Bees
There are several types of bees found in Arizona. Some are solitary meaning they don't live in colonies, semi-social living in small colonies up to 2 dozen or so individuals or social with up to 100's of thousand individuals. Social bees are more likely to be aggressive in defending their nests. Bees are extremely beneficial because they are amazing pollinators. Without bees our food supply would be dangerously low.
Honey Bees
Honey Bees are the superior pollinating species of bees. They are social insects with colonies containing 30,000 or more bees. There are 2 main species of Honey Bee. European and African. African Honey Bees were introduced to the U.S. in the 90's and have spread rapidly since, creating "Africanized" Honey Bees which is a hybrid of the 2. This species is still highly beneficial. Without a microscope you probably can't tell the difference between the 2 species. The difference is in their behavior. Africanized Bees can be very aggressive in defending their nests and more easily provoked.
Both types of Honey Bee can only sting once. The stinger is barbed so when they pull back it gets pulled out of their abdomen causing death. The venom from an Africanized Bee isn't different from that of European Bees, but the amount of stings from a provoked africanized hive can be fatal. Especially if someone is allergic. Sometimes you won't develop any allergy until the 2nd time you are stung.
While there is no need to be afraid of foraging honey bees, If a hive is near DO NOT attempt to deal with it on your own! Assume the bees are africanized and call a professional.
Kyle's Pest Solution offers hive extermination when no other alternative is present, but we also network with beekeepers to save the hive when it is possible. Call Kyle's Pest Solution @ 623-760-6025 for options regarding honey bees.
Leafcutter & Mason Bees
Solitary bees which nest in holes in structures or trees or in the soil. Leafcutters are black with light stripes and build cells from circular cut leaves of plants. Masons are usually metallic blue or green and builds cells from mud in holes usually in wood. Neither are aggressive.
Mining Bees
Black or metallic color or black and yellow/white. Build nests in sandy soils. Solitary or communal. Usually non aggressive.
Yellow faced (Masked Bees)
Solitary Bees that are often mistaken for wasps due to their slender shape, color and the fact that they are almost hairless. They are black with white or yellow markings on their faces.
Bumble Bees
Bumble bees are larger than Honey bees. They are black with bright yellow or orange stripes and noticeably hairy. They are social bees and nests are often found underground, under rocks or debris or even in rodent burrows. They can become aggressive when the nest is disturbed.
Carpenter Bees
If you've lived in southern Arizona for a little while, chances are one of these bees have freaked you out and left you asking "what the heck was that?" They are very large, shiny black and the buzz is loud when they fly. They are often mistakenly referred to as Bumble bees probably due to their size. They are named Carpenter bees because they excavate holes in wood to build cells where the female will lay her eggs. This can become an issue if they are boring into wood on buildings. Although this bee scares people daily, they are solitary bees and not aggressive. Females possess a stinger but stings rarely occur because they are so docile.
There are several types of bees found in Arizona. Some are solitary meaning they don't live in colonies, semi-social living in small colonies up to 2 dozen or so individuals or social with up to 100's of thousand individuals. Social bees are more likely to be aggressive in defending their nests. Bees are extremely beneficial because they are amazing pollinators. Without bees our food supply would be dangerously low.
Honey Bees
Honey Bees are the superior pollinating species of bees. They are social insects with colonies containing 30,000 or more bees. There are 2 main species of Honey Bee. European and African. African Honey Bees were introduced to the U.S. in the 90's and have spread rapidly since, creating "Africanized" Honey Bees which is a hybrid of the 2. This species is still highly beneficial. Without a microscope you probably can't tell the difference between the 2 species. The difference is in their behavior. Africanized Bees can be very aggressive in defending their nests and more easily provoked.
Both types of Honey Bee can only sting once. The stinger is barbed so when they pull back it gets pulled out of their abdomen causing death. The venom from an Africanized Bee isn't different from that of European Bees, but the amount of stings from a provoked africanized hive can be fatal. Especially if someone is allergic. Sometimes you won't develop any allergy until the 2nd time you are stung.
While there is no need to be afraid of foraging honey bees, If a hive is near DO NOT attempt to deal with it on your own! Assume the bees are africanized and call a professional.
Kyle's Pest Solution offers hive extermination when no other alternative is present, but we also network with beekeepers to save the hive when it is possible. Call Kyle's Pest Solution @ 623-760-6025 for options regarding honey bees.
Leafcutter & Mason Bees
Solitary bees which nest in holes in structures or trees or in the soil. Leafcutters are black with light stripes and build cells from circular cut leaves of plants. Masons are usually metallic blue or green and builds cells from mud in holes usually in wood. Neither are aggressive.
Mining Bees
Black or metallic color or black and yellow/white. Build nests in sandy soils. Solitary or communal. Usually non aggressive.
Yellow faced (Masked Bees)
Solitary Bees that are often mistaken for wasps due to their slender shape, color and the fact that they are almost hairless. They are black with white or yellow markings on their faces.
Bumble Bees
Bumble bees are larger than Honey bees. They are black with bright yellow or orange stripes and noticeably hairy. They are social bees and nests are often found underground, under rocks or debris or even in rodent burrows. They can become aggressive when the nest is disturbed.
Carpenter Bees
If you've lived in southern Arizona for a little while, chances are one of these bees have freaked you out and left you asking "what the heck was that?" They are very large, shiny black and the buzz is loud when they fly. They are often mistakenly referred to as Bumble bees probably due to their size. They are named Carpenter bees because they excavate holes in wood to build cells where the female will lay her eggs. This can become an issue if they are boring into wood on buildings. Although this bee scares people daily, they are solitary bees and not aggressive. Females possess a stinger but stings rarely occur because they are so docile.
