How To Use Bee Control Products

Bees are very useful insects; they are useful agents of cross-pollination. Some doctors use their venom as an alternative for other medicines. And of course, bees are known to make honey. Some people consider them as pests due to their capability to sting. There are many things that we should consider to control bees – among them are bee control products.

Bees are the most beneficial of all the insects Mother Nature has in her garden.  Each year, bees produce nature's perfect food, honey, commercially at a rate of roughly 200 million pounds.  But more importantly, bees pollinate more than half of all the fruit and vegetable crops.  Without bees, the number of fruits and vegetables available for the human population's consumption will be a lot less. They say that the presence of bees in an area means that the ecosystem is thriving.

Unfortunately, bees can also be a threat to humans.  More than 50 people die from bee stings every year due to an allergic reaction to the bee's venom.  If a bee stings you, it is best to rush to the emergency room to have yourself checked.  Persons who know they are allergic to bee stings usually have an epinephrine injection kit handy.

Bees only sting when threatened.  If a beehive is far away from your home or place of work, there may be no need to destroy it.  But if you feel the need to control the bees in your area, you can use a number of products depending on the type of bees.

Honey Bees

These hairy type of bees are ½" long and honey brown in color.  They live in large colonies that can balloon to up to 50,000 individual bees.  Their nest has several levels or "combs" made of beeswax.  Hives may be found inside trees, rock formations, houses and buildings.  Honey bees swarm when a new queen flies off with 50% of the worker bees to create a new colony.

One way to control hidden nests of honey bees is to use insecticidal dust (not aerosols).   Use the built-in applicator to deliver the dust into the hive; or use a plastic container with a small spout so you can "puff" the dust into the hive.  The following insecticides can be used:

• bendiocarb
• chlorpyrifos
• boric acid

Bumble Bees

When you hear a buzzing sound, that is usually of bumble bees.   They are fuzzy yellow and black striped bees that are less than an inch long.  Bumble bees build their nests of up to 200 bees under porches, in wall cavities and in abandoned rodent holes or burrows.

To control bumble bees, you can try using a soap (laundry or dish) and water solution poured into the entrance of the nest.  If this doesn't work, try doing this:

1. Pour one of the following insecticides in the opening.

• acephate (liquid concentrate like Orthene)
• carbaryl (in dust form or as a liquid concentrate like Sevin)
• chlorpyrifos (as a dust like Dursban)
• diazinon (liquid concentrate)

Note:  dusts are more effective because sometimes liquids cannot reach the nest.

2. Ensure that all bees are exterminated.

3. Seal the entrance of the nest with soil.

Ground-nesting bees

Ground-nesting bees are solitary, they do not form colonies.  Their nests are usually found in exposed, dry areas in the yard.  You can use the same insecticides used for bumble bees if you feel the need to control this type of bees.

Remember: When buying chemicals, make sure to get the ones specifically for home or garden use.  Use the necessary protective gear as well.

Bees generally do not sting unless threatened.  If you find an alarming number of bees on your property, it may be best to consult an experienced bee exterminator.  He can give you practical advice on what to do next.   Maybe you won't have to destroy the hive.  Keep in mind that bees provide color in the garden and food for man.