Honey Bees |
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History and Biology: The Honey Bee, Apis mellifera, is one of humanities oldest insect friends. The honey bee provides honey, beeswax, and pollination of many agricultural crops. Infact, the honey bee is the most beneficial insect in agriculture. It pollinates more than 100 agricultural crops in the United States and it is involved in about 80% of the foods consumed by Americans. Bee pollination is worth about 19 billion dollars a year in the United States , while beeswax and honey production is valued at 140 million dollars. Bee keeping is a thriving industry and the honey bee is a valuable contributor to the economy and the environment. Honey bees should be preserved whenever possible. Honey bees may be various shades of yellow, black, brown, or orange; with the head, antennae, legs, and a portion of the abdomen being dark. The body is covered with light colored hairs, thickest on top of the thorax. Honey bees have a social system with three castes, worker, queen, and drone. Worker bees are about 2/3 inch long and maintain the hive and feed the colony. Queens are large and only lay eggs. The drones are the males and only provide sperm for the queen. Colonies of honey bees may contain 20,000 to 80,000 bees. The honey bee colony is a perennial social colony. It is maintained by the workers year round. Unless the nest has been built in an unfavorable location, the colony can survive the winter cold. Honey bee nests are made of beeswax arranged in thousands of 8 sided cells (octagon) formed into a comb. These cells are filled with food, nectar and pollen, for the hive. Eggs are also laid in these cells by the queen for reproduction, and develop into larvae and pupae. The honey bee can become a pest because of its swarming and nest building in structures. A common problem is when a swarm of wild honey bees locates a small opening in an exterior wall, chimney, or behind some faulty flashing of a structure and then sets up a nest in a wall void or some other interior area. If honey bees become established in the void and build a large comb for the nest, it may cause problem in the structure. Large amount of beeswax and honey may accumulate in the structural void. As long as the workers are alive, present and active, they cool the beeswax with constant wing fanning. This keeps the bees wax cooled below its melting point. However, if the workers are removed or killed, the cavity heats up, the beeswax melts and both the honey and the beeswax flow and drip in the structural cavity, causing a mess. In addition to the structural damage from beeswax and honey, these materials attract other insects and vermin. When not properly maintained by healthy worker bees, beeswax and honey will attract other insects such as flies, ants, and beetles. These insects can then inflict further damage on the structure and its inhabitants. Consequently, it is imperative that when a honey bee colony is destroyed or moved, the nest must be removed from the structure. This may entail expensive carpentry work to open the cavity and remove the beeswax and honey. Another problem with the presence of honey bees, is their sting. Some people are sensitive to the sting and may react with anaphylactic shock. This is a life threatening situation and the individual must receive treatment quickly. Public Health Damage: Honey bees can attract other insects and vermin into structures with their beeswax and honey from unwanted nesting. This material may also stain wall board and become malodorous if not removed. Anaphylactic shock from bee stings is a threat to some individuals. Additionally, a swarm of bees in a retail establishment or a parking lot may have serious public health implications on the proprietor and patrons of the establishment. The presence of a swarm will alarm potential patrons and may temporarily shut the business down because of fear for bee stings and anaphylactic shock. A renegade swarm of wild bees in such a situation must be removed expeditiously so establishment's business can resume as usual. Structural Damage: Honey bee invasion of a structure may cause damage by the nest building of beeswax and honey. These materials attract other insects such as flies, ants, beetles, and others. These insects may do damage to the structure or its inhabitants. Additionally, melting beeswax and honey can stain building materials making them unsightly. The beeswax and honey may putrefy and become malodorous to building occupants. Agricultural Damage: Agricultural damage may result from the lack of honey bees. Honey bees are the most important beneficial insect to agriculture through its pollination activities. As such, honey bees should be preserved and protected whenever possible by exclusion and relocation rather than poisoning. Environmental Damage: Honey bees are critical to the environment because of their pollination activity. Many plants in the environment are dependent on the honey bee. As such, honey bees should be preserved and protected whenever possible by exclusion and relocation rather than poisoning. Economic Damage: Honey bees are an important element to the world economy. They pollinate more than 100 agricultural crops in the United States and are involved in about 80% of the foods consumed by Americans. Bee pollination is worth about 19 billion dollars a year in the United States , while beeswax and honey production is valued at 140 million dollars. Bee keeping is a thriving industry and the honey bee is a valuable contributor to the economy and the environment. Honey bees should be preserved whenever possible. However, a swarm of bees in a retail establishment or a parking lot may have serious economic implications on the proprietor of the establishment. The presence of a swarm will alarm potential patrons and may temporarily shut the business down. A renegade swarm of wild bees in such a situation must be removed expeditiously so establishment's business can resume as usual. References: Mallis, A. 1997. Handbook of Pest Control: The behavior, Life History, and Control of Household Pests, Eighth Edition. Mallis Handbook and Technical Training Company. Bennett, G. W., Owens, J. M., and Corrigan, R. M., 1988, Truman's Scientific Guide To Pest Control Operators, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc., One East First St. , Duluth , MN . 55802 |
