But I Know these bees aren't Africanized Killer Bees !

I'm amazed at folks who insist that honey bees are always gentle, and sting only when provoked by significant provocation. While it's largely true that our managed honey bee colonies, those that we keep in our white bee hive boxes, don't sting en-masse while we work them properly, feral or wild honey bee colonies can be extremely variable in defensive response. Throw in the Africanized Honey Bee (Killer Bee) genetics that we are seeing all over Central Florida, and the defensive responses are hiking up to sometimes dangerous levels.

Maitland Honey Bee colony located in porch floor

We inspect many feral honey bee colonies per day, some gentle, some mean as fire. And then there are those that seem to have some crazies. Take this Maitland bee removal we inspected yesterday. The nest is located above the first story roof line, normally a distance where the bees would hardly notice and certainly not care about a couple humans standing down in the yard.

Right EyeLid swelling 30 minutes after Bee Sting

While talking with the client, a guard bee came down to inspect us, and the client waved her hand (note, NEVER wave your hands at bees, they think it's a provocative act, akin to throwing the handkerchief on the ground), and BAP, the rogue guard bee stung our trainee technician in his Eyelid.

Still the client insisted that there was no way that these were Africanized Killer Bees! (To be fair, we can't ID bees as killer bees or European gentle honey bees until we perform a lengthy lab test involving several dozen sample bees, so we can't say what subspecies they are or aren't either).

Right Eyelid swelling 30 minutes after bee sting

No Big deal, right? we pulled out the stinger promptly, administered anthi-histimanes and ice per protocol. The next day, this is what our tech awoke to:

Right facial swelling prox 18 hours post bee sting

Sexy, eh? While it may look scary, the swelling is actually normal, as fluids tend to accumulate during sleeping and can't properly drain. However, this is not something we encourage our staff to endure. It's our protocol to assume every feral honey bee colony has the capacity to inflict multiple stings within seconds, and that's why are to wear hats on every call...Right Jeff? :-)

 And while we may laugh this off, one sting can prove fatal to a sting-sensitive individual. We know of multiple incidents where folks have died from a single, or a few stings from bees or wasps. Couple that with the significant spike in mean Africanized Killer Bee feral colonies we see in homes, manufactured homes, trees and other locations, it's high time to take these bees serious, and to give them the respect due.

Richard Martyniak, M.Sc., Entomologist and Fla. Registered Beekeeper
The Buzzkillers, LLC
ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com

Need FREE Bee Removal? We are looking for HUGE Killer Bees & Yellow Jacket nests

Need FREE Bee Removal?

****** 13 JULY 2011: This offer has EXPIRED, We have filled our available free removal slots. Please stay tuned for further offers******

5 July 2011: Yep, the stinging insect scientists here at ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com are conducting another research promotional project and are in need of a select few Killer Bee nests & Yellow Jacket nests!

The protocol requires the following conditions:

1. Nest size must be above average, at least 6 months old and weighing in at least 50 pounds
2. The bees have to exhibit an above average defensive posture. We prefer colonies that have already stung humans or pets and continue to sting or harass victims or potential victims.
3. Geographical area is limited to Greater Tampa/St. Pete to Orlando to Northern Brevard County. We also will consider Orlando North to Belleview, especially around the Villages as we have been encountering extremely defensive bees this year. 
4. We will consider Exceptional colonies in other areas of the state. Contact us at 1-800-343-5317 or info@allfloridabeeremoval.com  to discuss your special nest!

We will remove the colony at no charge to the client. Client must allow our personnel access to the nest site, treatment and removals, pesticide application  & documentation to occur ( photography, film, possible interviews, audio recordings as necessary).


Here are some photos of some infestations that might qualify for the protocol:

Orlando, FL: Perennial Honey Bee colony in Building Wall.

Oxford Fl. (The Villages): Africanized Honey Bees (Killer Bees) cleaning around the nest opening, which is located at the electrical penetration. Killer Bees often build nests in concrete block wall voids. These colonies can become extremely defensive and are a serious sting risk to pets and humans.

