Here’s what you need to know to protect yourself from their sting

Sally Scalera
| For FLORIDA TODAY

In 2005, Africanized bees (AHB) were discovered in 13 Florida counties in central and southern Florida. By 2006, they had moved to three other counties, and in 2007, they were found in eight more counties, one of which was Brevard County.

Read on to learn about AHB to protect you, your family and your pets. of company. The following includes information that I was taught, but recently, I discovered that some of it needs to be changed.

Last summer, while working in the backyard, I noticed a lot of bugs flying around my potting table. I went in to get my bug net and went back to identify them. As I got closer, I heard buzzing and saw the swarm of bees on the container that held my bag of potting mix. I was taught that because swarming bees don’t have brood or honeycomb, they won’t be defensive. So, I used the hose to spray them with water to get them going. While I was standing there watching them, a bee came up and stung me on the arm, so at that point, I decided to get out of there!

After I got stung, I went to see if my neighbor, Hal, was home because he is a member of the Brevard Backyard Beekeepers. When I told him about the swarm I had just discovered, he said that when a swarm arrives, scout bees are sent out to find a good location for the new hive. They will usually move on within a few days once they find a new home, so all I had to do was stay away from the swarm until they moved on.

A few months ago, a resident called because he suffered 18 stings while working in his yard and said they came out of the ground. I asked if they looked like bees and he said they did. I told him that they were exhibiting Africanized bee behavior and that he would have to check Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services website to find someone to come and remove the bees!

Recently there was a story on TV about a Brevard man (who was allergic to bees) working on trees in Citrus County. He was 30 feet up a tree when a swarm of bees attacked him. He was stabbed over 100 times and fell to the ground. Amazingly, he didn’t suffer any broken bones or other injuries from the fall and was treated for the sting at a local hospital. These bees also exhibited the behavior of Africanized bees.

Here’s what you need to know about bees

Here are some important facts about Africanized honey bees (AHB) and European honey bees (EHB) that you should be aware of.

* AHB are the same species as EHB.

* AHB and EHB can only sting once.

* It is impossible to tell the difference between AHB and EHB just by looking at them.

* AHBs build their nests in more places than EHBs, such as meters and irrigation boxes in the ground, abandoned tires, on the side of a house, up a tree, under a palm leaf, etc.

* AHB can quickly produce dangerously high numbers of bees and remain agitated for up to 24 hours.

* AHB, when disturbed, will fly 10 times farther (up to 300 meters) than EHB.

* AHB, once agitated, will continue to attack anything that moves (eg people, dogs, horses, etc.)

* Powerful equipment such as lawnmowers, chainsaws, weed eaters and tractors can disturb an AHB colony, even if the equipment is 30 meters away!

* When bees swarm, they have a queen to protect.

When are bees harmless? When foraging, worker bees visit flowers for nectar and pollen for the hive.

“Bee” looking for warning signs

Here are some things to watch out for.

If you see bees flying in and out of any object, this indicates that there is an active hive there.
If a bee hits you, turn and go! The bee warns you that if you approach, it will sting you because their hive is nearby.
Any debris that contains a usable void, such as tires, grills, etc., could become a home for an AHB hive, so remove the tires, etc. and cover the grill.
Bees walking in the ground! This behavior is typical for AHB.
Give a new swarm of bees time to find a home and move on.

What to do if a hive has been disturbed:

First choice: Go inside a building or vehicle.
Second choice: Run as fast as you can for as long as you can. If the bees still attack, keep running or walking until you leave them behind!
Do not jump into a pool (or any body of water) as they will be waiting for you to surface.
When escaping a bee attack, cover your mouth and nose as the AHB will try to attack your airways.
Bring all the kids, pets, etc. inside.
If you will be working outdoors, especially in a field or on the side of the road away from a building or vehicle, have a cell phone that gets coverage where you work!

For additional information on both types of bees, check out these websites: entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/misc/BEES/euro_honey_bee.htm and sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/natural-resources/africanized-honey-bees/.

Eliminating bee nesting sites around your home and landscape, plus knowing what to do (and not do) during a bee attack, is helpful information for everyone.

The good news is that since Africanized bees have been in Florida since 2005, we have not had a serious problem with their presence, not even with the two recent incidents. So, be careful when you’re out in your yard, and remember that if a swarm of bees appears in your yard, keep an eye on them, but don’t disturb them. They will usually move within hours or days. If the swarm is still in the yard after a week and you don’t know anyone who knows how to work bees, check out the FDACS website I mentioned earlier.

Sally Scalera is the Urban Horticulture Agent and Master Gardener Coordinator for the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences..