Honeybees - Georgia Beekeepers Association

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Terminal Performance Objective 

TPO1 - TPO1 - At the completion of this lesson the student shall be able to perform the necessary steps to safely rescue a victim from a stinging incident with 70% accuracy.

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Enabling Objectives   

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EO1 – The student shall learn the basics of honey bee biology with 70% accuracy. EO2 – The student shall describe the cast found in a honey bee colony with 70% accuracy. EO3 – The student shall identify the methods honey bees use to communicate with 70% accuracy. EO4 – The student shall be able to name the various triggers which can disturb a honey bee colony with 70% accuracy.

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Enabling Objectives  



EO6 – The student shall discuss the role of the fire service at a stinging incident with 70% accuracy. EO7 – The student shall describe the uses and limitations of protective equipment with 100% accuracy. EO8 – The student shall be able to don protective equipment with 100% accuracy. (skill set)

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Honey Bee (Apis Mellifera) 

Colony  Eusocial  Cavity Dwellers  Produce Surplus

Honey

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Africanized Honey Bee (Apis Mellifera Scutellata)  



Brought to S. America in 1956 Bread with E. Honey Bee 12 escaped in 1957

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Importance of Honey Bees 

Pollination  $15 billion in added

crop value 

Beekeeping Industry  GA produces $7

million in honey  ND produces $47 m 

Beekeeper  6,000 +/- Beekeepers

in GA

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Cast 

Honey bees have 3 cast  Queen  Worker  Drone

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Queen   

Lays eggs Emits pheromones Normally only one

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Worker  

Work 95-99% of the colony

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Drone  

Mates with queen 0-5% colony

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Communicate  

Dance Pheromones

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Communicate 

Pheromones  Alarm  Brood       

Recognition Drone Egg Marking Footprint Forager Nasonov Queen Mandibular Queen Retinue 14

Colonies and Swarms 

Colony  A population of honey

bees within an established hive.



Swarm  a great number of

honeybees emigrating together from a colony in company with a queen to start a new colony elsewhere.

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Swarm

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Colony

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Defensive Behavior  

Defend hive Defend themselves

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Defensive Triggers     

Vibrations (sounds) Fast movements Dark colors Carbon monoxide Alarm Pheromones

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At Risk Groups 

Outdoor workers    

Landscapers Surveyors Utility workers Equipment operators*

Military during training  Sports enthusiasts  Rescue personnel 

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People At Most Risk  Small

Children  Elderly  Handicapped

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At Risk Animals 

Animals at risk  Tethered  Penned, caged,

or corralled.  Horses

and goats don’t mix with bees.

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Conclusion/Questions

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AHB in Georgia 

Discovered October 21, 2010  Near Albany, GA  73 year old male  Working on bulldozer  Colony in a old porch

column

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AHB in Georgia 

2 more colonies have been identified in the Albany area.  More trapping and

testing will continue in the spring

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How did they arrive?

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GA Beekeeping Regulations 

GA Regulations  Restrictions on

Beekeeping  Quarantine  Keeping Africanized Honey Bees

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Role of the Emergency Services Rescue  Medical treatment  Be observant  Educate 

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Personal Protective Equipment    

Bee Veil Bee Suit / Turnout gear Gloves Boot Bands/Duct Tape  NO DARK COLORS  NO PATCHES  NO SPLASH SUITS

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Deployment 

One engine company (4 personnel)  Incident Commander (IC)  Pump operator  Two person attack/rescue team.

One ALS Med Unit (2 personnel)  Additional Resources 

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Dispatch If available, turn on the air conditioning.  Roll up all windows.  Have Medic ride/arrive on scene in back of med unit.  Have PPE on prior to arriving or exiting the vehicle. 

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Arrival/Staging Approach tactics can not be used to minimize exposure  AHB will “hunt” out invaders. 

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On-Scene Work scene like a haz-mat incident  Turn off lights and sirens.  Locate victims. 

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On-Scene

    

Establish 800 ft. perimeter. Minimize apparatus commitment. Level II staging out side of “Warm” zone. Stage apparatus 150200 ft. from victims. Stage Med Unit 300400 ft. behind Patient. 39

IC

150/200’ 300/400’ HOT

WARM

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Victim Rescue/Approach Use 150-200 ft. 1½ or 1¾ attack line.  Pump AFFF at 6% mix ratio.  Advance toward victim.  Sweeping the air (if needed).  Cover fire fighters and victim with foam. 

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Pump at pressure and volume recommended by the manufacture in relation to the length of hose used.

6% foam

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Victim Rescue/Retreat Sweep bees off patient’s face.  Place patient on stretcher.  Use towel/sheet to protect patient’s face.  Continue to spray foam while retreating. 

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Reevaluate if area is far enough away to begin patient treatment.

300 to 400 ft. from original position

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Patient Care 

First priority patient’s Airway!  Honey Bees target ○ Dark Colors/Areas ○ Carbon Monoxide

 After stinging bee will

not die immediately.

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Patient Care 

Main reactions  Airway obstructions  Bronchospasms  Cardio-genic shock  Neurogenic shock  Cardiac arrest *

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Patient Care Follow local medical directives  Remove stingers (scrape)  Monitor all vitals 

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Mop Up Remove apparatus from hot/warm zone.  Maintain perimeter. 

 May take up to 24

hours for bees to calm down. 

Call in an exterminator or professional bee remover. 48

Summary    

Honey bee biology – Honey bees are complex insects that live in eusocial colonies. 3 cast in a honey bee colony – There are 3 cast in a honey bee colony. Queen, Worker, Drone. Honey bee communication – Honey bees can communicate through dancing and pheromones. Defensive triggers – Include vibrations, dark colors, fast movement, carbon monoxide, and alarm pheromones.

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Summary 

  

Role of the fire service at a stinging incident Uses and limitations of protective equipment Don protective equipment Steps to safely rescue a victim from a stinging incident

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