The Villages, FL: Africanized (Killer Bees) Honey Bee colony located in widow's walk above roof of 3 story structure. The Bees were very defensive, threatening public over 300 feet away. Rotting, fermenting honey was found dripping into executive offices, after a pest control application. With larger nests, one must remove the colony or problems will escalate

Tallahassee FL: Perennial Honey Bee colony in wall of rental house. This colony weighed out at over 100 pounds. Bees had been finding their way into the living area of the home and threatening sting sensitive residents. At least 2-3% of the general population are so allergic to bee venom, that one's breathing could stop within minutes..after only one sting!

West Ocala,, Marion County, Fl: Honey Bee 'External' nest constructed under eave of residential home. Residents thought this was only a swarm..a temporary group of bees.. but during removal we found substantial wax comb, indicating that the colony was at least 4-6 weeks old, old enough for a defensive manner to develop. Improper removals of these external honey bee colonies can threaten nearby pets and animals.

South Orange County (Orlando), FL: Very large, well established Africanized Honey Bee colony located between floors in an apartment building. Management company wanted us to perform a live bee relocation, but these bees were extremely defensive, posing a significant threat to residents, neighbors and pets.

Jacksonville, Fl: Typical of what we find after a cheap 'drive-by' treatment from a well meaning pest control operator. At the top is a healthy honey bee colony, probably 4-5 weeks old, busily expanding it's nest in this master bedroom wall. The dark area at the bottom is an earlier honey bee colony that was treated succesfully...and then left to ROT in this wall. A travesty that a pest control operator charged a couple hundred dollars to perform. tsk. tsk. 

Jacksonville, FL: This is a closeup of the dead, rotting, fermenting honey bee colony seen in the picture above. This organic material is decaying, aided my thousands of MAGGOTS eating, defecating, and spreading fungi and bacteria throughout the rotting mess. This is a product of CHEAP DRIVE-BY BEE TREATMENTS and could be avoided by hiring stinging insect experts such as ourselves. Leaving this mess would only attract other mean robber bees, flies, beetles and more maggots, which spread throughout the house on a quest we call the MAGGOT MARCH.

Longwood, FL: A national pest control company sprayed a client's bee colony, not once..not twice, but 5 different times to finally kill the Killer Bee Colony located in a porch portico.

Longwood, FL: Closeup of the mass of maggots, maggot feces and other organic waste found at the bottom of the infested portico porch column from the picture above.

Ponte Vedra, FL: Honey bee Colony infested a void located above a dormer window. This Plantation Golf Club house, required 2 technicians a full day to remove over 200 pounds of honey, pollen and bees from this void. A national animal trapping company had tried, unsuccessfully, to eradicate the colony and just leave it in place. Luckily for the homeowner, the bees persisted, because of the animal control technician's ineptitude.

Tampa Fl: Killer Bees infest a void above a kitchen ceiling. We are seeing a large increase in the number and ferocity of bees in the Central Florida Area. We also are seeing an increase in the number of bee removal folks that are preying on innocent homeowners, as these shysters are not licensed as pest control operators. Please, make sure your provider has the bare minimum of a PCO license in order to protect you and your assets!

Jacksonville, FL : Honey Bee colony located above a dining room ceiling. This client finally called us after 2 pest control companies failed to curb an ongoing bee infestation. He spent over $600 needlessly....

Port Orange, FL: Yet another Africanized Honey Bee (Killer Bee) infestation located above a ceiling. Bees often will build in these areas, and you certainly don't want to just leave them here.

Fernandina Beach, FL: Honey Bees in a garage wall. The local Electric Utility used wasp spray on this colony and made the surviving bees very mad. A sting incident was averted when the client called ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com

Winter Springs, FL: The city has entomologist Richard Martyniak remove suspected Africanized Honey Bee (Killer Bee) colonies such as this bee-utiful external colony. Many cities, counties and utilities trust the entomologists at ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com to protect their citizens, staff and clients!

