Earth bees: types, how to pick up honey, a bite, do you need to get rid of them?


Category: Advice for gardeners

When a large number of bees appear on the garden plot, summer residents begin to fight uninvited guests in various ways. As a rule, these insects do not attack people and pets for no apparent reason, however, it is not so easy to protect themselves from bites. They are especially dangerous for allergy sufferers.

You can remove honey bees from your backyard by contacting a specialist or on your own. First you need to determine the place of settlement of insects, and then, armed with knowledge, proceed to eliminate the source of danger at the site.

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  • We plant on the site plants that bees do not like
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About harm

It is unlikely that an acquaintance with earthen wild bees will end with something good for the owner of a suburban area. And this fact is explained by the behavior of insects. The inhabitants of underground tunnels differ from their honey relatives by their great aggressiveness. If a working bee bites a person only in the event of a real threat, then its close relative, a resident of the underground, can attack its victim for no reason.

In most cases, an earthen bee sting is accompanied by a strong allergic reaction, the consequence of which can be swelling and redness, bronchospasm and increased heart rate, as well as pain and convulsions.

Earthen inhabitants inflict no less harm on surrounding plants, nibbling their foliage. And the construction of labyrinths underground will not bring much benefit to young seedlings. Therefore, the desire of every gardener to get rid of earth bees on the site is quite understandable. There are many ways to kill stinging insects.


Earth bees

Reproduction

First, the earth bee digs a rounded small hole and forms a cell in it. The earth formed during the work is mixed with saliva. The mixture is stacked and tamped in a circle, then the liquid produced by the abdominal glands is applied on top. The surface, after complete hardening, acquires a waterproof characteristics.

It is worth noting that the method of breeding offspring in ground insects is different from that used by ordinary melliferous ones. They fill the dug depressions with nectar and lay eggs in them. The larvae hatch within two weeks. Individuals form new cells after the offspring grows up.

Boiling water application

One of the methods of struggle used is flooding the bee tunnels with boiling water. Usually, this process takes at least 15 liters of boiling water, although the volume of liquid can vary depending on the depth and duration of the strokes.

It is preferable to carry out this procedure in the evening, when all the inhabitants are in their shelters. The result of such manipulations in the daytime can be numerous bites of offenders.

Such actions will prevent underground inhabitants from escaping outside. However, when using this method of control, one should not exclude the likelihood of scalding the root system of plants.

Digging soil

This method of struggle is quite suitable if the tunnels of underground inhabitants are shallow. Evidence that the excavations are not fruitless is the finding of honey, which earth bees usually hide at the lowest point of their home. Getting to the underground inhabitants in deep labyrinths is almost impossible.

Also, when digging up the ground, there is a high probability of feeling the bite of a stinging insect, the consequences of which many people may not even suspect. And to prevent this from happening, it is imperative to use a protective suit and a mesh mask.

You should not try to simply cover the burrows of earth bees with sand or earth. This is not only useless, but also very dangerous, since the angry insects that have crawled to the surface will sting all the people they meet on the way.

Do they pose a danger to humans

An ordinary carpenter bee stings quite painfully, moreover, the toxin that has got into the blood is dangerous. The poison injected into the wound immediately provokes a large swelling, which hurts for a long time and severely. The active substance has a depressing effect on the central nervous system and often there is a nervous shock. If she stings in the throat, it is deadly.


Bee venom provokes large swelling

How much honey from one hive per season

When planning to start getting rid of these insects, you should know a few important facts about them:

  • Stinging is definitely dangerous, but only females sting. Males do not have the necessary organ for this. Representatives of this species mostly hide in the nest and do not go outside, therefore the chance of being stung is minimal. If this happens, you should immediately consult a doctor.
  • Wood bees, or carpenter wasps, as many of them are also called, are very dangerous for wooden buildings, because they violate the integrity of the structure of the array, gnawing entire mines inside. For several years, a structure with at least two nests can collapse.
  • Woodpeckers love to eat them. Therefore, when you see a busy bird, you need to scare away. The smell of carpenter bee larvae attracts them from several kilometers away. In an attempt to get a treat, the birds gouge even larger holes.
  • Blue-blue bees have good reproductive function. One mature female reproduces up to 6 larvae in 1 warm period.

For your information! These insects are listed in the Red Book, therefore it is forbidden to destroy them systematically, but tolerating dangerous neighbors is also not a worthy alternative.

