Frequently Asked Questions About Bees
What precautions can I take to
protect myself from bee stings?
You can take many steps to reduce the chances that you will be stung by a bee or other type of stinging insect.
These include:
- Be careful when you enter any place where stinging pests may nest, such as sheds or other outbuildings that are often undisturbed.
- Before you begin to mow or use other types of outdoor power equipment, take time to inspect the area you’ll be working in.
- If you find a nest or infestation, do not disturb it or attempt to exterminate it yourself. Instead, call a bee pest control professional.
- If you spot just one stinging insect, don’t swat at it.
- Wear light-colored clothing and avoid wearing strong fragrances.
- Be especially vigilant around flowering plants.
- If you have a history of allergic reactions to stings, consult with your physician about carrying an epinephrine auto-injector with you.
- Unless you’re an expert in pest identification, assume all types of bees can sting you.
How can I keep bees away from my house?
Like most types of pests in the Phoenix area, bees seek shelter, food, and water. If you can limit their access to all three, you will make your home less attractive to bees. Here’s how:
- Get rid of outdoor clutter. Clear away stacks of dry wood and piles of decaying leaves, particularly those close to your house.
- Don’t leave unused hoses, buckets, planters, or other items out in the yard.
- Make sure to remove any old nests or hives completely to keep bees from returning.
- Inspect your house for entry points. Bees and many other types of pests need only an eighth of an inch opening to enter. Seal up holes with caulk, screening, foam, or silicone.
- If you’re planning a new landscape, try to locate flowering plants as far from your house as you can.
- Don’t let standing water become a literal watering hole for bees. Empty any containers, debris, toys, and other items that may hold small amounts of water. You can even put a container of water in an undisturbed spot away from your home that bees will go to instead of coming close to your house in search of a drink.
How can I tell if the bees
in my yard are Africanized bees?
Africanized bees look too much like European honeybees for most people to be able to tell them apart. Because Africanized bees are so aggressive and any bee colony can be dangerous, the best course of action is to call Green Home Pest Control. Our licensed technicians can identify the type of bee you may have.
Why do I see bees in my pool?
In our dry climate, bees will seek any source of the water they need. That includes swimming pools, fountains, birdbaths, and even leaky garden faucets. They will also help themselves to small amounts of water left standing in objects around your house, such as watering cans or flower pots.
Where do bees and wasps usually
build their hives or colonies?
Different species may set up housekeeping in various spots (bumblebees may nest on the ground, while honey bees don’t, for example), but like many types of pests, bees and wasps prefer undisturbed areas.
Places to look for colonies around your home and on your property include:
- Garages
- Beneath eaves
- Outbuildings, such as sheds and barns
- Attics
- In trees and shrubbery
- In the voids between walls
Note that Africanized bees build small colonies, so you may find them in places such as water meter boxes, mailboxes, old tires, or even a flowerpot. It’s important always to be aware of your surroundings so that you don’t get surprised by an active colony of Africanized bees. Yellow jackets build their nests on the ground, so look for them underneath decks and porches. You may also find them in wall voids or other spaces within the structural elements of your home.
What are the differences between
yellow jackets, hornets, and wasps?
If you’re unfamiliar with the various types of stinging insects we have here in the Phoenix area, it’s easy to confuse one with another. Even those in the know may use some terms interchangeably, but these are the facts:
- A hornet is the largest type of wasp.
- Yellow jackets are wasps.
- There are types of wasps that are solitary and those that are social. Hornets and yellow jackets are social and live in colonies with a queen. Examples of solitary wasps, which are usually not aggressive, are digging wasps and mud daubers.
As for appearance, the bald-faced hornets that we have here in Arizona are black with white or gray bands and are usually larger than wasps. You can identify yellow jackets by the black and yellow bands they have on their bodies. If you’re unsure about the type of stinging insect you’ve seen at your home, please contact us. Our experienced technicians can identify the pest you have and recommend a customized treatment plan.
How do I get rid of bees myself?
We do not recommend that you try any DIY methods for bee removal. Because there’s always the possibility that the bees you have are either Africanized bees or a hybrid of the European bee and Africanized bee, both of which are aggressive, you may be putting yourself, your family, or your pets at risk of being stung.
An online search may yield suggestions for bee removal, such as spraying chemicals on the hive, striking it with a pole, hosing it with a strong stream of water, or even setting it on fire. None of these methods will solve the problem, but they may put you in danger. At Green Home Pest Control, we have bee removal specialists with the training, experience, products, and equipment to safely and humanely eliminate any bee infestation you have.
Contact us for a free, no-obligation quote for our bee extermination services.
How much does bee removal cost?
Each hive and its environment is different, so the cost of bee removal depends upon several factors, including the size of the hive and exactly where it is. The bee removal experts at Green Home Pest Control will be glad to provide you with an estimate for our services tailored to your specific needs.
What is Green Home Pest Control’s
approach to bee removal?
Bees are our most important pollinator and our honey and beeswax source, so we recommend attempting the removal and relocation of a hive as the first step. As soon as you see a hive, contact Green Home Pest Control. We will assess the situation and identify the species of bee you have before we take any action.
Bee removal process
One of the first steps in successfully relocating a colony is to remove the queen bee. As long as she is in the hive, the bees will return. If we can remove and relocate the hive to prevent its collapse, that will be our course of action. If relocation is not a viable option, we will treat the hive to kill the bees and dispose of the threat. If you have questions about our bee removal methods or to get a quote, please contact us.
