Why bees are a serious matter in Tempe
Most wild honey bee colonies in the Phoenix area are Africanized.
They look like ordinary honey bees, but they defend their nest much more aggressively and in larger numbers, and they can chase a person a long way.
Swarm season peaks in spring, with a second wave in the fall, and colonies grow fast in the Valley's warm weather.
Tempe's block walls, stucco homes with gaps at the roofline, irrigation boxes, palms and citrus trees give them plenty of places to settle, including around apartment complexes and student housing near ASU.
Swarm or colony
Swarm
A swarm is a ball of bees hanging from a branch, a wall or an eave.
It is a colony looking for a new home and often moves on within a day or two. Leave it alone, keep people and pets away, and do not spray it with water.
Colony
A colony has moved into a cavity and is building wax comb, raising young and storing honey.
You see a steady line of bees going in and out of one spot every day. It does not leave on its own and keeps growing.
Where colonies settle in Tempe
- Hollow cells in block walls and garden walls
- Eaves, soffits and gaps in stucco or around roof vents
- A Tempe home with bees at the utility chase needs that spot named when you call, so the visit starts in the right place.
- Palm trees, hollow trees and dense bougainvillea
- Sheds, grills, stored boxes and unused vehicles
- Pool equipment covers and electrical boxes
Bees signs in Tempe
The technician confirms where the colony is and how large it is. A colony in the open, a box or a tree is removed directly.
A colony inside a block wall, roof or ceiling needs the comb taken out, so the wall or ceiling is opened at that spot and patched afterward.
Do not close up the stored firewood before the inspection for bees in Tempe, or the useful evidence is gone.
Once the colony is gone, the entry point is sealed so the cavity is not reused.
Bees near Rural Road corridor
Some colonies can be removed alive and taken by a beekeeper.
Many in Tempe are too defensive or too close to people, children, pets or a busy sidewalk to leave in place while that happens, and they are treated.
You hear which applies and why before work starts.
If you have seen bees near Rural Road corridor, leave the gable vent as you found it and photograph it.
Keep children and pets inside and away from the opening. Do not run a lawn mower, leaf blower, edger or pool pump near the colony; noise and vibration set Africanized bees off.
Do not plug the hole or spray a store-bought product into it. If you are chased, run indoors or into a car and do not stop to swat.
Near Guadalupe, bees turn up at the attic hatch before they turn up in the main rooms.
After the bees are gone
The opening is sealed and the area cleaned so the scent of the old colony does not draw a new swarm.
Writing down where bees were seen near Rural Road corridor, including the eave gap, makes the Tempe visit shorter and more exact.
Bees around pools and patios
In the summer, bees come to pools, fountains, dripping hose bibs and pet bowls for water, sometimes in large numbers.
Bees drinking at the pool are not necessarily a colony at the house, but a steady flight line from one direction can lead to one nearby.
Offering no easy water close to the house, and fixing drips, helps.
Preventing new colonies
Walk the yard in spring and fall. Look for gaps in block walls and eaves, missing meter box lids, holes around pipes and vents, and empty containers that could shelter a swarm.
Small openings sealed early save a removal later.
Bees signs in Tempe
The time of year in Tempe changes the pressure, and bees near Mill Avenue are still confirmed at the foundation crack.
Call now and tell us where the bees are going in.
Bee quick facts for Tempe
- Africanized honey bees: honey bees with Africanized genetics are common in the Phoenix area. They look like other honey bees but defend their colony in larger numbers and chase farther.
- Swarms: a cluster of bees on a branch or wall, mostly in spring, looking for a new home. A swarm often moves on within a day or two.
- Colonies: bees that have moved into a wall, roof, block wall, water meter box, irrigation valve box or tree cavity and started building comb.
- Comb: left in a wall, comb and honey melt in the summer heat, stain drywall and draw other insects, so it is removed when possible.
- Safety: stay at least 100 feet away from an active colony, keep pets and children inside and do not spray or plug the entrance.