Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Orange Park Bee Removal: Superman Helps with Bees in a Wall!

Sometimes, even us at ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com need a little help from Superheroes. Here you can see Superman© is offering his expert supervisory guidance on this honey bee colony that decided to build a nest under a window in a boy's room, located in Orange Park, Florida.
SuperMan helps with Orange Park Bee Removal!

We see many honey bee infestations that get into walls, and almost always, it's because there are small openings around windows, utility penetrations (A/C,gas,water,electricity, etc.) that lead to an interior void. These voids provide a safe 'room' for bees to build their nest and is easily defended from other bees, parasites and vertebrate pests such as skunks, armadillos and teenage boys!

Go here to see more of our blog posts about bees in walls.

If you need an Orange Park Bee Removal or need stinging insects removed from anywhere in the State of Florida, Call us, toll-free at 1-800-343-5317.

Richard Martyniak, M.Sc., Entomologist
The Buzzkillers, LLC
ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Gainesville Bee Control: 40 feet up in a Tree!

Sometimes we are called to scenes that are almost out of a movie, where folks get stung so badly by bees, that it's by stroke of luck that they survive!
Gainesville Bees in Tree 40 Ft. high

The photo above illustrates one such event last summer in Gainesville, Florida. Tree surgeons were cutting down trees in a residential backyard and rope climbing in the trees when a honey bee colony located in the trunk of one tree was disturbed by the activity nearby. A climber was attacked by the honey bees, so badly that he couldn't yell down to his support crew, for all the attacking bees getting in his mouth, nose and ears.

Folks, It's important to respect honey bee colonies, whether they are African or European Honey Bees. Don't risk your life for a bee removal bill that's about the price of an emergency room visit, As if you self-remove, your life may be in jeapordy. Is it really worth the risk?

Call us at 1-800-343-5317 for expert bee removal services.

Richard Martyniak, M.Sc., Entomologist
The Buzzkillers, LLC
ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Ocala Bee Swarm in our Bee Yard

We still perform some Live Bee Removals, even though the State apiarist, Jerry Hayes, recommends eradication of feral bee colonies because of the large proportion of Africanized genetics in wild bee populations. Our protocol demands us to requeen these colonies, so that the genetics of the colony will be changed to European Honey Bees, resulting in much more gentle bees.

Africanized Honey bees are notoriously difficult to re-queen, and sometimes the colony will fly away as we are introducing a new queen. We call this behavior 'absconding', and it's a trait of AHB that is undesirable for beekeepers. The picture below is of an absconded colony, that left one of our bee yards located near Ocala, Florida.
Ocala honey bee swarm

Should you require honey bee swarm or nest removal, call us at 1-800-343-5317 for expert stinging insect removal services.

Richard Martyniak, M.Sc.,  Entomologist
The Buzzkillers, LLC
ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com

Friday, April 22, 2011

Windermere Bees in Attic!

If you've read our blog here at ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com, you know that we write about the behavioral differences seen between the more defensive Africanized Honey Bees (AHB), and the mostly gentle European Honey Bees (EHB). One more interesting difference we see is in nesting site selection. Most EHB prefer to nest in enclosed spaces or voids, that simulate their natural nesting sites, hollows of trees, with small openings. These protected voids make it much easier to pack away honey and pollen bee bread for the cold winters.

AHB will build ANYWHERE!!! and we've seen a much higher proportion of nests being built inside attics, and often in attics that are very large with much cubic volume. AHB readily build external nests, hanging off of trees and such, so an attic is not much different. Take a look at this Windermere Honey Bee nest that is built inside of an attic:
Windermere Bees in Attic

If you need Windermere bee removal or live anywhere else in Florida and need stinging insect removal, contact us for expert, licensed and insured removals. 1-800-3435317 or schedule an appointment online here.

Richard Martyniak, M.Sc., Entomologist
The Buzzkillers, LLC
ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Satellite Beach Bee Removal: "Custom" warning sign

For many folks who don't work with the 'testy' Africanized Honey Bees, (AHB), the defensiveness and resulting stings are quite a surprise. Once aggravated, AHB can maintain a defensive posture for days, harassing and stinging anything that moves within hundreds of feet. Because the liability to property owners or managers is significant, we always place warning signs, with the intent to inform the public and passer-bys of the sting dangers.

Once in a while, we see clients who place warning signs too. This is a rather cute and effective one. Note the word i had to blur.. I think you can figure out the meaning...if not the actual word  : )  You may need to click and zoom on it.

"Custom" Bee warning sign in Satellite Beach, FL.
Richard Martyniak, M.Sc., Entomologist
The Buzzkillers, LLC
ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Tarpon Springs Bee Removal - Bees in Electric Transmission Pole

Are you afraid of bees? What about heights? Well, imagine working mean Africanized Honey Bees that are almost a Hundred Feet up AND around high voltage wires!!!
Yes, we perform bee removals for most of the electric utilities in Florida, including Florida Power & Light, Progress Energy and others, often in dangerous locations. They trust us to provide professional & competent bee removal services and reduce the liability inherent with stinging insect removal.
You can trust us for your bee removal needs too. Contact us at 1-800-343-5317 or schedule an appointment here!

Want to see other jobs we perform for utilities around Florida? Click here!

Jonathan Simkins, B.Sc., Entomologist
Insect IQ
ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Sorrento Honey Bee infestation in Garage Wall

Many of the Honey Bee infestation calls we receive are for nests that are built in garage walls, much like the photo below.
Sorrento Bees in Garage Wall

Because insulation is rarely installed in these out-walls, there is ample space for bees and other critters to reside in, and if left alone, up to 200 POUNDS of honey, pollen, wax and bees can fill the wall void within a few months! Plus, we are seeing increased defensiveness associated with the Africanized Honey Bees that are expanding throughout Florida. Lake County has some particularly 'mean' bees.

Click here to see some more of our blog posts about bees in walls

If you have a Sorrento Bee Removal need, please, contact the stinging insect experts at 1-800-343-5317 or ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com for fast, expert bee removal services!

Richard Martyniak M.Sc., Entomologist
The Buzzkillers, LLC
ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Orlando Honey Bee Swarm Removal

Orlando Honey Bee Swarm
Our honey bee swarm season continues here in Orlando, and throughout Florida.

Honey bees live in a harmonious social structure that swells to maybe 50 THOUSAND adults during the spring blooming season. When colonies are bursting at the seam with such numbers, a swarm response occurs, where up to about half the colony's members will leave the nest in a coordinated issuance, flying around the nest area. The queen is coaxed to leave as well  and the whole group is herded by a dedicated corps of 'scouts', that guide them to a new location to build a new colony.

The sight of this swarming behaviour is frightening to many, but if one stays quiet and moves little, one can observe a wonder of the world, for it still entertains and sets this seasoned entomologist to wonder. Check out our some of our bee swarm pages and our honey bee swarm blog posts and pics here.

If you have a swarm of honey bees that just won't leave, contact us at our ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com website or call at 1-800-343-5317 for expert bee removal services.

Richard Martyniak, M.Sc., Entomologist
The Buzzkillers, LLC
ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Largo Bee Removal - Huge Yellow Jacket nest in Palm Tree

Yellow Jackets are social wasps that, here in Florida at least, can construct nests that span several feet. One such nest we were called to was located in the City of Largo, Fl,  in a palm tree about 25 feet up, and had been stinging folks that passed nearby. We perform many of these removals in palms; these dangerous wasps can excavate the soft, pithy material just below the leaf stalks, and eventually build huge nests like you see below:
Largo Yellow Jacket nest in Palm

If performed incorrectly, this nest has the potential to cause severe injury or death. Contact us for fast, proper removal of Largo Yellow Jacket nests in trees, or anywhere else for that matter. Visit our website to submit an appointment form or call us at 1-800-343-5317.

Jonathan Simkins, B.Sc. Stinging Insect Entomologist
Insect IQ
ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Pinellas Park Bee Removal - BIG External nest!

As we've been performing bee removals for over 15 years, we've seen lots of changes in honey bee behavior as the feral populations have shifted from mostly gentle European Honey Bees to often very defensive African subspecies of honey bees. Many call these Killer Bees, as they can certainly defend their colony with deadly force.
Entomologist Jonathan Simkins & Pinellas Park Bees

This is a photo of a honey bee nest and myself, posing for the camera! You may noticed that the bees are not attacking me in this picture, and many will assume that this means the colony is not an African or Killer Bee colony. In reality, these bees turned out to be extremely defensive, nearly covering my veil as I was working them, just showing how bees can seem to be gentle, and with what seems to be a small amount of provocation, they can turn mean as fire.

Please, do not attempt removals of bee nests such as this. We are Stinging Insect Entomologists, Certified Pest Control operators and Florida Registered Beekeepers. We take the stings so you don't have to! Call us at 1-800-343-5317 or schedule an appointment at our website,  ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com

Jonathan Simkins, B.Sc., Entomologist
Insect IQ
ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com

Monday, April 11, 2011

Winter Haven Bee Removal -Closeup of External Nest

We perform bee removals for many city, county and other Governmental entities throughout the State of Florida, & they can depend on our Stinging Insect Entomologists to design removal protocols that protect their residents, pets and livestock.

Winter Haven Bees on Comb
Here is a close-up photo of an external honey bee colony that we removed for the city of Winter Haven earlier this month. Sometimes, we just have to stop and admire the beauty of these interesting social insects.

You can see many female workers on the comb, which contains plenty of nectar, which is undergoing transformation into honey.

Should you encounter an external honey bee nest in a tree or anywhere.. please, do not attempt removal yourself. Schedule an appointment with the Stinging Insect Experts at ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com or 1-800-343-5317 for expert Winter Haven Bee Removal, or any bee removal in the state of Florida.

Richard Martyniak, M.Sc., Stinging Insect Entomologist
The Buzzkillers, LLC
ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Oldsmar Bee Removal from Children's Playhouse

And yet another Africanized Honey Bee (AHB or Killer Bee) trait that we are documenting here in Florida, is the high number of AHB colonies that are built in or close to the ground. One of the most common locations near ground, is under the floor boards of children's playsets. Here's a pic of a typical Killer Bee infestation site from Oldsmar, Florida.
Olsdmar bee removal in Playhouse

These nesting locations are particularly worrisome, as these bee colonies can be extremely defensive, increasing the sting risk for humans and pets that are nearby and of course, the humans that use these play sets are usually children, who cannot tolerate many stings from bees or other stinging insects.
Oldsmar bee removal bee nest CU

Here is a photo closeup of the nest itself. Note that this race of the Honey Bee can build nest material in very small spaces. They readily defend the nest, often with thousands of bees, and can overwhelm a child in moments.

Please... do not attempt control of these Africanized Honey Bees, as you can elevate the sting risk, and cause other issues as well. Call us at 1-800-343-5317 for expert, licensed and insured Oldsmar bee removals (And throughout the state of Florida as well).

Jonathan Simkins, B.Sc., Entomologist
Insect IQ
ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Pinellas County Bees in Bird Nest Box

One of the interesting African Honey Bee (AHB or "Killer Bee") behaviours we have been documenting, is their preference for voids that are smaller than what European Honey Bees (EHB) would choose to build nests in.

This photo shows honey bees, which are likely AHB, nesting inside a bird nest box.
Bees bearding on a Pinellas bird nesting box

Please, do not attempt to remove colonies of Honey Bees that are found in bird or wildlife nesting boxes. Give us a call at 1-800-343-5317 for professional, licensed and fast removals.

Jonathan Simkins, B.Sc., Entomologist
Insect IQ
ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com

Friday, April 8, 2011

Jacksonville Bee Swarm moves into a wall

Springtime means Bee swarm season, and what you see in the picture below, is a Jacksonville honey bee swarm that has decided to move through a wall and under a tub surround.
Jacksonville Swarm in house wall

This is a very common occurrence, and it sure helps to call us very soon, as if you leave the bee colony do it's thing, you could have hundreds of pounds of honey, bees, wax and pollen, that becomes a BIG problem.

