Bee Basics

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When bees take up residence around your home, it can be a disconcerting experience.  After all, bees can be a nuisance in the wrong location. Also, they can be invasive and even aggressive.

The ecosystem

At the same time, bees provide a critical function for the ecosystem. Without pollination, many living species on the Earth will quickly die off permanently. So, we have to be gentle with these miracle workers without allowing them to infest your home structures. While we may love seeing them in our gardens and flowers, having a hive can be troublesome.

An added complication

Bees are on a sharp decline as the result of pesticide use, agricultural practices, global warming, and loss of habitat.

When they take up residence in a less-than-ideal location, our policy is not to eradicate bees. We will remove the hive from your home and relocate the bees. Then we patch and retexture, but leave the painting up to the homeowner.  We owe it to the environment not to kill the bees, as they are the predecessors of the bees which will protect the ecosystem for all of our children and children's children. Here are some fun activities to help your kids learn about bees.

How to identify bees

Each type of bee has their own role and means of pollinating, habitat and other behaviors which are often unique to the kind of bee. But, they can be hard to tell apart without training. But, here are a few of the different types of bees:

Honeybees

Honeybees not only pollinate flowers but also create honey. They also play a crucial role in Florida’s fruit crops, including raspberries, blueberries, cantaloupe and more.

Carpenter bees

Carpenter bees are destructive as they eat the wood structures of your home. They usually chew round tunnels into wood such as your eaves, porch frame, etc. It can look like someone used a drill to bore these tunnels!

Leafcutter bees

If you’ve found round chunks cut out of your prized rose leaves, you’ve been visited by a leafcutter bee. These bees rarely sting but use the leave bits to seal their eggs in nesting holes.

How to tell the difference between bees, flies, and wasps

Bees, wasps, and flies may all make regular visits to your garden. Since there are so many different types of each insect, it’s easy to become confused as to their identity. But, if you want a rule of thumb to identify them, remember that bees have four wings, flies have two wings, and wasps have a skinny wasp waist. Or, you can call a professional to identify them.

Professional pest control involves a variety of control mechanisms. This variety is designed to not only to keep your family safe and free from unhealthy pests but also to be ecologically responsible for protecting our world. We take our job seriously, because we have children, too!

Kinder Safe Pest Solutions offers 17 years of experience in commercial and residential pest control serving Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, Hillsborough, and Pinellas Counties. Call (941)254-2180 today!