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Bring on the Bees
1 Jul, 2001 By: Heather Gooch Pest Management ProfessionalAfricanized honey bees are making their way northeast, and they require a slightly different management approach.
Africanized honey bees (AHBs) have only been in the United States a little more than a decade, but in that time have made quite an impact on public perception. As media outlets proclaim "Killer bees are here!" to the frightened masses, the reality from a pest management perspective is that AHBs are basically just more temperamental than their European honey bee (EHB) counterparts.
 Map of AHB distribution as of May 2001. Map courtesy of Sting Shield Corp., Roanoke, Va. |
According to Dr. Dave Langston, superintendent of the University of Arizona's Maricopa Agricultural Center in Maricopa, Ariz., AHBs got started in South America in 1955, because the EHBs didn't do as well in the tropical climate.
"Some researchers thought that if they could get the bees from the Old World that did well in tropical areas, like Africa, it would work in South America," he explains. "They brought about 30 queens over to breed with the local population, to enhance the honey production. Well, it did enhance the beekeeping industry about 20-fold. The only problem was that they thought they could breed out the defensive behavior of AHBs, but they couldn't-it's a dominant characteristic."
Compound the AHB's temperamental attitude with the fact that they swarm four or five times a year to the EHB's one or two annual swarms, and it's easy to see how their populations spread to North America in less than 40 years.
In some areas of Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and California, the honey bee population can be as much as 95 percent Africanized. This means that many pest management professionals (PMPs) can no longer rely on their local beekeepers to swing by an account to collect the bees and comb. Even PMPs in non-AHB areas are starting to find that beekeepers don't want to risk introducing a mite or disease from a wild population with their existing honey-producing populations. Without that support, PMPs are left to their own devices.
Prep for Success
Langston notes that for effective management of both EHBs and AHBs, preparation is the key. Before you even begin to market yourself as doing bee removal service, know what the laws pertaining to bees are in your state (most states view honey bees as a protected species, unless they are causing a problem). Check with your physician to ensure that you do not have a bee allergy.
You should also invest in a bee suit. If you're in a state without AHBs, however, you can probably get by with a bee veil and gloves, and taping up your pants and boots, notes Langston.
The other precaution Langston recommends is going in pairs to bee-particularly AHB-accounts. That way, if one is stung repeatedly, the other can take over trying to bring the bees under control. He advises seeking medical attention if you receive more than 15 stings at a time.
 It is not uncommon to encounter honey bees congregating around their hive. |
"Once the first sting occurs, you're marked, because bees have a venom that is left on your skin. It's an alarm pheromone for the rest of the colony," he explains. "AHBs know they need to protect the colony, so they will come out and attack whatever has that sting on it. Once the first sting occurs, it escalates in about 20 seconds.
"If you upset EHBs, you might get 10 or 15 stings," he continues. "However, AHBs will unload 40 to 60 percent of their colony on an intruder, and an average colony runs 10,000 to 50,000 bees. AHBs are also constantly guarding their colony. They'll react to noise and certain odors like gasoline or perfumes. So, if someone comes in to remove them, they're definitely going to react."
Because of the vigor with which AHBs defend their colony, an AHB account has the potential to become a problem not only to the people living in the house, but also their neighbors, even two and three houses down. Langston advises PMPs in an AHB situation to alert the neighbors to bring in their pets and stay indoors until the bee population is treated.
Next, the PMP must determine whether it is a swarm or colony with which they are dealing. Swarms occur in early summer for both EHBs and AHBs, but AHBs will also swarm in the fall. Swarms will just be "hanging out," docile for the most part, on a tree limb or under an eave.
"If you see an AHB swarm, eliminate it right away," Langston intones. "If you can get to them before those 30 days are up (the time in which they can establish a colony and hatch the first brood), they're much easier to take care of, they're not as upset or hostile, and you don't have as many to deal with."
Langston suggests using a solution of one-half to one cup of dishwashing liquid to one gallon of water to treat a honey bee swarm, if it's allowable in your area. He notes that lemon- or ammonia-scented detergents will cause a negative reaction, however.
Starting at the top, mist the bees with the solution, taking care to wet the ones that have fallen to the ground, as well. If they have swarmed on a tree branch, Langston notes that you can then take a black trash bag and slowly put it up around the bees. Close the bag, cut the branch and tie the bag. Then, place the bag on the ground and the bees will be dead in about 40 minutes (although it's also advised that you spray the soapy solution on the bag, in case the bees start chewing through the bag).
"We don't recommend that you use any pesticide on them, because if you do, they'll get upset, bust out and disperse," Langston notes. "With soap and water, they don't feel threatened."
Keep in mind, too, that although you've knocked down most of the population, there may still be foragers and scouts out there. You'll need to come back around dusk to get the nest.
Fill Those Cavities
Langston points out that honey bee colonies are a little different proposition than swarms. In a nutshell, the longer the colony's been established, the more work there is involved.
"If it's contained in something like a water meter box, you can still go in full gear and use the soap and water technique," he tells Pest Control. "There are some pressurized dusts, such as diatomaceous earth, that will also work. The dust gets on the bees and they don't fly very well.
"We've also had some luck by sticking Vapona strips into the cavity, closing it down and waiting about two hours. You don't need to seal it off, they can still come and go, just put the strips into the cavity," he adds.
If the bees are in the wall of a structure, you're going to have to discuss the possibility of opening and repairing the walls with the homeowner. Even though you may be able to treat the fliers outside the wall void, there may be a large accumulation of comb inside the void. Down the road, honey may begin to seep through the walls, and there may be an odor from the brood, which dies once there are no adults to take care of them.
"So, once you kill the bees, the homeowner is going to have to open the wall and clean all the comb out. The PMP can do this, as an add-on service-but charge accordingly, because it's a lot of work," Langston states.
After the comb is completely cleaned out, you'll need to bee-proof the area by sealing any holes (larger than the diameter of a pencil) that lead to cavities. Use steel wool, so the bees won't chew through it, and then caulk. Langston advises bee-proofing as soon as possible, because another swarm may attempt to take up residence.
Lastly, be creative. Langston notes that PMPs in his area have taken peat pots (empty soil forms that are available in the lawn and garden section of stores), placed a bee pheromone lure inside and covered it with a lid with a hole. They then hang the traps up around golf course buildings and other places where there are a lot of people coming and going.
"The AHBs will find the traps before they find any other cavity on the premises," explains Langston. "Check them once or twice a week to see whether the bees have started a colony inside. If so, come back at night, cork up the hole and carry away the trap, putting up another trap in its place. Keep it sealed and in the sun, the bees will die. It is actually better to re-use the traps, because with the material in there, it will be even more attractive to other bees."
Another trick is to hang sticky traps with bee pheromones. If you catch the house-hunting scout bee, it can't go back to report to the swarm, so the swarm never finds the place.
It all comes down to location, location, location, Langston notes.
"If there are a lot of flowers in the area, that's a great feeding source for bees, so they would likely locate a colony nearby," he concludes. "I don't advocate having people eliminate flowers, but if they do have those areas, they should ensure that they don't have any cavities accessible."
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