Good and Bad Bees of Georgia

Jun 29, 2017 | General

There are more than 20,000 recorded bee species across the world, and while bees are valuable to the environment it can be inconvenient and potentially dangerous to allow them to thrive near a home.
Honey bees, bumble bees, mason bees, and soil nesting bees are extremely important pollinators in Georgia, and many individuals keep honey bee hives for their honey.

a colony of bees

Some Bees are Destructive to Property

Yellow jackets, which are actually wasps, are sometimes confused for bees because of their size and shape.
Though bees are vitally important for pollination and are a critical component of farming, some bee species are considered pests and can even be dangerous to have around your home. Carpenter bees, for instance, can be destructive to property.

holes from carpenter beesMany Bees are Not Aggressive

Honey bees are not aggressive and typically will not sting unless provoked or their colony is threatened. However, when honey bees attack, they often sting in large numbers. For this reason, it is unsafe to have honey bees near a home, especially if there are people present who are allergic to bee stings. The best way to deal with honey bees is to completely remove the hive. Honey bees most frequently make their nest above ground in a sheltered location.
Most ground bees, such as bumble bees, are not aggressive and will not sting, and ground bees are also useful in pollination.

a bee on a flower
When bees sting, they release an attractant pheromone that will signal to other bees to also attack.
Because most species of bees are necessary and useful when it comes to pollination, it is wrong to think of bees as being good or bad. Instead, it is better to think of bees as being in good places or bad places.
Hives too near to homes or areas where children play are bad places for bees, and they should be removed from those locations.