Get Honey Bee Control Near You

Yes, but only the worker bees can sting you. Male honey bees, called drones, do not have stingers, so they cannot sting. Honey bees are not naturally aggressive and will usually only sting in defense of themselves or their hive when they feel threatened.

Honey bees are facing a lot of problems, such as losing their homes, being exposed to pesticides, getting sick from parasites and diseases, and dealing with climate change. Some groups of honey bees are decreasing in numbers, especially in certain places, but they’re not considered endangered right now. However, because honey bees are super important for pollinating crops and plants, their decline is concerning. People are working on ways to protect honey bees, like being careful with pesticides and using sustainable beekeeping methods.

If you see a honey bee nest on your property, the best thing to do is to call a beekeeper to help you relocate the hive. Don’t try to do so yourself, as bees become defensive, and you could be stung.

If you find yourself with a yellow-striped flying insect and you’re not sure what it is, call Fox Pest Control. We’ll identify the pest, and if it’s something we treat, we’ll take care of you. If it’s honey bees that you are dealing with, we’ll refer you to a local honey bee removal expert who follows state regulations.

Currently, none of our branches treat honey bees or remove their nests. Since they are a protected species in many states across the country, we rely on honeybee removal experts in many cases. If you’re not sure if you have honey bees or another type of stinging insect, call Fox Pest Control and we’ll come out and identify the pest.

Honey bees are generally not aggressive unless they feel threatened, or their hive is disturbed. Because honey bees will die if they sting, they will usually only sting if they perceive a threat to themselves or their colony. Honey bees typically focus on foraging for food and caring for their young rather than seeking out conflicts with humans or other animals.

Honey bees have a unique defense mechanism: a barbed stinger connected to their abdomen. When a honey bee stings, it releases venom through this stinger. However, unlike other stinging insects such as wasps or hornets, the honey bee’s stinger becomes lodged in the victim’s skin, tearing away from the bee’s body as it tries to fly off. Unfortunately, this results in the bee’s death shortly afterward. Because of this, honey bees typically only sting when they perceive a significant threat to themselves or their colony, as it ultimately results in the loss of their own life.

Honey bees can fly around 15 miles per hour (24 kilometers per hour), and its wings beat 230 times every second! However, their flight speed can vary depending on weather conditions, wind speed, and the individual bee’s energy level. They fly much faster if they don’t carry nectar, pollen, or water.

Honey bee eggs hatch within three days, developing into larvae, then pupae. Queens reach adulthood fastest, maturing fully in just 16 days, followed by workers in 21 days, and drones taking the longest at 24 days.

• Worker bees typically live for about two to four weeks in the summer, but those born late and overwinter as part of the hive can live for up to 11 months, known as diutinus or “long-lasting” bees.
• Drones live for four to eight weeks in the summer, dying shortly after mating, and are not kept in the hive during winter.
• Queens have the longest lifespan, usually living for two to three years, with some living up to five years.

As the weather gets colder, all the bees in the hive gather together and vibrate their abdomens to make warmth. A few bees will die, even in a strong hive, but native bees are well-equipped to survive the winter.