I'm concerned about the eventual spread of Africanized bees into the northern Sacramento Valley area,
especially as it may affect my work in trees. Does anyone know of a protocol for approaching and identifying bees to avoid being attacked or causing an attack on others?
Is there an effective repellent? Is the killing of tree bee hives prior to pruning the only safe approach to potential Africanized bees?
And what about bees in neighboring areas? How much noise, movement, proximity sets off an attack? And how should workers be prepared for an actual attack?
It seems like one more area for safety training and emergency preparedness.

Reply to post by Mark Goodwin, on September 15, 1999 at 11:13:50:

Africanized bees are not the only problems. The ordinary 'yellow-jacket' often causes problems. A PHC technician was killed last summer here in Delaware by a swarm of yellow-jackets. I don't know the whole story, whether he was high risk for anaphalactic shock, or if he was attacked by a large number. Often by the time you know they are there, you are already in trouble. Knowing what to do, and how to avoid it is a good topic for training, especially those known to be sensitive.

Reply to post by Mark Goodwin, on September 15, 1999 at 11:13:50:

Mark,

Recently, I read information on the behaviour of bees observed after poisioning with Sevin. (Honey, Yellow Jackets)

The poison can take up to three to five days to kill the bees. In the case of the Honey Bees they were observed doing an abnormal dance in front of the nest causing the warrior bees to become very aggressive and attack. Yellow Jackets also become very aggressive from poisoning.

I personally have stood in the middle of a swarm of yellow jackets inside a juniper hedge while removing a Maple tree. I stood there for several hours and was not bit or stung once. On another occassion, I had a swarm of yellow jackets fly a distance of 200 yards and attack. Why?

Looking back on both situations (although I have had many more) I am inclined to think that environment, food availability, and weather were contributing factors to the difference in behaviour.

However, the yellow jacket I consider #2 in aggressiveness, behind the bald face hornet.

Safety training and awareness concerning these critters could make a seperate topic/ w research.

Steve

Reply to post by Stephen Wiley, on September 15, 1999 at 11:13:50:

RE: Yellow Jackets. Anecdotal folk wisdom I've heard is that they become more aggressive or less tolerant of human activity in late Summer and Fall. "They know their time is coming and it makes them nasty," sort of. Taking sentience out of it perhaps, shorten hours of daylight upset their pattern or allow for less food gathering, leading to stress, leading to aggressive behavior. Dunno.

I've found when they are actively foraging for food, as they might be in a hedge or flowering plant canopy, they are focused on food and are much more interested in that than me. They may investigate me, but don't think I'm tasty and move on.

Anybody know if it's true that they sting once and die (more folk wisdom)? If true it would be innefficient in a species survival sense for them to sting just to sting without some sort of provocation interpretable as threat to colony.

Proximity to nest (by extension whether it's foragers or warriors buzzing around you) may have a lot to do with behavior.

RE: Bald Faced Hornets (same as White Faced?). I've only encounterd a swarm one. A paper nest above me in a large, dense & sheared hemlock I was climbing, heard them before I saw them. By then they were after me and I decided to jump and fight with the ground (15') rather than stay in the tree and fight with them. They chased me a way and then went back to cover the nest. 5 or 6 stings.

RE: Y.J. & B.F.H together. Last week I saw a blur out of the corner of my eye. Followed it to ground and found a BFH wrestling with and stinging a YJ (go get 'im killer!). Once subdued, he took off with the quarry.

RE: Pesticides. I've fogged them with contact materials like Diazanon or Malathion at label strengths and seen them drop right out of the cloud. Can't recall such specific experience with Carbaryl (Sevin) alone, but suspect the "several day" syndrome is from low level exposure from polinating exposed crops and that direct exposure would have a quicker effect.

Reply to post by Scott Cullen, on September 16, 1999 at 11:18:31:

According to Penn State Cooperative Extension, the reason Sevin was so hard on honeybees was that id didn't kill immediately, but took several days. Foraging drones would pick up Sevin dust in crops or orchards, then carry it back to the nest where it would get distributed throughout the hive. I've seen similar results with carpenter ants- dusting the area nearby can wipe out a nest.

Reply to post by Russ Carlson, on September 16, 1999 at 18:05:00:

Yes, I seem to remember label and Cornell Recommends being to avoid any Sevin apps (spray or otherwise)on trees in flower which would directly hit polinators and to avoid dusts of pollen size grains. Granules for soil surface apps typically are larger than pollen and not attractive or portable re: bees. Carpenter ants would probably carry the granules home though... fine by me.

Reply to post by Mark Goodwin, on September 15, 1999 at 11:13:50:

http://www.desertusa.com//mag98/sep/stories/kbees.html

This site has some good info about Africanized honey bees (AHB).
I still hope to find or develop a defense/response protocol for use on work site.
What about the use of CO2, I wonder? Or the best kind of upper body netting that is compact and quick to don?
How about sting scrapers in the 1st aid kit? It is not necessary to disturb the hive itself to initiate an AHB attack. In fact,
Africanized bees have been know to respond viciously to mundane
occurrences, including noises or even vibrations from vehicles, equipment and
pedestrians.

Though their venom is no more potent than native honey bees, Africanized bees
attack in far greater numbers and pursue perceived enemies for greater
distances. Once disturbed, colonies may remain agitated for 24 hours,
attacking people and animals within a range of a quarter mile from the hive.

Bee Invasion?

Africanized bees proliferate because they are less discriminating in their choice
of nests than native bees, utilizing a variety of natural and man-made objects ,
including hollow trees, walls, porches, sheds, attics, utility boxes, garbage
containers and abandoned vehicles. They also tend to swarm more often than
other honey bees.
Bee Attack

Obviously, it is best to avoid contact with Africanized Honey Bees. But if
contact becomes unavoidable, it is important to know what to do. Bees target
the head, and nearly all those who suffer serious stinging incidents with
Africanized Bees are overcome by stings to the head and face.

The best method of escaping a bee attack is to cover your head and run
for shelter.

Any covering for your body, especially for your head and face, will help you
escape. A small handkerchief or mosquito net device that fits over the head
could easily be carried in a pocket.

If you do not have these, grab a blanket, coat, towel, anything that will give you
momentary relief while you look for an avenue of escape. If you have nothing
else, pull your shirt up over your face. The stings you may get on your chest
and abdomen are far less serious than those to the facial area.

Try to find shelter as soon as possible. Take refuge in a house, tent or a
car with the windows and doors closed.
DO NOT JUMP INTO WATER! Bees will wait for you to come up for
air.
Once you are away from the bees, evaluate the situation. If you have
been stung more than 15 times, or if you are having any symptoms other
than local pain and swelling, seek medical attention immediately.
If you see someone else being stung or think others are in danger, call
911 immediately.
Remove stingers as soon as possible to lessen the amount of venom
entering the body. Scrape stingers the skin with a blunt instrument or
plastic card. Do not remove bee stingers with fingers or tweezers ­ this
only forces toxins into the victim's body.
Along with the excerpts above, I read advice that it may be more important to get the stingers out within a few seconds, rather than to worry about how carefully it is done, as the venom will continue to enter the victim.

Reply to post by Mark Goodwin, on September 15, 1999 at 11:13:50:

http://www.desertusa.com//mag98/sep/stories/kbees.html

This site has some good info about Africanized honey bees (AHB).
I still hope to find or develop a defense/response protocol for use on work site.
What about the use of CO2, I wonder? Or the best kind of upper body netting that is compact and quick to don?
How about sting scrapers in the 1st aid kit?
" It is not necessary to disturb the hive itself to initiate an AHB attack. In fact,
Africanized bees have been know to respond viciously to mundane
occurrences, including noises or even vibrations from vehicles, equipment and
pedestrians.

Though their venom is no more potent than native honey bees, Africanized bees
attack in far greater numbers and pursue perceived enemies for greater
distances. Once disturbed, colonies may remain agitated for 24 hours,
attacking people and animals within a range of a quarter mile from the hive.

Bee Invasion?

