Throughout the warmer months of September and October, bees are very likely to swarm. While this can be an amazing site to see, if they decide to make your home their home, that’s not so amazing.
The swarm will usually come to rest in a cluster on reasonably nearby objects as you can see from the photo below, taken of a swarming bee colony in Tuncurry Beach where they have come to rest on the picnic shelter. This swarm may remain resting here for as little as an hour or possibly two days. While the majority of the bees rest here, scouts are flying about looking for a suitable place to set up a permanent nesting site.
How do you remove bees?
The honey bee is an important part of our ecology so it is recommended that an integrated pest management approach be carried out. One such control system that can be tried if the bees have not been in there new home long is installing a cardboard cone to their entry point. This can allow the bees to exit but they cannot renter providing the cone hole is around 6-10 mm across. This must be performed by somebody who is trained to do so. Bees will become aggressive if their hive is threatened and getting close to their entry point may very well make them aggressive and likely to defend their colony.
Bee removal risks
Often we hear of people trying to get rid of these clusters of bees with their garden hoses or other means and end up being stung multiple times in the process. When bees are in this state, stay away from them and do not interfere with them. If you are presented with a swarm of bees it is extremely important that you leave them alone and contact a professional to assess the situation and take the appropriate measures that may be required. If there is a threat posed by these swarms they can be removed and relocated quite easily be a professional only.
Do not attempt this yourself.
What to do if you are stung by bees
For any patient that is allergic to bee stings and shows signs of anaphylaxis, call 000 for an ambulance, and have the patient taken immediately to the emergency department of the nearest hospital.
If you or a family member are stung by bees, follow these general first aid steps:
- Remove stings by scraping sideways with your fingernail or with the edge of a knife.
- Apply a cold pack.
- Watch for allergic reactions – breathing difficulties, rashes, itching, or swelling around the mouth or eyelids.
- If an allergic reaction takes place call 000 for an ambulance immediately.
- Observe and record pulse and breathing.
- If casualty is carrying medication for the allergy it should be taken at once.
- If conscious: help casualty to sit in a position which most relieves breathing difficulty.
- If unconscious: open and clear casualty’s airway and prepare to resuscitate if necessary.
Ref: St John Ambulance
Still concerned?
If you need bee removal, contact your local experts Amalgamated Pest Control Taree for further advice.
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