# Effing bees! IN MY APARTMENT! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 21, 2009, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effing-bees-in-my-apartment/500490 "2009-06-21T17:05:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![supergoose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@supergoose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/supergoose)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effing-bees-in-my-apartment/500490/21 "2009-06-22T02:39:25Z")
> [@Shirley\_Ujest](#): > > A friend of ours had a wet looking spot on her second floor ceiling of a newly built construction house. She stuck her finger into the wet spot and yellow jackets came swarming out. The nest was huge and they’d only been in the house for three years. Ouch. I hope she was okay. ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effing-bees-in-my-apartment/500490/22 "2009-06-22T13:58:04Z")
First thing is to figure out what kind of "bee"it is. If you are sure it is a honey bee then you should google the local beekeeper club. Someone may well be glad to receive a free colony. If you call an exterminator and it turns out to be honey bees they will probably refer you to the beekeepers anyway. If it is anything else, you want it killed, quick. ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effing-bees-in-my-apartment/500490/23 "2009-06-22T15:36:48Z")
I could help you determine what kind of bee/insect it is, if you can come close enough to make a good picture. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Fun\_Ball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_fun_ball/32/17664_2.png) [@Happy\_Fun\_Ball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Fun_Ball)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effing-bees-in-my-apartment/500490/24 "2009-06-22T18:05:46Z")
I am a beekeeper, and while I have no experience with africanized bees, honey bees are usually docile and will not sting you unless you are stepping on them or threatening their hive (or if you are eating a banana, but that is another story). If there is a hive in your walls, don’t panic and just get some local beekeepers to come get them. With africanized bees, the story is the same, except they believe you being within 100 yards of their hive is threatening. Just kill these guys. ---
**Author:** ![mauxlicious](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bc8723/32.png) [@mauxlicious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mauxlicious)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effing-bees-in-my-apartment/500490/25 "2009-06-22T18:28:40Z")
> [@RedRosesForMe](#): > > Gah!!!11!!!1!!! > > And I have to poop. Wait a minute, girls poop?:eek: ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effing-bees-in-my-apartment/500490/26 "2009-06-22T18:54:52Z")
> [@mauxlicious](#): > > Wait a minute, girls poop?:eek: Not so you’d notice. My parents had a beehive/wasp hive in their crawlspace above their (rented) condo. The wasps would sneak out at night and come bite them as they tried to sleep. Mom starting reacting and getting swelling on her face, and trouble breathing. My parents being meek and not wanting to trouble the landlord, thought, Well, the season will be over in a month or so; we can wait it out. I said, what, if you called 911 you’d say, “if it’s not too much trouble, my wife isn’t breathing. Come when it’s convenient for you.”? :smack: Finally they had someone in to remove the hive. Don’t get me started on the raccoons they had in the attic of the next rental. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effing-bees-in-my-apartment/500490/27 "2009-06-22T19:00:01Z")
Ok people, let’s not confuse bees and wasps. They are VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY different both in appearance and behavior. Wasps will bite you for fun. Bees are very docile as **L. G. Butts, Ph.D.** said, and do not sting without provocation. Even with provocation, if you’re not right by their hive, they’re more likely to fly away. They DIE when they sting you, after all. It’s not evolutionarily advantageous to sting on a whim. ---
**Author:** ![Ichini\_Sanshigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/d9b06d/32.png) [@Ichini\_Sanshigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ichini_Sanshigo)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effing-bees-in-my-apartment/500490/28 "2009-06-22T19:20:16Z")
> [@Covered\_In\_Bees](#): > > _rubs goatee and looks just generally shady_ Yes, but is it a goatee made of bees? ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effing-bees-in-my-apartment/500490/29 "2009-06-22T19:30:45Z")
> [@Ichini\_Sanshigo](#): > > Yes, but is it a goatee made of bees? Is there any other kind? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ohime\_Rose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e8c25b/32.png) [@Ohime\_Rose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ohime_Rose)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effing-bees-in-my-apartment/500490/30 "2009-06-23T10:31:18Z")
You know how everyone says wasp stings hurt more than bee stings? Well, I’m here to tell you that the nice little bees HURT SO MUCH MORE!!! Life’s so unfair. I’ve been stung by every stinging animal under the sun. And then some. Bees, wasps, jellyfish, leeches… you name it, its attacked me. My sister hasn’t even beens stung by a freaking mosquito. (Okay, she has but it feels like she hasn’t…) Ironically, both wasp and bee stung me in the foot, after I’d stepped on them… ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effing-bees-in-my-apartment/500490/31 "2009-06-23T13:22:55Z")
> [@OpalCat](#): > > Ok people, let’s not confuse bees and wasps. They are VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY different both in appearance and behavior. Wasps will bite you for fun. Bees are very docile as **L. G. Butts, Ph.D.** said, and do not sting without provocation. Even with provocation, if you’re not right by their hive, they’re more likely to fly away. They DIE when they sting you, after all. It’s not evolutionarily advantageous to sting on a whim. Wasps don’t bite. Also, the OP actually made me laugh out loud with the “yellow jackets don’t live in Florida” line. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effing-bees-in-my-apartment/500490/32 "2009-06-23T13:28:29Z")
Heh, just for kicks, I looked this up: [Schmidt sting pain index - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schmidt_Sting_Pain_Index) Not sure I agree with this ranking though - I’ve been stung by a white-faced (or bald-faced) hornet, and I thought it was much more painful than bee or yellowjacket. But then, I’m no expert. I’ve certainly never been stung by a bullet ant or tarantula wasp. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effing-bees-in-my-apartment/500490/33 "2009-06-23T13:32:18Z")
Also - just eeek. :eek: > [@](#): > > The Satere-Mawe people of Brazil use intentional bullet ant stings as part of their initiation rites to become a warrior.[3] The ants are first rendered unconscious by submerging them in a natural chloroform, and then hundreds of them are woven into a glove made out of leaves (which resembles a large oven mitt), stinger facing inward. When the ants regain consciousness, a boy slips the glove onto his hand. The goal of this initiation rite is to keep the glove on for a full ten minutes. When finished, the boy’s hand and part of his arm are temporarily paralyzed because of the ant venom, and he may shake uncontrollably for days. The only “protection” provided is a coating of charcoal on the hands, supposedly to confuse the ants and inhibit their stinging. To fully complete the initiation, however, the boys must go through the ordeal a total of 20 times over the course of several months or even years.[4] “I think I’ll become the tribal accountant, thanks” ---
**Author:** ![palindromemordnilap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/db5fbb/32.png) [@palindromemordnilap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/palindromemordnilap)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effing-bees-in-my-apartment/500490/34 "2009-06-23T14:13:08Z")
> [@Ohime\_Rose](#): > > Life’s so unfair. I’ve been stung by every stinging animal under the sun…Ironically, both wasp and bee stung me in the foot, after I’d stepped on them… It’s not really a question of fairness if you step on them. Unless you mean unfair for the insects just minding their own bzzzness when AAAAUGH A GIANT FOOT BLOCKING OUT THE SUN!!! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effing-bees-in-my-apartment/500490.md?page=1)