2. BEES
(Order: Hymenoptera; Family: Apidae)
[Illustration: (unlabelled)]
Identification. Two families of bees are commonly associated with human
envenomization: Apidae (honey bees and bumble bees) and Halictidae
(sweat bees). Only the honey bees and bumble bees are considered
dangerous. Both are robust hairy insects with two pairs of membranous
wings which they hold at an angular position over the body when at rest.
Microscopic examination shows that bee thoracic hairs are individually
“feathered.” In contrast, wasp thoracic hairs are smooth.
Distribution. Dangerous species of bees are distributed throughout the
United States.
Biology/Behavior. 1. Honey Bees. Since these insects are not native to
this continent, north of Mexico, all original honey bee colonies in the
United States were imported. _Apis mellifera_, the cosmopolitan bee of
commerce, is responsible for most bee stings and many deaths.[10] This
species is separated into several races, with the gold Italian and the
black or gray Caucasian races making up the majority of the bees found
in this country.[5] The aggressive Brazilian (hybrid African) bee is
currently restricted to the South American continent. Honey bees are
highly social insects. Their colony consists of an egg-laying queen,
drones to fertilize the queen, and workers to gather food and care for
the young. Honey bees can release “alarm odors” associated with the
sting gland, which cause other bees in the vicinity of an odor-marked
victim to attack and inflict multiple stings. Unlike other hymenopterous
insects, the honey bee worker has a barbed stinger and can sting only
once; to escape, the bee must leave its entire stinging apparatus
attached to the skin of its victim. As important pollinators of crops,
honey bees are very beneficial to man.
2. Bumble Bees. The bumble bees are considered to be the most primitive
of the social bees. Their colonies lack much of the structure and highly
evolved behavior of the honey bees; however, like the honey bees, the
bumble bees are diurnal plant feeders and important pollinators of
crops. A typical colony consists of at least one queen, several males,
and numerous workers. Only young fertilized queens survive the winter to
establish new colonies the next spring. The nests are normally located
deep in undisturbed ground, like fence rows, and are supplied with a
mixture of pollen and honey. During late summer, a colony usually
contains between 100 and 500 bees. Although bumble bees are 2 to 3 times
larger than honey bees, they are neither as aggressive nor as abundant
as the honey bees, and therefore not as dangerous.
Avoidance/Control. The best way to avoid Hymenoptera stings is to
prevent human contact with these insects. This is especially important
for persons hypersensitive to bee venom. Some preventive steps are:
1 Avoid outdoor activities in unfamiliar areas where stinging insects
are known to occur.
2 When outdoors, don’t use floral-scented cosmetic products or leave
sweet beverages or foods exposed in areas where they might attract
bees.