Honey Bee
Apis mellifera
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.