The use of pesticides

To remove earth bees, many gardening enthusiasts use pesticides, since this method of dealing with underground inhabitants is recognized as the most effective. But before using the poison, gardeners with experience are advised to process the nests of earthen bees with a smoke spray. As a result, insects will become less active.

After that, you can use a toxic composition, which should be sprayed or even poured over the burrows of the stinging inhabitants of the dungeon. Subsequently, all the holes are covered with earth, which will prevent the exit of the surviving bees outside. Thanks to this method of control, almost one hundred percent death of insects is achieved.


Chemical preparations for earth bees

The following preparations can be used to kill wild bees:

  • Get is an insecticidal agent based on chlorpyrifos (5%). The contents of the package are enough to handle an area of ​​100 sq. m.
  • Delta Zone is an insect control drug, which, according to experts, is one of the most effective. The composition is odorless and has a high rate of destruction, the result of which can be observed the very next day after the treatment.
  • Dichlorvos is a universal remedy designed to combat various crawling and flying insects.

Before you start fighting earth bees.it is necessary to evacuate children and pets from the site. Since angry insects can take revenge for their concern to everyone who gets in their way.

If there are too many earth bees on the site, it is preferable to use the services of a specialist.

Extraction of honey

Andrena magna produces a dark yellow nectar that withstands its healing properties for a long time. The design of the dead-end holes, which bees constantly form, allows this product to be placed in them. It is perfectly preserved in natural containers due to the fact that females and males work tirelessly, strengthening the loose earth with their saliva.

The production of honey is no different from the well-known process. The bees living in the tunnels, like their tamed relatives, are very hardworking and perfectly pollinate flowers and plants. After collecting nectar, its natural fermentation takes place, then the product is laid in a honeycomb, waiting for its ripening time. Nectar cells do not always have an exact hexagonal shape, they take the shape of a circle, oval or square.

The honey of these bees is very similar to a familiar farm product, its careful extraction will not harm the individuals, for this they break the tunnels a little and take a small amount of nectar, leaving part of it to the inhabitants of the dungeons so that they do not die of hunger in the future and can restore their kind.

Prevention measures

The following recommendations will help to avoid attacks and spread of ground bees.

  1. For work in the garden, it is better to use the most closed clothing.
  2. Do not plant flowers in the garden with a strongly fragrant scent that will attract insects.
  3. Wild insects do not like the smell of lavender. Therefore, it is enough to plant such a plant on your site so that the bees do not choose it.

Ground bees are a species of wild bees that build nests in the ground. They need solitude and silence, preferring to settle in a remote forest area.

As a result of the deterioration of the ecological situation and urbanization, the population of these insects is rapidly declining, and they often build dwellings near people on the territory of summer cottages or household plots.

How to get rid of neighbor bees?

Most often, conscientious beekeepers, before setting up an apiary, discuss with neighbors those places where bees will not create a problem for others. If this does not happen, it is necessary, first of all, to try to resolve this issue with the owner of the apiary. If the problem cannot be resolved peacefully, and the bees pose a serious threat to the health of the residents of the site, it makes sense to contact the local authorities - the police station or the village council.

In order not to wonder how to poison or how to kill insects, the most reliable way to protect yourself from neighboring bees will be a solid high fence. A few meters of a solid fence will completely save the situation. Most bees on their way to honey plants will climb high enough to avoid hitting a fence and will not descend into the area.

Smoking bees with a smoke

On the site, you can plant flowers that are poisonous to these insects, for example, delphinium or aconite.

In addition, you can make sugar bee traps. You need to pour sugar syrup into a cut bottle or glass jar, which will attract bees. They will drown in the liquid and die. It is better to install traps around the perimeter of the site in order to reduce the number of flying insects.

It is better to notify the owner of the apiary about the installation of traps. Since this method leads to the death of bees, the beekeeper will most likely try to isolate the insects from the dangerous area.

Why are earth bees dangerous?

3 best ways to get bees off the site

How to Get Rid of Neighboring Ground Bees

Insects living in the neighborhood can also be a lot of trouble.

If for some reason the neighbors don't get rid of them, you can use a few tricks:

  1. Build a solid fence made of polycarbonate or corrugated board with a height of 2-3 m. Expensive, but effective method. The bees will have to climb high up, and they will fly over the site.
  2. Plant in several places plants that insects do not like: peppermint, wormwood, lavender, lemon balm.
  3. Treat the areas most liked by the swarm with a decoction of citrus fruits. To do this, you can pour boiling water over the skins of lemon or orange and boil.

