City Of Las Vegas: Swarming Bees: Safety Tips

Las Vegas NV

18 April, 2021

2:30 PM

Description

Press release from the City of Las Vegas: Apr 17, 2021 March and April typically mark the beginning of swarming seasonfor bees, a time when the bees will be moving from place to place. Warmerweather and increased outdoor activity leads to the increased possibility ofbee encounters. What kind of bee is it? All bees inthe valley are referred to as "bees." It doesn't matter if they are European orAfricanized. Both bees act in the same manner. They sting the same way and bothproduce honey. The only trait that is different is the sting potential, buteven European bees can produce enough stings to severely injure someone orcause death. All bees should be handled in the same manner regardless of whattype they are. Swarms of bees move from oneplace to another. When swarming they get tired or it gets too hot for them tofly, so the bees will find a place to rest and get out of the sun. Many timesthey will hang from tree branches, street signs, fences, sides of buildings oron an object like a fire hydrant. They just want to be left alone and to rest.Because the swarm is not producing honey or caring for young bees, they willnot sting unless provoked, and then usually only in extreme cases. Usually theywill rest for a few hours or until late in the afternoon or the next morning.Because the bees are harmless, in most cases they are not exterminated. Safetytape is put up to advise the public of the bees and usually they leave and thetape is taken down. Bee hives, especially thosethat are wild, are where the danger lies. Bees will build their hive (theirhome) in places where predators cannot get to them such as inside sprinklercontrol boxes, street light poles, utility boxes in sidewalks, inside walls ofbuildings, inside concrete block walls and inside old hollow trees and desertplants. When the bees begin to produce honey (their food supply) and lay eggs fornew bees, they will defend their home. When they believe that either their foodsupply is threatened or someone will kill their young, they will defend theirhome by stinging. In many cases this may lead to hundreds of stings. Bees donot attack . They are only defending their home. Sometimes noises such aspounding the ground or tools such as lawnmowers or weed eaters will send outvibrations, which makes the bees believe someone is entering the hive todestroy it. They will send out bees to the source of the noise to defend thehive. Bee hives are dangerous and should be removed by a professionalbee removal service. It should never be done by a civilian. The processrequires the use of professional safety gear and clothing. It is the responsibilityof the property owner where the bees are located to have them removed ifneeded. The city of Las Vegas does not remove bees on private property. TheNevada Pest Control Association keeps a list of licensed removal services thatis available at 702- 385-5853.Residents should not try to exterminate the bees themselves.  Most peopledo not have the necessary safety equipment to remove bees. Past attempts ofpeople trying to exterminate bees themselves have led to serious injury anddeath in some cases in the United States. This is extremely dangerous and youare advised to leave this to a professional exterminator. Here are some safety tips concerning bees: IF YOU SEE BEES, LEAVE THEM ALONE. Swarming bees will appear as alarge group of bees (that look like a football or basketball) hanging on theside of a building, on a fence, on tree branches or street signs. Theysometimes can be found on the ground. Leave them alone. If weather is good,they will usually fly away. When they do, all of the bees will leave together.If you have them exterminated, a number of the bees (stragglers) will remain inthe area for a day or two and they will be irritable because they cannot findthe rest of the swarm. In most cases the bees will fly away to their destinationwithin a day or two. If they remain for more than three days, you should thenconsider having them removed by a professional bee removal service. IN CASE YOU HAVE AN ENCOUNTER WITH BEES . . . You should run from the bees as quickly as you can. Bees are slowflyers and cannot keep up. Try to cover your face with either your hands or ashirt while running (bees will attack the eyes-nose-mouth). Seek shelter in a building or vehicle. Do not jump into a pool orlake, the bees will attack when you come up for air. The bees will continue to be agitated after the attack by loud orhumming noises such as barking dogs, lawnmowers, weed eaters, flashing lights,etc. Try to keep the area as quiet and calm as possible. If it appears that a person is being attacked or other people arein imminent danger because of the attack, you should call 9-1-1 immediately. If someone is stung by a bee and becomes dizzy, nauseated or hasdifficulty breathing, an allergic reaction to the sting might be occurring.This is a serious medical emergency and 9-1-1 should be called immediately. If you are stung, remove the stinger by scraping it out andwashing the area with soap and water and applying a cold pack to the stingsite. If you are stung more than 10 times, you should go a quick carecenter or contact your personal physician and be checked out. Reaction to beevenom takes several hours, which may cause you to feel sick later. People withan allergic reaction should call 9-1-1 and seek immediate medical attention. A number of encounters with bees have occurred on Lone Mountain byhikers in the past.   You should be awarethere are mostly likely bees on the mountain while hiking.  Most of thetime they are in small caves, holes or inside dead desert plants.  If beesstart to attack while hiking, turn around and go back in the direction whereyou came from, you were most likely entering their defense area.  Coveryour head and run or walk quickly from the area.  Bees are slow flyers andwill not be able to keep up with you. Get at least a quarter mile from thembefore you stop.  Do not wave your hands or swat at them as this will keepthe encounter going. The term "killerbees" is typically misused in reference to bees and should notbe used unless the bees have been properly recognized as such. That is done bythe Nevada Department of Agriculture, which has to conduct a certain test foridentification purposes, which can take several days. MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE BEES AND SAFETY TIPS ARE AVAILABLE BYCALLING 702-229-2000 (2 minute recording of safety information aboutBees).  DO NOT CALL 9-1-1 TO REPORT SWARMS OF BEES UNLESS SOMEONE IS BEINGATTACKED. This press release was produced by the City of Las Vegas. The views expressed here are the author's own.