Honey Bee

Apis mellifera

Honey bee

Africanized honey bees look identical to European honey bees (Jeffrey W. Lotz, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Bugwood.org)

Bee suit

Protective bee suit (Timothy Haley, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org)

Swarm

Honey bee swarm (Fir0002/Flagstaffotos, Wikimedia Commons)

Identification

  • 1/2 - 5/8 inch long
  • yellow and black; hairy

Nesting Habits

  • social
  • colony perennial, surviving the winter
  • occasionally swarm

Diet

  • pollen, nectar, honey

Significance

  • nests and individual bees pose a health risk to humans, especially allergic individuals
  • swarms can alarm people, but typically aren’t dangerous
  • Africanized honey bees do exist in Washington, Iron and San Juan counties in Utah, and are more dangerous than European honey bees
  • genetic tests or precise morphological measurements are needed to distinguish between Africanized and European honey bees

IPM Recommendations

  • Monitor for bees season-long.
  • Purchase and use a bee veil, suit and gloves.
  • Minimize nesting habitat around property.
  • Install tight-fitting screens in windows.
  • Never plug entrance holes to nests!
  • Bees are a valuable resource; consider contacting your local beekeepers' association for hive or swarm extraction.

Additional Resources

Bee Removal in Utah

Utah Beekeepers' Association

IPM for Stinging Bees and Wasps: Integrated Pest Management in Sensitive Environments (University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension)