4 Ways to keep Safe with Bees
Here in Central Arizona’s Valley of the Sun, bees are a common fixture (especially with so many flowers to pollinate) with our almost year-round warm, sunny days. Summer in the Phoenix metro area is particularly the busiest season of bee activity. So, it’s no surprise that from the West Valley to the East Valley, homeowners often find that a swarm of bees have taken residence within their home or property.
Honey bees in particular, of course, serve a wonderful and important ecological role in nature… pollination. Without pollination, all of our planet’s plant-based ecosystems could not survive. They also produce honey.
Therefore, when it comes to bees taking residence in or around your home, it’s essential to keep their vital ecological function in mind, and to know how to keep safe in their presence.
However, if your issue with bees looks more significant, such as an infestation, you should call the professional live bee removal team at The AZ Beehive. Our experienced bee control technicians have the knowledge and training to properly and humanely remove bees from your property.
In the meantime, here are 4 ways you and your family can keep safe while the bees are still nearby.
Do Not Disturb the Bees
It seems pretty obvious, but we’ll just say it anyway. DO NOT DISTURB OR AGITATE BEES in and around your home. While we know that most people wouldn’t ever bother bees on their property, sometimes, this can happen accidentally. And while we understand the desire to DIY bee removal, these scenarios usually don’t end well for the homeowners who attempt to tackle this issue themselves . So, for example, do not hose the bees with water or spray them with a pesticide. While you may kill or injure a few of them, it’s likely that you will have the entire hive of bees attack you.
To ensure the safety of you and your loved ones, as well as the bees themselves, we recommend that you contact our live bee removal team at The Beehive, Bee and Wasp Removal.
Determine Whether You or Your Loved Ones are Allergic to Bee Sting Venom
Again, this one seems pretty obvious, but, we can’t tell you how many homeowners or their loved ones have suffered as a result of an unknown allergic reaction to bee sting venom. If bees are present in and around your home or property and it is likely that you may come in close contact with the bees, please make sure you verify whether or not you or your family are allergic to bee sting venom. When stung multiple times, the accumulation of bee venom may result in a toxic reaction. Therefore, the easiest way to maybe to make an appointment with your doctor to take an allergy test.
If you discover that you are in fact allergic to bee sting venom, you can be better prepared should you end up getting stung and requiring medical attention, and/or even having an EpiPen handy, if your doctor prescribes it. Obviously, you may want to discuss all medical treatment options with your doctor in advance.
Don’t Do Anything to attract bees
In order to avoid a potential bee issue, it’s advisable to minimize things that would attract bees to begin with. For example, do not eat or consume sugary foods or drinks outside. Additionally, do not wear bright colors that resemble those in flowers. You should also avoid wearing floral patterned clothing or reflective metallic jewelry. Use of certain perfumes and skin creams/lotions can also attract bees.
Understand how to respond to bee stings
Look, you may not always be able to avoid a bee encounter. However, that said, when you do get stung by a bee, it’s important you know what to do. So, assuming first and foremost, you know whether or not you’re allergic to bee sting venom, you should know how to proceed once you get stung.
So, assuming you’re not allergic to bee sting venom, if and when you do get stung by a bee, generally speaking, try to relax and gently remove the stinger from your skin as soon as possible. This way, you prevent additional venom from entering your body. Next, you can wash the stung area with mild soapy water. This mitigates the scent that could attract additional bees to you. And finally, if necessary, see the proper and immediate medical attention.
It’s a fact of life that we must live with bees. The question really is how we can live safely together.