Bee Allergies Compound The Problem
A swarm of bees near the entrance to a home is annoying at a minimum and in certain cases, as it was today, dangerous.
A home owner in Orlando called us out to exterminate a volleyball size swarm of bees this morning just under the edge of the mobile home. No big deal normally. I go in with my beekeeper suit, spray the bees and surrounding area, and come back the next day to make sure there are no bees left. This time, the owner happened to be highly allergic to bee stings and the bees were only about eight feet from the entrance to the home. Once the bees are sprayed they become highly agitated, swarming around stinging at everything in the immediate area. Not a good thing for someone allergic to bees. The homeowner decided to stay with family until the next day to avoid being locked up in his house all day.
Keeping New Bees Away
The next issue that needed to be dealt with was cleaning out the hive after all the bees are dead to prevent another swarm of bees from recolonizing the hive. A lot of times an explanation and a couple of suggestions is enough for the owner to be able to clean out the hive themselves and save a little bit of money. However, if you’re allergic to bees, a dead bee is still a possible danger as the stinger is still intact and the muscles that deliver the venom are still functional for a short period of time postmortem. Also, any pressure on the bee or stinger from something like a hand brushing it away could potentially cause the venom to be injected. So, I’ll be back tomorrow to clean out the hive if there is no more activity.
CALL 866-263-WILD (9453)