Africanized bees proliferate because they are less discriminating in their choice
of nests than native bees, utilizing a variety of natural and man-made objects ,
including hollow trees, walls, porches, sheds, attics, utility boxes, garbage
containers and abandoned vehicles. They also tend to swarm more often than
other honey bees.
Bee Attack

Obviously, it is best to avoid contact with Africanized Honey Bees. But if
contact becomes unavoidable, it is important to know what to do. Bees target
the head, and nearly all those who suffer serious stinging incidents with
Africanized Bees are overcome by stings to the head and face.

The best method of escaping a bee attack is to cover your head and run
for shelter.

Any covering for your body, especially for your head and face, will help you
escape. A small handkerchief or mosquito net device that fits over the head
could easily be carried in a pocket.

If you do not have these, grab a blanket, coat, towel, anything that will give you
momentary relief while you look for an avenue of escape. If you have nothing
else, pull your shirt up over your face. The stings you may get on your chest
and abdomen are far less serious than those to the facial area.

Try to find shelter as soon as possible. Take refuge in a house, tent or a
car with the windows and doors closed.
DO NOT JUMP INTO WATER! Bees will wait for you to come up for
air.
Once you are away from the bees, evaluate the situation. If you have
been stung more than 15 times, or if you are having any symptoms other
than local pain and swelling, seek medical attention immediately.
If you see someone else being stung or think others are in danger, call
911 immediately.
Remove stingers as soon as possible to lessen the amount of venom
entering the body. Scrape stingers the skin with a blunt instrument or
plastic card. Do not remove bee stingers with fingers or tweezers ­ this
only forces toxins into the victim's body."
Along with the excerpts above, I read advice that it may be more important to get the stingers out within a few seconds, rather than to worry about how carefully it is done, as the venom will continue to enter the victim.

Reply to post by Mark Goodwin, on September 15, 1999 at 11:13:50:

Any recomendations about atropine injectors for multiple sting victims?

Reply to post by Scott, on September 16, 1999 at 23:32:52:

We work in areas that for four years now have been hosting the movement of killer colonies. No attacks yet, some strange behavior noted in native bees, but the one rule of thumb we religiously maintain is to keep a heavy duty anti-histamine like benedryl in the truck - and we never perform rural work without two of us.
A cell-phone is mandatory as well.
If you scout-out an area before getting into intense work - chain saw - climbing, etc., you
can rest assured for your safety. Be carefull
however, with tractor work disturbing sites you didn't walk-through ahead of time!
Stay alert,
Reed Holt

Reply to post by John S, on September 17, 1999 at 15:23:06:

epinephrine by prescription is used in anaphylaxis. I haven't found a reference to atropine use in this regard.
Use of oral benedril is recommended, with prompt medical attention if symptoms of anaphylaxis appear. The symptoms can be found at the following site:
http://www.apitherapy.org/aas/oneaid.html

Reply to post by Mark Goodwin, on September 17, 1999 at 21:08:06:

I don't think atropine is something you'd self prescribe and I don't think it's available over the counter. If memory serves it's the prescribed antidote for severe toxicity from organo-phosphate pesticides. OP mode of action - cholinesterase inhibition - is the same as nerve gasses. JPS, were you ever issued atropine injectors in case of NG exposure? Anyway, cholinesterase inhibition sets the nervous system crazy, constantly overfacilitated nerve impulses. Is this what happens in anaphylaxis?

Reply to post by Scott Cullen, on September 19, 1999 at 12:53:25:

The following site is a reference that describes anaphylaxis:
http://adam.excite.com/info/?id=000844
I would not characterize anaphylaxis as a nervous system disorder, rather as a hyper immune response which may lead to a kind of shock, and may include cessation of respiration and heart function. It can occur within a few seconds to several minutes, and may result in death even with medical treatment.
Additionally, I saw an anecdotal reference to the effect that NSAIDS, such as ibuprofen, may counteract the immunity that some people have developed against bee venom.

Reply to post by Mark Goodwin, on September 20, 1999 at 19:25:38:

http://www.cnas.ucr.edu/~ento/CAAHB/bee-traps.html
This site has research about using bait traps for bees.