Busting Bee Myths in Marion Oaks, FL; Not All Bees Sting, Produce Honey, Live in a Hive & More

If you search through mythology you will come across bees in many different stories. In Indian, Ancient Near East, and Aegean cultures the bee is considered a sacred insect that bridged the natural world to the underworld. The bee emblem was used by Potnia, a Minoan-Mycenean Mistress, who was referred to as the “The Pure Mother Bee.” The Delphic priestess was referred to as a bee as well. There are tons more stories that tie in bees to mythology. In the United States today we do not consider the bee as a sacred insect but we do believe a lot of myths about it. Pest 911 wants to bust some of the myths about bees for you.

Not All Bees Sting

This is one of the largest myths that is believed about bees. Not all bees sting. Male bees cannot sting. Only females have the stinger. Even though females have stingers many of the species of female bees still cannot sting. Typically even the species of bees that are capable of stinging will not sting anyone unless they are feeling threatened or provoked.

Bees Die when They Sting Humans

Bees cannot sting human victims more than once. Since humans have such thick skin their stinger frequently gets caught in the human skin. Once the stinger is off of the bee, the bee dies. Honey bee workers are known to sting other insects repeatedly though. When they sting other insects their stinger does not get caught in their skin so they are able to keep stinging them.

Never Spray a Bee Hive or Nest with Water

Many people mistakenly believe that if they see a beehive or nest that they should spray the nest with water. Do not try this! The only thing that will happen as a result of this choice is that the bees inside the nest will become irritated and you are more likely to be stung by one or more bees. Plus the water does not even affect the beehive or nest.

Not All Bee Species Produce Honey

When you think of bees you probably think of being stung by a bee and the honey that is produced by bees. In truth only 5% of bee species even make honey. Only honey bees and stingless bees produce enough honey to even make it worth harvesting their efforts.

Not All Bees Are Hard Working

The phrase “busy as a bee” is used by many people. This phrase is playing off the belief that bees are extremely hard workers. This is not actually true though. There are some bees that work very hard and other bees that do not do very much work at all. Honey bee, bumble bee, and stingless worker bees work very hard. Male bees though do not do any work in the nest. Some bees only work for a few weeks and then not work anymore.

Most Bees Don’t Live in Hives

A beehive is an image that most people will pair with bees in their mind. In reality only 10% of bee species are social bees. Of that 10% of bees only a small percentage of those live in hives. Most bees live in individual nests tunneled in the soil or tree trunks.

Stinging Insect Control

Hopefully having some correct information about bees will help you better understand bees and how they work. Knowledge is power after all. If you have stinging insects on your property but aren’t sure if they are bees, wasps or hornets; call Pest 911 for an inspection and recommendation for how to proceed.