by Kaycee Wallace, Intern
Summer is officially here, which means our so called “pleasant” days of 95 degree weather is over. During these warmer months, you are certain to see visitors entering a pool area, some being the visitors you were expecting, others not quite. These unwelcomed and unwanted guests can become a nuisance when they fly and, “buzz, buzz, buzz” in your ear. Honey bees are attracted to swimming pools due to the limited source of water here in the desert. Bees are required to control the temperature of their hives. If not maintained at a temperature of 95 degrees or less, hive melt is likely to occur. To prevent this from happening, bees primarily use the water to cool their hive down. At this point, there is no need to worry about a hive being located on your property. However, if you see a significant increase of bees around the area at any
time, this can possibly be a signal that there is a hive on or near your premises. Bee activity that indicates the possible presence of a hive on your property includes the following:
- Bees flying in and out of a hole within a structure, such as a shed floor, roof eave, or a tree stump.
- Bees randomly flying around a man-made or natural structure that is obviously not a food or water source (shed, roof eave, etc.).
- Bees flying into your head or hair area, or stinging you for no apparent reason. This aggression can mean they are protecting a nearby hive.
Considering that all wild honey bees in Arizona are Africanized, instead of looking for the established hive yourself, we recommend that you call a professional to perform an inspection. However, if you generally see the bees around your pool and they appear to be there for the water source, you can try to resolve the situation by providing an alternative water system. An alternate watering system can be as simple as a large bowl filled with water. Unlike wasps, bees cannot land directly on the surface of water, so you will need to provide an access way, such as a stick or a few rocks. This will allow them to walk down and approach the water. Over the next several days, move the new water source further and further away from the pool. This is not only likely to detract the bees from the current location, but will leave your “welcomed” guests alone to have a buzzing time, of course without the actual buzzing!
If providing an alternate water source does not prevent bees from returning to your pool, Desert Swarm has a non-toxic treatment for deterring bees that can be safely applied around the pool or other water features. If you are unsure or have any questions, please give us a call! We can help!