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How do you get rid of bees?

Finding and removing the beehive or nest, though precarious, is normally the most effective and environmentally sensible resolution. Engaging a pest-control professional with the proper experience and protective equipment for nest and hive removal is important to prevent injury or even death from an angered population of stinging insects.

The pest control technician can evaluate the infestation and recommend further implementing a pest control program that includes chemical and physical control methods.


What’s the difference between Bees and Wasps?

Bees are a part of the third-largest insect family called Hymenoptera, which includes bees and wasps as well as ants and sawflies. Bees themselves are incredibly diverse with over 20,000 known distinct species. Even though some people use the term bee, wasp and hornet interchangeably there are some key differences in their behaviour and anatomy.

Bees are fascinating for the social, hierarchical caste systems common in some species.

The most distinguishing feature of most pollinating bees are the branched setae (wiry hairs) that cover most of their bodies which serve to trap and transport pollen from one flower to another.

Bees have antennae with 12-13 segments and an elbow joint somewhere along the length of these sensory input organs. Pollinator Bees are equipped with a long sucking tongue called a proboscis for lapping up nectar and leg combs for cleaning excess pollen from their antennae, head, and abdomen. Bees have two compound eyes on either side of their head between which are three or more simple eyes which generate information about light intensity.

In general, bees eat nectar and pollen while wasps and hornets scavenge for meat, cheese fruits and vegetables and other animal and plant food products, though there are some exceptions to this rule. Wasps are more aggressive and can sting repeatedly whereas bees are less likely exhibit aggressive behaviour, and will not sting as readily as wasps since each bee will die shortly after landing a sting on a target.


Signs of a Bee Infestation

It is normal to see the odd bee inside the home especially throughout the warmer seasons. If you see more than a few a day, it could mean that a bee colony established itself inside your chimney or a wall void. Similarly, it is common for bees to be active around a deck or patio, but if you see consistent swarms of bees, it could mean that the colony is threatened by human proximity to their nesting site.


How did bees get into my home?

Many species of bees are solitary breeders that establish a single nest for a single brood and pose little or no threat to humans.  Species such as the honey bee, bumble bee, and Africanized bee, however, establish elaborate hive colonies with a fertile queen bee, many non-reproductive female worker bees, and male drone bees that all fulfill different aspects of sustaining life and advancing the colony. Solitary and social bees alike are most likely to establish breeding zones far away from homes and humans, but it is not uncommon for a bee population to establish itself in the overhang of a garage, the soffits of a roof, in an unprotected wall void, or underneath a deck or porch.

In late mid-spring when the virgin queen emerges from diapause, she will seek out a sheltered, contained and quiet environment to establish the nest. If she gains access to the home through insecure flashing or soffits, or even through an open window, you are at risk of having an active bee colony in your home.


What do bees eat?

Bees are widely known as pollinators that play a crucial role in sustaining plant life on earth. Bees have adapted to use the nectar and pollen produced by flowering plants as a food source and nesting material. All pollinator bees have a long sucking mouth-part called a proboscis equipped with a tongue for lapping nectar. Much of the anatomy of bees is geared towards locating eligible plant food sources and detecting potential threats. With two compound eyes and three small, simple eyes as well as antennae that pick up on touch, smell, taste, and sound, bees are complex and advanced insects that are highly aware of the environment.


How serious are bees?

If bees establish an active colony somewhere inside your home, they can be a troublesome nuisance. Since bees will behave aggressively when they feel the nest is threatened it may be impossible to use the infested part of your home without risking a sting.

Many people have a severe anaphylactic reaction to bee venom which can be life threatening if they do not receive emergency medical attention. If an individual in your home is severely allergic to bee stings, it is important to be extra vigilant within you home and around your yard for the establishment of bee colonies. You may choose to address a bee colony that is close to an area where the sensitive individual spends time inside or out.


How Addison can help eliminate a bee infestation

Since bees are disinterested in human activity and are a beneficial keystone species in the ecosystem, they very rarely necessitate implementing a pest control program. If a colony does take up residence close to or inside of a human structure especially where there is severe bee sting allergy, management should be undertaken in a focused program that combines nest removal as well as a crack and crevice treatment and a residual surface spray treatment.

Because of the risk of stinging or swarming, we advise customers to allow our expert technicians to address a bee infestation in their home. We work with local beekeepers who are always looking for new bees for their honey production facilities. We will arrange for the beekeeper to safely remove the nest from you home.

By combining nest removal with a mixture of chemical and physical methods, including a silica dust formulation and a residual pyrethroid spray, Addison guarantees the elimination of a bee infestation quickly and completely and with minimal environmental impact.


How Addison can help prevent a bee infestation in the future

Part of our service includes identifying and sealing potential entry routes in your home. We use spray foam and steel wool for small cracks where bees might have gained access to a wall void, and we can refer you to roofing or contracting companies for more significant structural issues that could pose the risk of further infestations in the future.

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