Not all bees are created equally. There are bees to fear and bees to thank. Honeybees not only produce their delicious namesake treat, they are also largely responsible for the pollination of our crops. This important insect is in decline and needs special care. Other bees can be quite a serious pest control problem. Even honeybees who’ve chosen an inconvenient nesting spot can become a safety issue. It’s important to know what kind of bee you’re dealing with so you don’t cause undue harm.
Honeybees
Make sure you can identify a honeybee when you see one (or many) in the wild. Honeybees are typically a translucent brown to amber color with black stripes but a few species may be all black. They have what is called a furry coat made of short hairs. They grow to about a half inch long so they are on the small side in the bee world. Their preferred food is flower nectar so they are most often seen in and around blooms.
You won’t see their legs when they fly and they are usually pretty docile. They only sting when they or their hive is directly threatened. A honeybee knows it can only sting a mammal once and its barb will be pulled from its body, resulting in its death. It will try to save this defense system for very serious matters.
Honeybees build their nests in cavities like the spaces inside a wall or inside the hollow of a tree. They won’t be in a big, visible hive like a hornets’ nest. Your first clue to the presence of a nest will be the large number of honeybees going into and out of a small point of entry almost continuously. You can also hear the low, humming buzz of an active hive.
If you find a nest, it’s important not to kill the honeybees. There are professional, green pest control companies that specialize in “sedating” the bees, removing the entire colony and relocating them to a more appropriate home. An experienced beekeeper may also be able to provide this service. Labor intensive and time consuming, it’s definitely not a do-it-yourself kind of job.
Other types of bees
Now that you know how to identify a honeybee issue, you can file just about any kind of bee that isn’t a honeybee firmly under the heading of “pest control problem.” If you see a big, bulbous hive hanging high in a tree for example, you can feel justified in calling for an exterminator.