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Bees can be a major problem for all ages. With the anaphylactic threat for some more sensitive individuals, removing bees is a serious job. The most common in the Melbourne, Florida area is the aggressive African Honey Bee (AHB). Bees should never be attempted to be eradicated on your own, especially this species. You are more likely to get swarmed than to solve your pest problem.
Why You Never Ignore a Bee Population
Do not underestimate the seemingly harmless behavior of these bees. They may appear calm as if they are minding their own business. The problem with this assumption is in the breeding habits of a queen bee. Just because you do not have any problems now does not mean that in a few months the behavior of the bees won’t become more aggressive. A queen only has a life span of a year or less. Once a new queen is ready to manage a colony she will mate with dozens of males from other colonies in the area. She may mate with a highly aggressive AHB. Within a few months after that, you could be facing a disastrous situation.
What to Do If You are Swarmed
If you hear a buzzing sound, stop what you are doing. Run away from the bees and cover your face as best you can. Seek shelter in your home, car or the closest building. Even if you have never experienced an allergic reaction, it is in your best interest to seek medical attention for multiple stings. Call 911 immediately if you feel tightness in your throat or chest, trouble swallowing, swollen tongue, abdominal pain or become itchy.
Never Attempt to Remove a Hive on Your Own
The AHB species is a feral breed of bee. They were originally bred with European Honey bees in a conservation effort to help the honey bee population. It wasn’t until 2002 that they made it to FL. Since then, our area has been considered AHB territory. There is no way to determine if your bee population is a docile or feral one. An exterminator will be able to effectively identify and take care of the problem. Sometime bee removal specialists or even bee keepers are involved in relocating honey bee nests. The safest solution is to work with your pest control provider to determine if eradicating or removing your hive is the way to go.
