March and April typically mark the beginning of swarming season for bees, a time when the bees will be moving from place to place. Warmer
weather and increased outdoor activity lead to the increased possibility of bee encounters.
What kind of bee is it? All bees in the valley are referred to as “bees.” It doesn’t matter if they are European or Africanized. Both bees act in the same manner. They sting the same way and both produce honey. The only trait that is different is the sting potential, but
even European bees can produce enough stings to severely injure someone or cause death. All bees should be handled in the same manner regardless of what type they are.
Swarms of bees move from one
place to another. They get tired when swarming, and it can get too hot for them to fly. So the bees will find a place to rest and get out of the sun. Many times, they will hang from tree branches, street signs, fences, sides of buildings or on 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 will not sting unless provoked, and then usually only in extreme cases. Usually, they will 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. Safety tape is put up to advise the public of the bees and usually they leave and the tape is taken down.
Bee hives, especially those that are wild, are where the danger lies. Bees will build their hive (their home) in places where predators cannot get to them, such as inside sprinkler control boxes, street light poles, utility boxes in sidewalks, inside walls of buildings, inside concrete block walls and inside old hollow trees and desert plants. When the bees begin to produce honey (their food supply) and lay eggs for
new bees, they will defend their home. When they believe that either their food
supply is threatened or someone will kill their young, they will defend their
home by stinging. In many cases, this may lead to hundreds of stings.
Bees do not attack. They are only defending their home. Sometimes noises, such as
pounding the ground, or tools such as lawnmowers or weed eaters, will send out
vibrations that make the bees believe someone is entering the hive to
destroy it. They will send out bees to the source of the noise to defend the
hive.
Bee hives are dangerous and should be removed by a professional
bee removal service. It should never be done by a civilian. The process
requires the use of professional safety gear and clothing. It is the responsibility
of the property owner where the bees are located to have them removed if
needed. The city of Las Vegas does not remove bees on private property. The
Nevada Pest Control Association keeps a list of licensed removal services that
is available at
702-385-5853.
Residents should not try to exterminate the bees themselves. Most people
do not have the necessary safety equipment to remove bees. Past attempts by
people trying to exterminate bees themselves have led to serious injury and
death in some cases in the United States. This is extremely dangerous and you
are 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 a
large group of bees (that look like a football or basketball) hanging on the
side of a building, on a fence, on tree branches or street signs. They
sometimes 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 in
the area for a day or two and they will be irritable because they cannot find
the rest of the swarm. In most cases the bees will fly away to their destination
within a day or two. If they remain for more than three days, you should then
consider 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 slow
flyers and cannot keep up. Try to cover your face with either your hands or a
shirt while running (bees will attack the eyes-nose-mouth).
Seek shelter in a building or vehicle. Do not jump into a pool or
lake, the bees will attack when you come up for air.
The bees will continue to be agitated after the attack by loud or
humming 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 are
in 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 has
difficulty 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 and
washing the area with soap and water and applying a cold pack to the sting
site.
If you are stung more than 10 times, you should go a quick care
center or contact your personal physician and be checked out. Reaction to bee
venom takes several hours, which may cause you to feel sick later. People with
an allergic reaction should call 9-1-1 and seek immediate medical attention.
A number of encounters with bees have occurred in the past to hikers on Lone Mountain.
Hikers should be aware and expect bees on the mountain while hiking. Most of the time they are in small caves, holes or inside dead desert plants. If bees
start to attack while hiking, turn around and go back in the direction where
you came from. You probably were entering their defense area. Cover
your head and run or walk quickly from the area. Bees are slow flyers and
will not be able to keep up with you. Get at least a quarter mile from them
before you stop. Do not wave your hands or swat at them, as this will keep
the encounter going.
The term “killer
bees”
is typically misused in reference to bees and should not
be used unless the bees have been properly recognized as such. That is done by
the Nevada Department of Agriculture, which has to conduct a certain test for
identification purposes. The test can take several days.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT BEES AND SAFETY TIPS ARE AVAILABLE BY
CALLING 702-229-2000 (two-minute recording of safety information about bees). DO NOT CALL 9-1-1 TO REPORT SWARMS OF BEES UNLESS SOMEONE IS BEING
ATTACKED.