Scientific name: Apis mellifera Family: Apidae Order: Hymenoptera Risk level: Moderate Category: Flying pest
? What is the honey bee
Scientific name: Apis mellifera
Family: Apidae
Order: Hymenoptera
Risk level: Moderate
Category: Flying pest
The honey bee (Apis mellifera) is considered a pest when it forms a swarm or nests in a building. Under normal circumstances, it is highly beneficial to agriculture and food production. Problems arise when swarms nest in walls, leaving wax and honey that attract secondary pests, or when people at risk of allergic reactions may be stung.
Life cycle of the honey bee
It undergoes complete metamorphosis. Eggs are laid directly on food, and the larva is the damaging stage. A full generation takes 4–8 weeks. Multiple generations may breed in an infested warehouse.
Distribution of the honey bee
It occurs in food warehouses worldwide and is common in the Gulf, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, especially in hot warehouses.
Damage and risks associated with the honey bee
Stings can trigger anaphylaxis in people with allergies. Wax and honey left inside walls attract various secondary pests even after the bees have been removed.
Signs of a honey bee infestation
Signs include adult insects around light sources; larvae and silken threads in food (moths); droppings and hollow grains caused by weevils and beetles; and small white eggs on food.
Where honey bees are found
They nest in walls of old buildings, beneath roofs, in warehouse ceilings and in garden trees. Swarms are temporary, but may lead to permanent nesting.
Honey bee control methods
Monitor with pheromone traps. Spray the warehouse with pyrethroids. Fumigate stored products with phosphine or methyl bromide. For physical control, lower the temperature below 10°C or raise it above 55°C. Rotate stock using FIFO.
Honey bee control products
Pyrethroids for warehouses, phosphine (PH₃) for fumigation, deltamethrin for residual spraying and diatomaceous earth for grain.
Requirements for controlling honey bees in food facilities
FSSC 22000 Version 7: stored-product pests are high priority. Pheromone traps with weekly documentation are mandatory. BRCGS: stored-product pests in a product constitute a major Non-Conformance.
A fact about the honey bee
Honey bees communicate through the waggle dance, a movement-based language that encodes the exact coordinates of a food source (direction relative to the sun and precise distance) and teaches them to other bees. It is the most detailed and precise animal communication language described scientifically.
Frequently asked questions about the honey bee
Q: How do stored-product pests enter a facility?
A: Usually through incoming shipments. Carefully inspect samples from each shipment and quarantine new purchases.
Q: Is a low temperature enough to eliminate stored-product pests?
A: Yes. Temperatures below 10°C for two weeks stop reproduction and kill vulnerable stages. Temperatures below −18°C for three days kill all stages
