Bee Swarm Attacks Becoming More Frequent In SoCal

BEAUMONT, CA —Bee swarm encounters have increased across the Southland as record rainfall leads to flower blooming with pollen that signals to bees it's time to collect. When their bee hives are bothered, agitated bees may attack, many have learned the hard way.

"Bee removers have never been so busy," SoCal bee expert Noel Goetz told Patch. Now owner of Hive to Home and Discount Bee Removal, Goetz teaches people the art of beekeeping and the science of how to manage a functional bee hive. He also collects swarms and is a live bee relocation specialist in the Pass Area.

"The more people who are educated about bees, the fewer problems we will have," he told Patch.

It's not surprising there have been so many bee swarms in recent months, he said. The ones that make headlines, can be devastating.

In May, an entire Encino neighborhood had to shelter in place after a resident tried to take on a massive hive located in the wall of a home. Thousands of bees swarmed attacking two people. A police volunteer called to the scene for traffic control was swarmed and stung repeatedly. A viral video of the bee attack shows him falling to the ground unable to escape the brutal swarm. He was hospitalized with major injuries.

In Temecula, a multi-car crash into trees bordering the I-15 southbound freeway incited a bee swarm, according to emergency responders. Though there were no serious injuries from the crash, California Highway Patrol Officers and paramedics at the scene all reported the large swarm.

Recently, a bee swarm in the Lake Mathews area killed a Rottweiler pit bull mix after a neighbor attempted to remove a bee hive without professional help after watching DIY removal tips on social media.

Unfortunately, there are many things that Youtube cannot teach you and safe bee hive removal is one of them, according to Goetz. Most bee swarms are usually gentle, as the queen is relocating half a hive to a new home.

"Generally, they cluster on a fence or in a tree, looking for the perfect location," he said. The swarm is not defensive, and bee removers can use swarm traps to collect the bees and create new hives in a more productive spot.

Other times, bee swarms are created when a wild hive is agitated or threatened by people, animals, or other factors.

Goetz recently started "Home and Hive," a company that teaches people to keep bees at home.

"We catch the bees ourselves and then help others have success," he said.

Not every town allows for beekeeping, and interested people should investigate the rules before installing an apiary—a backyard bee farm—of their own.

For Goetz, his love of bees began over ten years ago when a swarm took up residence in a dresser on his back porch. Since then, he has helped relocate and rehabilitate hundreds of bee swarms.

Bee relocation experts like Goetz attempt to introduce a gentle queen into a relocated swarm, which is often a long and tedious process, but worth it for the continuation of the species.

A dangerous swarm forms when a hive is disturbed, and if that hive is full of feral bees—bees that have not been tended to or raised by a gentle queen—they become aggressive and dangerous. All bees have hybridized with the aggressive "Africanized bee," according to Goetz. It is the wild bee that becomes defensive.

When feral bees feel attacked, an alarm goes out to the hive and they swarm for protection.

"All it takes is one sting for the attack pheromone to be released," he said. "They're sending the alarm 'attack! attack! attack!' Once the disturbance compromises that colony, everyone goes on the defensive."

There are times when Africanized bees will kill someone, he said. Those hives need to be smothered rather than removed. Attempting to DIY your way through a hive removal is dangerous and even can be deadly. Finding bee removal tips on Youtube is the wrong thing for a beginner, according to Goetz.

"You got 50 experts all saying different things," he said. "It's impossible to tell which bees will be aggressive. And even nice bees can have a bad day," he said. "I move a lot of hives at night from location to location because I can seal it off. But if they become unsealed, you're toast."

In the video below, bears attacked some of Goetz's hives and agitated them into an angry swarm state. "I had boxes in several places and righted most before shooting the video and having to leave because the bees were so aggressive," he said. "Needless to say I was lucky only losing 7 or 8 hives."

If you accidentally agitate a bee hive, bee experts suggest you remember the essential rule: Run.

"I've had bees follow my truck over a half mile," he said. The best thing you can do is run. Jump into a car and drive away. Run into the house and get away from them."

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