Description

Bees are useful flying insects, which are represented by 21 thousand species. Bees can live alone or in a swarm. In the latter case, they can cause significant discomfort. In any case, you may need to scare these insects away from a person, from a picnic area or from an area. There are many different ways and means for this.
Bees are useful due to the wide use of their metabolic products (honey, wax, propolis, poison and pollen). Single insect bites do not cause serious problems, but multiple bites, in addition to itching, pain and redness, can cause allergic swelling and more serious consequences.

General information about insects

The common earth bee is a large and bright insect, its wings are purple or yellow-brown, the body itself is black, and the head and legs are bright red. The size of an average individual reaches 18 -20 mm.

For settlements, bees choose soil with a high sand content. Usually they are grouped into large families, the grown offspring settle nearby, so the area of ​​settlement is increasing all the time.


For settlements, bees choose soil with a high sand content.

The tunnels go deep into the ground, because these bees are excellent builders and hard workers. It is believed that such insects do not attack people and animals unless absolutely necessary, but there are periods when all insects, without exception, are particularly aggressive. And if you disturb them or destroy their homes, then nothing will protect them from attack.


The earth bee does not attack people and animals unless absolutely necessary.

Bee tunnels have oval rooms on the sides, which are used for breeding and for storing nectar. In these closed rooms, the resulting nectar does not leak out and is excellently preserved even for years. The walls of these rooms are waterproof, which requires the extremely painstaking work of insects.


Ground bee mink

Views

Scientists have studied the varieties of earth bees, identified several communities, the most famous are the following:

  • Andrena Clarkella looks like a small fluffy bumblebee with long red legs. Males of this breed do not have a bright color, they are thin, the body is elongated;
  • Andrena Magna: not a common subspecies, settles in the Black Sea region, outwardly, individuals are characterized by the presence of thick fur;
  • Halict sphecodes: a red-green bee with a touch of metal, a bit like a wasp, settles all over the world;
  • Long-wattled variety - the owner of a pronounced mustache on a relatively small head;
  • Sherstobit: a small bright representative of the genus, mainly living in the bark of shrubs and trees or in abandoned burrows, since she does not dig them herself;
  • Leaf cutter (megachil) got its name from the fact that it lines its nest with leaves, lives only two months, giving way to offspring;
  • Nomada (cuckoo) does not have the ability to equip its own nest, therefore, it lays its larvae in other people's nests;
  • Mellitida is characterized by a selective approach to plants, pollinates only legumes and Compositae crops;
  • Carpenter: The solitary subspecies has a bluish tinge and a loud buzz.

Adren bee

Listed representatives: this is only a small studied part of the range of arthropods that live in the dungeons.

Harm of earth bees in the garden

Often, unwelcome guests settle in inappropriate places in summer cottages and occupy a larger and larger area. In addition, they can bite the inhabitants of the site, they are especially dangerous for children and pets, as well as for people who are allergic to bee stings.

The venom secreted by insects when bitten is high in histamine and can lead to a severe allergic reaction. The bite is accompanied by redness and inflammation of the tissues, as well as slight swelling.


Edema resulting from an earthen bee sting

To alleviate the consequences, you need to immediately remove the sting, and treat the wound with alcohol or sweetened water. If the edema is pronounced, ice can be applied. To avoid an allergic reaction, you need to take an antihistamine. In addition, experts recommend drinking as much water as possible and in no case drinking alcohol, since it can enhance the effect of oxins.

Sometimes, when a bee stings, a person has to go to the hospital in order to avoid serious consequences.

These insects also cause great harm to plants in the garden, nibbling their foliage and thereby reducing, and sometimes completely destroying, the crop. Therefore, the desire to get rid of "uninvited neighbors" is quite understandable.


Bees spoil the grape harvest

Insect control methods

With these insects, you need to start fighting as soon as they were discovered. Of course, it is best to seek professional help. There are special firms that specialize in the fight against any pest.

But if for some reason you cannot turn to professionals, then you will have to solve this problem yourself. Before starting work, you need to familiarize yourself with some rules and be sure to protect yourself from all possible consequences.

Plant honey plants

The easiest way to please bees is to plant flowers that they like next to fruit and vegetable plants that need pollination. It is advisable to place flower beds with honey plants in sunny, open places. When heated in the sun, they will fill the garden with their aroma, inviting the bees "to the table."

Popular with florists perennials-melliferous plants relate:

Of annualsattracting bees, you can plant:

Herbs-honey plants:

  • basil,
  • catnip,
  • mint,
  • cucumber herb,
  • oregano,
  • rape,
  • rosemary,
  • salvia,
  • fennel,
  • sage.

