Know When to Call in Bee Extermination Experts

The recent news about "killer bees," or Africanized honey bees has plenty of people suffering from a sudden case of apiphobia, or fear of bees. But seeing bees in your yard doesn't necessarily mean you should call in the bee removal experts right away. Here are some tips and techniques for dealing with your bee problem.

Bees in Your Yard
Finding bees in your garden or backyard is not necessarily reason to panic. Bees can travel long distances in their search for food. If there are just a few around, it's likely that the hive or colony is quite a distance away, and you will probably not need to worry about bee extermination just yet. But keep an eye on the situation, as sometimes the first few bees are "scouts" who are scoping out a location for their new colony.

Bees Near Your Home
Bees clustering close to your home can be a red flag. Bees establish colonies in dark, cavernous places where they build complex nests. These homes of up to 60,000 individuals are usually established inside trees, but if they can get in through a crack or gap, that cavern could be within your exterior walls. Unlike yellow jacket hives, which only last one year, honey bee colonies are permanent. If you find honey bees entering and exiting a hole in your wall or in the eaves of your home, it's time to call a bee extermination professional.

The Steps of Bee Removal
Eliminating a bee problem is more complicated than just spraying a little pesticide. In order to get rid of bees and keep them away, your bee removal professional should take the following steps:

1. Locating and killing the bees themselves. This usually involves targeted chemical spraying by your bee removal professional. 2. Removing the dead bees, honeycombs, or hives, and any honey inside the home. This is important because if left there, the sweetness of the honey and honeycombs will attract mice, flies, and other pests. 3. Sealing up spaces. By caulking cracks and cleaning thoroughly, a bee extermination expert can see to it that the bee problem doesn't surface again.

Special Bee Extermination Considerations
The most important thing you can do to prevent bee problems is to keep from attracting bees. Garbage bins should be covered tightly so that bees aren't attracted to the smell of sweet rubbish, such as soda cans, rotting fruit and so on. To keep from giving them shelter, fill all cracks and holes in the walls and eaves of your house, and make sure screens are tight.

It's nearly impossible to tell "killer" Africanized honey bees from "regular" European honey bees. The main difference is that they are more temperamental, and defend their colonies more intensely and with less provocation. This makes it more important than ever to find a qualified, experienced bee extermination expert to deal with your bee removal.

Allergic reactions to bee stings can be quite serious. Symptoms range from itching and swelling to severe reactions such as difficulty breathing and loss of consciousness. Homeowners with children should be especially careful when it comes to bee removal.

With a bit of vigilance, you can be sure that bee problems stay under control.