Africanized honey bees are in Brevard; here's what you should know | Sally Scalera
In 2005, Africanized honey bees were discovered in 13 Florida counties in central and south Florida. By 2006, they had moved into three more counties, and in 2007, they were found in another eight counties, one of which was Brevard.
Continue reading to learn about AHB to protect yourself, your family and your pets. Below is the information I was taught, but recently, I have discovered that some of that information needs to be modified.
On a recent Saturday, while working in the backyard, I noticed a lot of insects flying around my potting table. I went inside to get my insect net and returned to identify what they were. As I got closer, I realized that I heard buzzing and then saw the swarm of bees on the container that supported my bag of potting mix.
I had been taught that because swarming bees don’t have any young or honeycomb, they won’t get defensive. So, I used the hose to spray them with water to get them to move on. As I stood there watching them, a bee came over and stung me on my arm, so at that point, I decided to get out of there.
After getting stung, I went to see if my neighbor, Matt, was at home because he is a fireman. He was at work, but while I was talking to his wife, she mentioned that one of our neighbors had bees, so I went and knocked on his door.
Hal is a member of the Brevard Backyard Beekeepers. When I told him about the swarm, he said that when a swarm arrives, scout bees are sent out to find a good location for the new hive.
Hal came over and put one of his empty hive boxes on the ground underneath the bees, which were on a branch. He cut the branch, and after the branch and bees fell into the box, we discovered there was another ball of bees on another branch.
This branch was higher in the tree, and he could not cut it, so he said he would come back later to cut it down. Right before he returned in the early evening, we discovered that the swarm was gone. We also checked the canopies of our other trees to make sure they hadn’t moved into one of them, which they had not.
Here are some important facts about Africanized honey bees and European honey bees to be aware of.
AHB are the same species as the European honey bee
AHB and EHB can only sting once.
It’s impossible to tell the difference between AHB and EHB just by looking at them.
AHB build their nests in more places than EHB, such as meter and irrigation boxes in the ground, abandoned tires, on the side of a house, in a tree, underneath a palm frond.
AHB can produce dangerously high numbers of bees rapidly and can remain agitated for up to 24 hours.
AHB, when disturbed, will fly 10 times farther (up to 300 yards) than EHB.
AHB, once agitated, will continue to attack anything moving (i.e., dogs, horses, etc.)
Loud equipment like lawnmowers, chainsaws, weed eaters and tractors can disturb an AHB colony, even if the equipment is 30 feet away.
When are bees harmless?
When foraging, worker bees are visiting flowers for nectar and pollen.
A swarm of bees is just looking for a location to start a new colony, and they will not become defensive because they have no honey or young to protect. But, if the swarm has a queen, they will defend her. Since you won’t be able to determine if a queen is present, leave all swarms alone.
Here are some things to be on the lookout for.
If you see bees flying in and out of any object, that indicates there is an active beehive there.
If a bee bumps into you, turn around and walk away. The bee is warning you that if you come any closer, it will sting you because their hive is nearby.
Any debris that contains a usable void, like tires, grills, etc., could become a home for an AHB hive, so remove the tire and cover the grill.
Honeybees going into the ground is typical behavior for AHB.
What to do if a beehive has been disturbed
First choice: Get inside a building or vehicle.
Second choice: Run as fast as you can for as far as you can. If the bees are still attacking, keep running or walking until you leave them behind.
Don’t jump into a pool (or any waterbody), because they will wait for you to surface.
When escaping a bee attack, cover your mouth and nose, because AHB will try to attack your airways.
Bring all children, pets and others inside.
If you will be working outdoors, especially in a field or on a roadside that is away from a building or vehicle, carry a cell phone that receives coverage where you’re working.
For additional information on both types of honey bees, check out these websites: entnemdept.ufl.edu and sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu. Search for "Africanized honey bees and European honey bees.")Eliminating nesting sites for bees around your home and landscape, plus knowing what to do (and not to do) during a bee attack, is useful information for everyone.
The good news is that since Africanized honey bees have been in Florida since 2005, we haven’t had a serious problem with their presence here in the state. So, be observant when you’re outside, and remember that if a swarm of bees appears in your yard, keep an eye on it, but don’t bother it.
The bees will typically move within a few hours or days. If the swarm is still in your yard after a week, and you don’t have a neighbor who has bee hives, then check out this website fdacs.gov (search "honey bee removal") to see whom you can call for help.
Sally Scalera is an urban horticulture agent and master gardener coordinator for the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences. Email her at sasc@ufl.edu.
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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Africanized bees haven't yet posed a serious threat in Florida
