Bees

Identification

Bees are a common insect in Madison Wisconsin, and they play a vital role in our ecosystems and agriculture. They are partially responsible for pollinating about one-third of the food we eat, as well as producing honey and other products. There are more than 20,000 species of bees in the world, but they all share some common characteristics and behaviors. 

Bees belong to the order Hymenoptera, which includes other insects such as wasps, ants, and sawflies. Bees have three main body parts: head, thorax, and abdomen and are often identified by their fuzzy appearance and yellow, red and black coloring. They have two compound eyes, three simple eyes, two antennae, and a mouthpart called a proboscis that they use to suck nectar or water. They have four wings that are attached to their thorax, and six legs that have claws and pollen baskets. They also have a stinger at the end of their abdomen, which they use for defense. Unlike most wasps, bees can typically only sting once.

Lifecycle

Bees have a complete metamorphosis that consists of four stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. The queen bee lays eggs in the cells of the honeycomb, and each egg hatches into a larva after three days. The larva is fed by the worker bees with royal jelly, pollen, or honey, depending on its destined role. After about six days, the larva spins a cocoon and becomes a pupa. The pupa undergoes several changes and emerges as an adult bee after about 12 days for workers, 16 days for queens, and 24 days for drones.

Conditions Conducive to Survival

Bees need three main things to survive: food, water, and shelter. Bees feed on nectar and pollen from flowers, which provide them with carbohydrates and proteins. Bees also collect water from dew drops or puddles, which they use to cool their hive and dilute their honey. Bees live in colonies that can range from a few hundred to tens of thousands of individuals. They build their nests in natural or artificial cavities, such as hollow trees, rock crevices, or bee boxes. They construct their nests with wax that they secrete from glands in their abdomen.

Fun Facts

• Bees can see ultraviolet light, which helps them to locate flowers that have patterns or colors that are invisible to humans.
• Bees can sense the Earth’s magnetic field, which helps them to navigate and orient themselves.
• Bees can learn to recognize human faces by using the same mechanism that they use to identify different types of flowers.
• Bees can produce different types of honey depending on the floral source of the nectar. For example, clover honey is light and mild, while buckwheat honey is dark and strong.

At Kwik Kill Pest Control, we don’t typically want to eliminate bees because they are important pollinators. However, if you are allergic or bees are causing property damage, then give us a call to discuss potential options.  If there are honeybees on your property, we will not treat them and recommend you go to a local beekeeper for relocation. 

Kwik Kill Services to control “Bees”: 

• Many types of wasps such as yellow jackets, or Umbrella wasps can easily be mistaken for a type of Bee.  Please call our office for more information and a referral to a local beekeeper if Bees are indeed the insect in concern. 
• Wasp Elimination

Additional Information:

https://wisconsinbumblebees.entomology.wisc.edu/about-bumble-bees/general-info/
https://entomology.ca.uky.edu/ef611