****** 13 JULY 2011: This offer has EXPIRED, We have filled our available free removal slots. Please stay tuned for further offers******

Honey Bees in House Walls, Eaves and Columns

It's springtime in Florida, and that means we are getting loads of calls for swarming honey bees! Swarms can be very frightening to folks who've never had experience working with honey bees, but in reality are not *usually* very much of a threat as they have no nest to defend.

Clermont Honey Bee swarm on Tree

A swarm occurs when a bee colony outgrows it's nesting area. This happens usually, when nectar and pollen sources from flowers become abundant, (springtime flowering), and the queen starts laying up to 2,000 eggs a day. At some point, about half the colony will leave, looking for a new location to build a new nest, while leaving the old nest to rebuild it's numbers.

Orlando Honey Bee swarm on building wall

This new swarm will typically land for a few hours, somewhere near the mother colony. We usually advise clients to leave the swarm alone, keep pets and people away, and the swarm will move on, without harming a thing.

Longwood Bee Swarm on Block Wall

But, when these swarms alight on house walls, eaves or other structural elements, it's best to give us a call for proper removal, as they often will move into wall voids, eave voids and just about anywhere else, often putting away hundreds of pounds of honey, pollen and wax withing the wall. Please do not try to self treat these swarms, as bad things can happen!

Apopka Bee Colony in wall

For proper honey bee swarm removal, Call us at 1-800-343-5317

Richard Martyniak, M.Sc., Entomologist
ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com

First Coast New's Ken Amaro will help perform a Jacksonville Bee Removal!

Sara Hatt's dog suffered one sting from a honey bee, and incurred over $500 in Vet bills, and suffered significant trauma. That's when she first noticed the bee colony, located about 25 feet above her backyard in a pine tree.

Fearing for her dog's health (and her lawn crew, neighbors and herself), she called the city for help. No help.

She called several pest control companies. No help.

She emailed "Billy the Exterminator". No help.

Enter Ken Amaro, consumer advocate reporter for First Coast News. Ken contacted us, and we will solve Sara's bee dilemma this Monday. Just call us, we'll Help!!

Ken's Video is here:

See Ken's story Here.

We'll post more pics and vids on Monday after this Jacksonville bee removal. Look for Ken to get suited up and ride the lift with us!!

Richard Martyniak, M.Sc., Entomologist

Killer Bees and Horses: Fatal consequences

Earlier this week, two horses were euthanized after a honey bee attack in Arizona. One other horse was seriously injured. In June of this year, two horses perished after another bee attack in California.

Reading the fire chief's description of this tragic sting event sends chills through me, as we've encountered similar situations, and in most cases, could have been prevented with proper vigilance and action.

Why the owner of the horse facility would knowingly leave active honey bee colonies in a working barn leaves me scratching my head, AND, this is in KILLER BEE territory!! (I normally don't use the term "killer bee" alone, but in this case, I think it's warranted).

I encounter this attitude daily here in Florida, where we have an active and growing KILLER BEE population. We are seeing them move into Florida's prime horse country, near Ocala.( Check this blog post out from just last week, right near horse operations).

Clients often believe that since Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) has been affecting honey bee populations here in the U.S. , any wild honey bee colony found should be left alone, in order to boost bee populations. While it's true, CCD has reduced bee populations, the affected bees are only in managed bee operations, those kept by beekeepers, from huge commercial operations down to hobby beekeepers. 


Feral (wild) bee populations are not affected by CCD, and are actually exploding here in Florida.

This is so important, let's see it again: Feral bee populations are not affected by CCD, and are exploding here in Florida.

Why such the increase?  KILLER BEES!  Yes, African Honey Bees are a vigorous race of bees, well suited for life in the subtropical clime we find here in Florida. And, they likely have evolved with pathogens & pests that most researchers suspect are a probable cause of CCD. So, it's natural that this vigorous, well adapted bee would do very well in Florida.


So it begs the question. Why would one leave a feral bee colony in a building that houses people, pets or animals? 


