Pests 101: What is a Bee Infestation Like in Arizona?

As swarming season rounds into view, residents throughout Arizona are preparing to bee safe this year. Starting in May, bee swarms begin to manifest within the desert. While not as deadly or dangerous as you might think, bee swarms can quickly lead to bee infestations and infestations are incredibly serious.

From bustling Phoenix to remote stretches of the desert, let’s explore how bee infestations work, what causes them, and how we can identify them.

Identifying a Bee Infestation

Unless you have a hive exploding out the side of your wall, it might be hard to understand where all these darn bees are coming from! Bee infestations may seem simple to address, but they can be quite confusing when you don’t know where to look.

As the swarming season draws closer, look for these signs and symptoms of a potential bee infestation in your home or on your property.

• Excessive Bees Around Your Property — The first sign of a bee infestation is also the clearest. When you notice excessive amounts of bees flying in and around your home, this might be a sign that a swarm has arrived or a colony has taken up residence. Not only are bees a stinging threat, but they also carry bacteria into your home.
• Active Nest Nearby — If you notice an active bee nest outside your home, then the odds are good that there is one taking up residence within. Bees are incredibly capable creatures, and they are fantastic at finding new places to swarm.  Watch the bees you’ve noticed around your home and see if they all gravitate toward a specific area to find the active nest.
• Dark Patches On Your Wall — For homeowners easily scared by bugs and bees, this next sign might give you chills. If you notice a dark patch on your ceiling or along your wall, it could potentially signify a honeybee infestation. Honey bees commonly build nests in-between walls and joints to replicate their nest, allowing the honey to get produced which also stains your walls.

With these symptoms of an infestation to guide you, let’s take a closer look at the most problematic bees in the state of Arizona. If you are fearing a potential infestation, you’ll likely want to familiarize yourself.

Africanized Honey Bee

The Africanized Honey Bee is one of the true ‘killer bees’ in North America. Earning the nickname ‘killer bee’ after their aggressive behavior, the first Africanized Honey Bees would make their way to the country in the 1950s. While similar in physical appearance to European Honey Bees, a sharp eye can detect that Africanized Honey Bees are just ever so slightly smaller.

Africanized Honey Bees have hives that are significantly smaller than European Honey Bees, so that can make it hard to properly identify an infestation. With that being said, Africanized Honey Bees are not a pest to mess about with. Once triggered, Africanized bees can chase a person or their pets for over a mile in order to protect their hive.

To summarize: Africanized Honey Bees are aggressive insects that will defend their hive and territory against you and your pets. Even an accidental brush with an Africanized bee can trigger their aggression. If you fear an Africanized Honey Bee infestation, call your local pest control experts to quickly handle the job.

European Honey Bee

Also known as the Western Honey Bee, the European Honey bee is one of the most common species of honey bee worldwide. This honey-bearing species creates colonies surrounding its singular fertile queen. Workers carry out essential tasks including pollination and scouting out for new hives. European Honey Bees will leave in groups of 20 to investigate as well as defend their colony.

With larger hives than the Africanized Honey Bee, it is easier to spot an EHB infestation. Larger colonies equates to hives that are harder to hide. Common interior hive locations caused by infestation are the attic, between walls, and inside the ceiling.

Essential to the health and vitality of our environment, European Honey Bees are well-known by people throughout the nation. While European Honey Bees aren’t technically endangered, there are serious concerns about their population levels dropping over the past several decades.

Buzz Tech Professional Bee Removal

Buzz Tech Pest Control is your premier specialty company for pest removal and control services. With more than 30 years of industry experience working in and around bees, the experts at Buzz Tech Professional Bee Removal have extracted more than 5,000 hives.

Licensed and insured, Buzz Tech Pest Control promises service within 90 minutes. 24/7 emergency services are always available to help you overcome the pests that are bothering your home.

To learn more about having a bee infestation removed, contact Buzz Tech Pest Control today!