Honeybees
- Brownish w/ black bands and fuzzy
- Travel in mass swarms
- Not commonly aggressive unless disturbed
- Commonly nest inside walls, attics and trees
- Produce large amounts of honeycomb
- Nesting areas identified by constant flows of travel in and out of one large spot or large dark masses on trees and shrubbery
- Become very aggressive to spraying w/ water or wasp & hornet sprays
Africanized Honeybees
- Identical to European honeybee in appearance
- Same nesting characteristics
- Can be very aggressive with little or no disturbing
- Easily disturbed by vibrations such as lawn equipment
- Do not like large animals including dogs
- Becoming predominant honeybee species in Florida
Bumblebees
- Large, round, and black w/ small yellow or white bands behind head
- Very aggressive when disturbed
- Commonly found in untrimmed palm trees and abandoned squirrel nests.
Wasps
- Long, thin, segmented bodies w/ long legs (many different colors)
- Can be aggressive when disturbed
- Commonly found under soffits, eaves, fence gates, fence poles, and enclosed places
- Very common throughout Florida
Mud Daubers
- Look the same as other wasps but are very dark blue to black
- Not aggressive
- Feed on other insects
- Build mud packs in corners and under ledgers (including soffits)
- Very common throughout Florida, especially on property close to water
Yellow Jackets
- Small, bright yellow w/ black bands
- Extremely dangerous
- Commonly nest in ground of overgrown areas, untrimmed Canary Island
- Easily disturbed by vibration and close proximity of people or animals
- Constant and direct flight patterns to and from nesting areas
Carpenter Bees
- Looks similar to bumblebees, except larger
- Bore approximately 3/8 " holes into wood - commonly unpainted, untreated facial boards
- Erratic flight patterns
- Commonly seen in Central and Southeast Florida between March and June
Professional Africanized Bee Removal
Africanized Bees—just like European Bees—are crafty when it comes to finding a place to call home. When you have an Africanized Bee Infestation, always contact a professional bee removal service to help. They can pose a severe safety risk to you, your family, your pets, and passersby. The key to reducing an Africanized Bee threat is good prevention. Our team has the skills and expertise to fully remove any colonies, no matter where they are located, and keep them from coming back.
When looking for a colony, they prefer a dark and dry place to nest. Dark protected areas such as walls, attics, and crawl spaces are perfect places for an Africanized Bee Colony to call home.
About Africanized Bees
Introduced in the 1950s from Brazil, this invasive species of bee has spread rapidly across the U.S., causing problems for homeowners and business owners alike. Due to Southeast Florida's climate, the species thrives in our area. Identifying Africanized Bees is difficult for the untrained eye. The easiest way to tell is in their behavioral patterns and by the size—they are usually smaller than their European cousins.
Threats To Health and Safety
Also known as Killer Bees, Africanized Bees pose a larger health/safety risk to people and pets around their colony. While swarms may not be as aggressive, established colonies can become life-threatening. Because of this, you should Never Attempt to remove a bee colony on your own. When provoked, they are known to relentlessly attack the threat to their hive due to their more aggressive behavior.
While most stings are only mildly painful, repeated stings from Africanized Bees can cause overwhelming pain. If a person has an allergic reaction, the situation is much more serious.
Killer Bee Removal
If your home or garden has been infested with a seemingly aggressive bees, they might not be the sweet little honey bees that we usually find in our garden. Killer bees are a much faster and dangerous hybrid and Alpine Farms can help you get rid of them.
What Is A Killer Bee
Killer bees, also know as "Africanized bees" were first introduced in the 1950's in Brazil. They were made in hopes of having a bee that could produce a larger amount honey in a small amount of time. Unfortunately, about 26 colonies of these little insects got lose and made their way all around South and North America, some ending up as far as Florida and Texas! The result is something that can actually be quite dangerous to your family and at the very first sight of one of these troublemakers, you should call Alpine Farms to make sure they are fully removed.
Killer Bee Behavior
At first glance, Killer Bees look just like their less aggressive European cousins. However, the main difference between them is that killer bees are much smaller. The best way of identifying them is by observing their behavior. Killer bees are easier to agitate and have a quicker reaction time, often times with very little patience. They guard their hive much more then a regular honey bee and usually have twice the amount of bees flying around to keep an eye out. Another thing they do is chase their victim for up to 300 feet in order to protect their hive. Another common characteristic is that, if provoked, they are known to evacuate the entire hive at once and form a huge swarm while looking for their next home. With their queen in tow, the entire colony is on a mission to protect her and don't take intruders or passers by lightly.
Where To Find Killer Bees
They love all of the same spots as the typical honey bee: inside hollow tree trunks, in the crawl space under your home, in attics, inside the walls of your home, in your shed, under the hood of a car and just about anywhere else that is warm, dry and close to water and a food source. They have also been know to set up at the base of trees and live inside the ground, which can be very dangerous if you accidentally walked right over the hive. Although they mostly scout and build their hives the same way as other bees, the Killer Bee has been known to infiltrate an existing hive, kill the queen and raise their very own queen, thus taking over the entire hive.