Heathers Corner: "It's Bee Season!"

Bee Season has begun!

I have heard of witnessed bee swarms or hives from three different sources this week, which tells me that it's officially bee season. My own experience occurred as we noticed a large vibrating basket ball sized swarm this week at a neighbors house, and coincidently where we walk with our new puppy every morning. The neighbor called the bee professionals because it was in such a place of high pedestrian traffic and the potential problem no longer exists. I thought it was important to go over some Bee Sociology 101 and turned to the University of Arizona for some advice and information should you happen upon a swarm/hive yourself.

Honeybees are a social bee, meaning more likely to sting in defense of their hive and to protect their queen. Not native to North America, they were introduced here by European colonists. It wasn't until 1957, however, that two dozen Tanzanian queen bees were accidentally released by a bee keeper in Brazil. In the 1990's the European honeybees began hybridizing with the African honey bees that migrated to the southern most states. This led to what we know and fear today of the African Honey Bee. Today it is estimated that "almost 100% of wild bees in Arizona are Africanized honey bees." Scary stuff.

There is a major difference while assessing the danger of wild bees when deciphering the difference between a colony hive and a swarm. A swarm are bees on the move. They form a large cluster on a branch or dwelling allowing the queen some time to rest before searching for their permanent home. They are fully exposed and no honeycomb is present. Typically these bees are less aggressive and do less flying around, sticking mainly to their huddle around the queen. Within 1-4 days they usually have left and there is no evidence of their presence. A colony is present for weeks to years and the presence of worker bees coming and going is apparent. Most of these bees can not be seen as they are within a cavity, producing the honey and protecting the queen.

If you do encounter a hive or swarm remember these tips:

1. Do not panic. Deaths related to bee attacks (outside of those with allergies) are mostly caused by external causes such as running into traffic.
2. Do not try and remove the colony yourself. 
3. If attacked run in a straight line to a shelter or if not possible, the length of two football fields before stopping.
4. Once stung, you are a marked target for other bees. Avoid other people or they will also be attacked. 
5. Never dive under water as swarms will wait for you to surface.

When to call for help? First off I highly respect the University of Arizona but their recommendation for an adult (without anaphylactic symptoms) seeking medical attention after 30 stings seems a bit astonishing as I would be in a panic probably around sting number 3. Nevertheless, it is also recommended to call 911 if you are stung and can't get away from the hive, you see someone being attacked by bees, or if someone has been stung and is showing anaphylactic type symptoms. It is also recommended to contact a bee specialist to remediate a colony if a hive is discovered in an area frequented by people.

In the mean time, I appreciate those little honeybees pollinating all the goodies in my garden, so long as they chose another spot for their real estate.

Read this to learn more about bees.
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Heather Nenadovich has lived in Oro Valley a total of five years. She has a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Arizona. Her husband is Canadian so she is a hockey fan by default and so are her two very clever children. When not being a mommy, she enjoys hiking in Catalina State Park, hand building pottery, and gardening. Her favorite things about living in Oro Valley are the towns recognition of art and culture, their commitment to preserving nature and the Christmas parade. (Also anything from GMG Chinese Bistro.)