Bees are an essential part of any ecosystem they inhabit because they help with the pollination of plants. In this article, we’re going to cover everything you need to know about these insects and how to safely interact with them if they are somewhere in your environment.

Why bees pose a threat

Bee stings can be painful, and they can be very dangerous to individuals who are allergic to bee venom, but a single bee can only sting once, so most stings are uncomfortable, but ultimately harmless. However, when a bee hive is threatened, then the bees will swarm and a very large amount of venom will be injected into the intruder. Bee stings can also be dangerous if they happen in the neck area, which will cause edema, filling the neck tissues with fluid and making it difficult or impossible to breathe. Another issue may come up if you are stung while operating a vehicle or some form or machinery or tool, and the sting startles you.

Precautions to take against bees

The best way to avoid getting stung is to be aware of your surroundings and avoid any bees or hives that you may notice. To start, do not go into areas that are known to have a lot of bees. These areas usually have a lot of flowers during spring, where the bees will be collecting nectar and helping with pollination.

If you do have to go into one of these areas, make sure that you either wear or have on you some long sleeve shirts, long pants, and closed-toed shoes. So for example, if you are going camping during the spring, you want to have these clothes in your backpack even if it’s too hot outside to wear them. If you did not take these precautions, and you suddenly find yourself in an area that has bees in it, you can avoid getting stung by making sure not to startle or swat at the bees. Most bees will only sting in self-defense, or in defense of their nests.

What to do if there is a nest near your home

Bees may set up a nest in your backyard, and in these situations, you will need the help of a pro to safely get rid of it. Contact us today if you have such a nest on your property, or if you have any questions about the bee control process.

As if having to live through one of the most devastating hurricanes we’ve seen hit the United States wasn’t bad enough, the residents of Louisiana also had to deal with some uninvited guests that hitched a ride on the storm. We are still dealing with the massive damage that this city-destroyer caused, but what many people don’t know is that it didn’t just destroy the land and homes that it hit, but that Hurricane Katrina also brought insects pests with her to invade Louisiana in the aftermath. This wasn’t just some extra mosquitos either. One insect that is universally feared and terrifies any and all that it comes in contact with is the killer bee, also known as the Africanized honey bee. This was the gift this particular storm brought along with her. I think this is one present the residents of this state would rather return.

It was as they were recovering from the hurricane that residents of the flood-damaged New Orleans discovered they had yet another problem they were going to have to deal with. As people were going around and fixing all of the damage the hurricane caused, they began to find swarms of killer bees inhabiting the vacant buildings and other areas. One storm-wrecked home that was confirmed to be infested with killer bees was surrounded by traps set by agriculturalists in a half-mile radius. Initially, the bees drove away the contractors that had been hired to tear the house down, but then they also scared off the beekeepers that were called in to take care of them. In the end, only the brave mosquito workers were able to kill the bees, which were then confirmed by the state agricultural department to be hybrids that did, indeed, carry the strain of the aggressive Africanized honey bees. Officials believed that the bees they found were likely descendants of killer bees that had stolen a ride on a ship that came to New Orleans.

Africanized honey bees are the unwanted lovechild that resulted from an experiment in Brazil to increase their production of honey. One swarm of these much more aggressive, hybrid bees managed to escape the lab the experiment was taking place in in 1957 and, of course, headed north in our direction. Unfortunately, as these bees mated with other native bees, the increased aggression from the African parent’s strain did not decrease, and the offspring born with this strain (even ones far removed from the original hybrids) are just as aggressive as the originals. And so, many more descendants, all born with this increased aggression, have proliferated and spread to inspire terror in all who come in contact with them. Talk about a science experiment gone south…or, rather, north!

Have you ever seen Africanized honey bees? How much do you think natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina contribute to their spread?

Most people consider the widespread use of illicit drugs to be a pervasive social problem, and sadly, it’s a problem that seems to be getting worse by the day. For the past few years in the United States, the overdose rate from opioid drugs has skyrocketed, and this disturbing trend is being exacerbated by the availability of new forms of unregulated opioid substances. Although opioids dominate contemporary drug control discussions, there is another, albeit lesser known form of drug abuse that is ripping one particular family apart. This particular drug is, of course, bee venom. Well, perhaps this particular form of drug abuse is not considered a public health threat, but one woman, Margaret, from Morningview, Kentucky has been stinging herself with honey bees for a decade now, and needless to say, this bizarre and dangerous habit is of serious concern to her family. To add another strange aspect to Margaret’s unique addiction, the bee stings have an aphrodisiac effect that makes the addiction even more difficult to kick.

Ten years ago, Margaret began stinging herself with honey bees in order to relieve her arthritis. According to Margaret, her first bee sting was not painful to her, and she noticed that the venom seemed to relieve her arthritis. Over the years, Margaret’s addiction intensified, and now she stings herself with live bees about 100 times per week. Margaret is able to sustain her addiction by raising bees in hives within her backyard. When Margaret needs a fix, she snatches a bee with tweezers, and sticks the insect’s stinger directly into her skin. Margaret’s husband, JD, is understandably worried about the effect that the repeated bee stings may be having on his wife’s health, but Margaret claims that she has developed an immunity to the pain caused by the venom. However, Margaret’s doctor has warned her about the distinct possibility of developing a dangerous or even fatal allergy to the venom as a result of sustaining numerous stings on a regular basis. Due to the guilt Margaret feels toward the bees that she kills by forcing them to sting her, she has cut back to ten stings a day as opposed to her usual fifteen.

Do you think that sustaining several bee stings daily for years could result in the development of unique medical conditions?