Jacksonville Bee Swarm Removed
This pic shows how we cut through the wall, and into the void under the tub, where we removed the swarm and applied a residual insecticide that will thwart future bee swarms. It's an easy fix for the homeowner, to install an access panel that will allow inspections and access for things like plumbing fixtures under the tub. Notice how clean our cuts are and how we remove all bees, so the sting risk is minimized.

We are also licensed by the State of Florida as Certified Pest Control Operators, meaning we can legally remove pest honey bees from and around your structure. You will find folks that claim to be beekeepers, and are performing this work. Our advice is to run quickly from these folks, as you are afforded no protections should something go wrong. And with insects that can sting, causing injuries and/or death, don't you think it's wise to choose licensed, insured stinging insect experts? That's what I thought..  :-)

Call us at 1-800-343-5317 if you have a Jacksonville Bee swarm in or around your house!

Richard Martyniak, M.Sc., Entomologist
The Buzzkillers, LLC
ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Merritt Island Bee Removal from house attic

Honey Bees often will build nests within homes and other structures, and this is a prime example. These bees built their wax nest above the master bedroom ceiling in an attic void.
Merritt Island Honey Bees in Attic Void

Here is the important thing to consider... This is the 4th Bee infestation found here in 3 years!!  Yep, the client had pest control companies treat repeatedly, without ever removing the nest or sealing up the entries in a proper fashion. The client suffered the typical problems after these 'drive-by' treatments.. maggots falling from the attic into bedrooms, rotting, fermenting honey smell and more.  This is exactly why we exist.. to properly handle infestations such as these, so that you never have problems again.

Also, we are seeing many Killer Bees in Merritt Island now. (Let's call them Africanized Honey Bees, or AHB). It's important to consider these AHB as potentially lethal, and one should only consider removal experts that are licensed by the state for pest control.. Beekeepers are not to be considered for structural bee removal in Florida, as most wild bees are AHB now. 

Call us at 1-800-343-5317 -OR- go here for  proper Merritt Island bee removal from your Stinging Insect Experts !

Richard Martyniak, M.Sc., Entomologist
The Buzzkillers, LLC
ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com

Saturday, April 2, 2011

St. Petersburg Bee Removal - Bees Clustering on sign

This is something that we see, or hope to see after we finish a job. We performed a bee removal from a water meter for the city of St. Petersburg, Fla. Africanized Honey Bees, aka Killer Bees or AHB, prefer to nest in or near the ground, and water meters are a very popular spot for them.
Saint Petersburg, Fl., Bee Removal from a water meter

After we perform the removals, we place a warning sign, and the bees clustered on the sign! Bees will cluster when their colony is disturbed, at least that's what 'normal' bees will do. They are simply regrouping and figuring out what to do next.

But here's the kicker: We are finding that many killer bees (AHB) will not cluster, instead, remaining aloft in a disturbed, defensive position. This makes our job of protecting the public and pets much more difficult, and YOUR choice of a suitable bee removal firm that much more important!

For St. Petersburg Killer Bee Removal, call us at 1-800-343-5317, or visit our website: ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com

Jonathan Simkins, B.Sc., Entomologist
Insect IQ
ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com

Friday, April 1, 2011

Starke Bee Removal from FP&L Electric Pole

We perform bee removals for most of the Electric & Water Utilities in the State of Florida. They understand the importance associated with doing this work correctly, after all, improper treatments by less experienced operators can cause bee colonies to become quite defensive, and 80 feet above the ground is no place to be attacked by Bees!
FP&L bee removal site, Starke, Fla.

This is a photo from a job we did for Florida Power &Light yesterday, during the epic storms that ravaged Florida. A lift truck was used to raise us to the tippy-top of the pole, where a colony of bees was inhabiting a Wood Pecker nesting hole. This is an increasing problem for utilities, as Africanized (Killer) Bees readily build colonies in these voids.

Call us at 1-800-343-5317 for your Honey Bee Removal jobs. After all, if Electric Utilities depend on us for proper bee removals, so can you!

Richard Martyniak, M.Sc., Entomologist
The Buzzkillers, LLC
ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com