The graphic provide a step-by-step demonstration of how to remove a stinger and tips to soothe and prevent an allergic reaction.

Use this link for your guide on how to remove and treat a bee sting – Bee Sting Removal Guide

Make this guide easily accessible by printing it out or bookmarking the page.

A bee swarm can usually be monitored within close range without provoking a bee attack or sting. The reason the bees remain docile with nearby spectators is because there is nothing to protect. A swarm is merely a colony in transition. The bees are in between moving from point A to point B and are only resting before moving to their final destination.

With this in mind, expect the swarm to fly off as quickly as it came.

Why Do Bees Swarm?

Honeybees will swarm for a variety of reasons including over-crowding, diseases, expanding the colony, or poor hive conditions.  The most common is crowding within the hive. When this occurs, the queen bee will create another queen to manage the current hive while she leaves the nest with a portion of the worker bees to find a new nesting location.

Before the queen and workers leave, they will consume large amounts of honey for their voyage. During their search for a new home, the swarm will rest as a few bees, known as scout bees, are sent out to evaluate the surrounding area for suitable areas to build a hive.

The scout bees will report back to the hive with their findings and move the swarm to the new location.

How Often Do Bees Swarm?

Early spring is when most swarms occur. This is when the queen starts to produce more worker bees to start increasing honey flow production. However, swarming can happen in late summer and early fall if hive conditions are poor. Swarms that occur this late in the season have a difficult time sustaining themselves.

Removing a Bee Swarm

A bee swarm on a property can be extracted by a bee removal company, but note that swarms eventually leave on their own. However, if you are noticing a few bees buzzing around your roof eaves or other coverings, these may be scout bees looking to move in permanently. In this case, a bee swarm removal or scout bee treatment should be applied to prevent a permanent bee infestation.

For professional bee swarm removal tips and advice, send us a tweet @propacificbee or message us on our Facebook profile or info@propacificbeeremoval.com

The reason for their popularity is in fact because honeybees (apis mellifera) are a key player in Mother Nature. These buzzing creatures pollinate one-third of U.S. crops and produce the high viscosity, sweet substance that we all know as honey.

With all the fascinating aspects of honeybees, the only moment these black and yellow striped become a foe is when they nest in unwanted areas. A hive can be built within practically any covering with an opening of an eighth inch or larger. Trees, irrigation boxes, chimneys, and within the structure of a home are common locations for a beehive.

If bees are on your property and you would like to keep these pollinators alive – just not on your property – our live bee removal service will rescue the unwanted hive. The bees will be collected using a specialized bee vacuum and relocated to a bee apiary. This service is chemical-free and keeps bee alive and transported to an ideal location.

Bee rescue services in Laguna Niguel and all of Orange County is a popular choice for homeowners. It allows the bees to bees extracted from the property without exterminating the hive.

Bees are important to our ecosystem, so if you have a bee problem in Laguna Niguel or the surrounding Orange County area – consider bee rescue with a live bee removal service.

Spring & summer are the most popular times of year for encountering a beehive (unless you’re a beekeeper, of course). During these warm months, bee activity increases as they build their colonies and collect pollen for the upcoming winter.

Hikers emerge themselves in nature as they venture through charted (and uncharted) trails, unaware of the creatures that exist within the vicinity.

Nature explorers are warned to be cautious when enjoying the outdoors, as an unintentional act may aggravate a nearby beehive.

Recently, a man walking to a hilltop in Nevada was stung about 300 times without causing any deliberate act to irritate the hive. Similar stories have made headlines across the nation, instilling a fear in outdoor goers. But you can reduce your chances of being a victim of a bee attack by following a few simple rules.

Preventing Bee Attacks & Stings When Outdoors

Understanding what can provoke a beehive and how to evade an attack will significantly decrease your chance of encountering honeybees.

Before you head outdoors, consider these preventative tips to avoid attracting honeybees and other pest problems:

• Be Aware – Listen for buzzing or look for a swarm
• Avoid Wearing Bright Colors
• Do Not Heavily Apply Perfumes or Colognes
• Refrain Carrying Sugary Foods & Drinks

If you are being attacked always run away from the bees. You can run faster than they can fly. Cover your head (do not swat at bees) while you locate and take shelter in a car or a building with a secure door. The few bees that follow you in is much better than battling the potential thousands of angry bees outside your door.

Africanized Bee Swarms

Africanized “Killer” Honey Bees are no more venomous than European Honey Bees. The only difference is killer bees will attack in a much larger quantity and are much more persistent in attacking their prey.

The USDA has identified multiple U.S. States – including California – as having Africanized Bee territories. Africanized hives are becoming the majority in southern states.

Here is an Africanized Bee Infographic that explains the distribution of AHB in the U.S. and a behavior comparison with European Bees.

Bee removal is no walk in the park. It is a specialized skill which requires training, knowledge, and experience. You know the phrase, “easier said than done”? That statement is very relevant with bee removal.

One issue with removing bees yourself is the unpredictable behavior of the beehive. Generally, when a beehive has established a colony and honeycomb, they become protective and aggressive when provoked.  Knowing how to approach the hive is essential to prevent an attack or injury.

Another issue is the location of the bee nest. Bees can enter structures through 1/8” holes or openings, making the hive difficult to access without cutting a portion of your siding or roof. Without carpentry and bee skills, you can create serious home damage and beehive left in your home.

But you probably have devised a surefire way to eradicate the bees with a creative and innovative technique, right? Don’t celebrate with a victory dance just yet.

Here are some innovative attempts by property owners with minimal to zero experience with bees. (Spoiler: Results are unsuccessful)

In Tucson, a man sprayed a hive with pesticides causing the bees to attack stinging him all over his body. Spraying bees point blank is very risky and dangerous. The initial spray will not affect all the bees, leaving you outnumbered and vulnerable for a vicious attack.

Another story includes a farmer attempting to be resourceful using elements on the farm. The man ignited a pile of cow manure underneath the beehive. The idea was to have the flaming cow dung smoke out the bees. Unfortunately, a combination of high winds and an unattended fire blazed the building where the bees were located.

Smoking bees is not an effective bee removal method. The smoke will not cause the bees to leave and you significantly increase your risk of fire damage to your property.

Bee removal should be left to the professionals. It is a tricky process and if done incorrectly, it can produce catastrophic events.