I think it's largely due to ignorance, and this ongoing belief, strongly held by most, that bees are naturally gentle, and only sting when provoked. While it's mostly true that managed honey bees are normally docile, and attack with maybe a hundred or so guards when some kind of disturbance occurs, Killer Bees ( African Honey Bees or AHB) can react much, much differently. Killer bees are wild, or feral, and the hyper-defensiveness can't be bred out of them. An AHB colony can react with provocation as light as a strong breeze or branch landing on it's colony, which means they can send out thousands of guards, all looking for anything that moves, breathes or has a heat signature. It's common for AHB attack victims to be unable to yell HELP!, because bees fill up their mouth and throat, and suffocation is a real risk. 

So, it's up to us experts to educate the public, especially those that are at greater risk, including equine operations, about the dangers of these 'new breed' of bees. African Bee infestations can be managed properly, greatly reducing the chances of a sting event, but it takes a new attitude, and working with stinging insect specialists. Beekeepers and standard pest control operators are ill-equipped to control these infestations. (Why not? see our post)


We are educating citizens, companies, utilities, firefighters, police and any interested group about the African Honey Bee and issues surrounding it. Our entomologists give presentations and offer consultations to help you manage this threat and we have specialists that remedy infestations daily. Give us a call at 800.343.5317, send us an email, or visit our website to schedule a presentation or for more info and help.


Richard Martyniak, M.Sc. Entomologist
helpful links:

ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com
Our website

AFBEE
University of Florida's African Honey Bee Extension & Education Program

The African Honey Bee FAQ

Frequently asked questions about African honey bees, from FDACS - Division of Plant Industry

Bureau of Plant & Apiary Inspection

Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services - Division of Plant Industry

Honey Bee Research & Extension Lab

University of Florida's Honey Bee Research & Extension Lab

Florida State Beekeepers Association

The official bee keeping association in the State of Florida

Is your Bee removal company or indivdual licensed?

Structural or Landscape bee removal requires a pest control certification from the Florida Dept. of Agriculture. You can check by Applicator, or Company here. Don't let yourself fall prey to an unlicensed service provider!

Are Killer Bees in your Trailer Park?

Here in Florida, we have many residents that live in Manufactured Housing, aka, trailer homes and guess what, honey bees really like to live in trailer homes too! We perform house trailer bee removals every day.

Africanized Bees, aka Killer Bees, often build colonies close to the ground, in fact they are frequently found in abandoned armadillo, gopher, gopher tortoise and subterranean tree holes. This behavior is probably a holdover from living on the African plains, where available voids in trees were few, so building colonies in the ground works very well, until a honey badger arrives that is!

Bees will often build their nests under the subfloor of the manufactured home. We also frequently encounter them under Office & Construction trailers.

We don't perform many trailer live removals any longer, primarily because most of the honey bees that nest under trailers have a very high probability of being Africanized. It's illegal to possess AHB here in the State of Florida, plus they make horrible occupants in our bee yards. Spend some time around them and you will see why, with 10's of thousands of them fiercely attacking, working every little opening, trying to get into your beesuits. Sometimes we have to wear 2 beesuits, and we STILL get STUNG!! Here's a photo of Jason, under a trailer, notice how much dirt he had to excavate!

It's also very difficult and time consuming to perform live removals from under trailers. It's hot, it's very cramped, and we end up taking sometimes hundreds of stings, because we are rolling on the ground, over bees that have fallen on the ground. Also, the sting risk is high, especially in a tight, urban trailer park setting. And, it's very, very messy!

If you have a colony of bees in your trailer, give us a call or email. We handle removals all over the state of Florida, including Naples, Ft. Myers, Sarasota, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Kissimmee, Orlando, Brevard County, Ft. Lauderdale, Broward, Dade, Daytona, Palm Coast, Jacksonville and more!!!

If you have a bee hive in your house trailer, please consider us. We perform house trailer bee removal throughout Florida

We are entomologists (insect scientists), registered beekeepers, and Licensed Pest Control Operators, carrying full insurance and licenses for your protection. Visit our website, ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com for more info