Bees

Bumble Bees

Bumble bees are members of the bee genus Bombus, of which there are over 250 known species, primarily occurring in the Northern Hemisphere.

Bumblebees are social insects, characterized by black and yellow body hairs, often found in bands or stripes. Unlike their cousin, the Honey Bee, they have soft hair, called pile, covering their entire body, making them appear and feel fuzzy. Like Honey Bees, they feed on nectar and gather pollen to feed their young.

Nests

Bumblebees form colonies, often holding fewer than 50 individuals. Usually these are found in tunnels in the ground made by other animals, or in long grass. Bumblebees do not often preserve their nests through the winter. The last generation of summer includes a number of queens who overwinter separately in protected spots.

Endangered status

Bumblebees are endangered due to the destruction of their habitat and the increased use of pesticides, which can be harmful to them. Due to the fact that these insects are in danger, we will not treat them as a pest.

Honey Bees

Honey bees can be distinguished from other types of bees primarily due to the fact that they can produce and store honey, and construct their nests, or colonies, out of wax.  

Nests

Honey Bee colonies generally contain one fertile female, the Queen Bee, a few thousand fertile male bees, called drones, and a few thousand infertile female bees, called worker bees. Single eggs are laid in a wax cell, called a honeycomb, which are produced by the worker bees. Most honey bee larvae will be fed on royal jelly, produced by the worker bees, before moving on to a diet of pollen and nectar. Future queen bees, however, are fed purely on royal jelly.

Colonies are formed by swarms, which consist of a queen bee and a large group of worker bees. The queen bee will already have mated before swarming to a nest site that has been found by groups of "scout" worker bees beforehand.

Bee Stings

Bumblebees

Bumblebees can sting, but unlike Honey Bees, their sting is not barbed, so they are able to sting more than once. Bumblebees are not aggressive, but may sting in defence of their nest, or if they are harmed or threatened.

Honey Bees

Worker bees will sting intruders as a form of defense, and the sting of one bee can release a pheromone that stimulates the attack response in other bees. Honey bees are distinguished from all other bee species because their stings are barbed, which means the worker bee dies after the sting is torn out of its body.

What to do if you are stung

Bee stings can be painful, but are usually harmless. If stung for the first time, the sting can be especially painful, and there may be some accompanying localised swelling. Some people are allergic to bee stings, and in very rare cases, people can go into anaphylactic shock. A more common allergic reaction is a larger area of swelling around the site of the sting. This should go down within a few days.

If you experience any of the following symptoms immediately after being stung, you should seek medical help immediately:

• swelling or itching anywhere else on your body;
• wheezing;
• a headache;
• nausea;
• a fast heart rate;
• dizziness or feeling faint;
• difficulty swallowing;
• a swollen face or mouth.

Pest Control

Both honey bees and bumblebees are excellent pollinators, and as such should be encouraged to live in gardens and masonry. We do not offer a service to treat bees. If you notice a swarm of honey bees and are concerned, please contact an apiarist (look in your local directory for contact details), who should be able to offer help and advice.