Shrubs and treesthat bees like:

  • barberry,
  • lingonberry,
  • elder,
  • viburnum,
  • buckthorn,
  • hazel,
  • Linden,
  • raspberries,
  • sea ​​buckthorn,
  • rhododendron yellow,
  • Rowan,
  • black currant,
  • rose hips,
  • Apple tree,
  • all conifers.

Another good idea is to plant a Moorish lawn instead of the traditional grass lawn - a mixture of wild flowers that will decorate the site all summer and invite buzzing helpers to it.

Chemical methods

The most effective method of getting rid of earth bee colonies is fumigating them with a special smoker. In this case, 100% death of all pests is ensured.

It is necessary to purchase a special poisonous substance to destroy wild bees and not regret adding as much of this poison as possible, since an insufficient amount will not kill insects, but will make them aggressive, which will lead to an attack on people.

You can use the "Get" wild wasp killing agent. This poisonous substance contains 5% chlorpyrifos, which is enough to cultivate one hundred square meters of land.


"Get" - an effective remedy for wasps and hornets

So, instructions for working with a cigarette lighter and a chemical agent:

  • Dress in a protective suit, do not forget about the net and heavy gloves;
  • Use a smoker to fumigate the ground bee congestion. After that, the insects will become lethargic and inactive;
  • Now you need to carefully inject the chemical into the earthen holes - the nests. Do not be afraid to overdo it, the more poison, the more true the result;
  • When finished, close the passages to the underground hives tightly.

Dig up this piece of land in the morning and plant lavender or lemon balm on it. Insects, especially bees, do not like the smell of these plants, and they will fly around your area.

Fumigation

Before dealing with earth bees, the place of their settlement is treated with a sufficient amount of smoke. It acts in such a way that insects become sleepy, lethargic and cannot defend themselves. Then poison is gradually introduced. It is important to follow the directions in the instructions for use. An insufficient amount of a poisonous substance is not enough for young individuals, while after that they can behave very aggressively. For greater efficiency, you can slightly increase the amount of substance. Then the entrance to the tunnels is carefully covered with earth to prevent the crawling out of the surviving insects. It is worth remembering the place of the nest, as a new settlement may form next to it. Lavender will help not to remember this problem, if you plant several bushes in different parts of the site, the bees will bypass it.

Folk ways

The easiest old way to get rid of ground bees in your garden is to pour boiling water over them. Typically, a small bee colony requires 15 liters of boiling water. Keep in mind that cold water will not help here, after it the bees survive and become aggressive.

If the area occupied by insects is very large, then more water will be needed. You should NOT be greedy, the more water the better. Since it can be quite difficult to get rid of uninvited guests.

It is best to carry out this procedure in the evening at sunset, when all the insects return home. BUT you need to be very careful, because there is a possibility of spoiling the root system of plants standing nearby.

Some experts recommend digging up fresh settlements of wild bees, forcing them to change their place of residence. But keep in mind that the old settlements go very deep into the ground and therefore it is quite difficult to reach the bottom point of the tunnel. At the lowest point there are pantries with nectar, so if you find honey while digging, it means that you have completely destroyed the entire dwelling of wild bees. Having carefully dug up all the soil, you need to cover it with compost and constantly check, because the bees can return and form their colony in the neighborhood.

Important: you may not even notice the bite, but the consequences will not be long in coming. Therefore, protect yourself by wearing a tight suit and gloves. And keep in mind that it is impossible to get rid of these stinging insects simply by covering them with earth or sand. In this case, the insects become very aggressive and it will become much more difficult to erase them from the site.

Bee traps can be used. Place bottles of sugar syrup near the entrances. The bees crawling there will never be able to get out.

Safety and Prevention Measures

In order to protect yourself from the stings of earth bees, you need to get a protective suit. This includes beekeeping netting, thick, long gloves, a jacket and trousers made of thick material.

Remove children and pets from the site at the time of work. Experienced beekeepers say that it is best to fight insects in the spring months, immediately after the snow cover disappears and the soil dries out. At this time, the insects are still lethargic and it will be easier to get rid of them. The procedure is best done in the evening.

Important: just covering the colony of earth bees with sand or dense earth is clearly useless, and besides, it is dangerous. Insects will still find a way out, but in this case, you will be in trouble.Aggressive bees will attack everyone they meet.

For the purpose of prevention, in order to protect yourself from the invasion of an earth bee in the future, you can plant several lavender bushes at different ends of the site. These insects cannot stand its smell, and will bypass your site.

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