Bees

Bees populate every area of the world. Some homeowners in Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky have problems with bees around their house, under the roof, and by the porch. Over 20000 species are known and they can grow up to almost 4 cm in length, while the smallest type only measures about 2 mm. Honey and bumble bees are social meaning that they live in colonies. Bee colonies consist of three casts that each have distinct tasks. The queen bee’s job is to mate and lay eggs, while the infertile female workers are responsible for the survival of the colony. Male drones promptly die after fertilizing the queens that can live up to 5 years. The lifespan of a worker bee only amounts to roughly 6 weeks.

A characteristic that all species share is the hairy body surface that is crucial for a pollinator. Only females transfer pollen using the bristles on their back legs that are formed into a pocket. While all bees feed off the nectar of flowers, the nutrition in pollen is important for larvae. An organ uses the nectar and produces honey from it. Most honey bees are harmless and only stink when they feel life threatening danger.

Overcrowding and seasonal temperature changes encourage bees to swarm, which means that some bees are sent out to find a new location to nest. A queen and several workers will leave their hive to start a new colony. But only colonies that are strong and well populated will swarm. There are two different bee swarms. A larger one includes the queen and the majority of workers for protection. The other swarm is smaller and involves unfertilized female bees.

Even though bees are important to the environment, a bee hive close to the home can be dangerous. Commonly wasps are misidentified as bees. Therefore, it is crucial to let a trained pest control professional take care of the situation.