PHOENIX — Two people were attacked by a swarm of bees in Scottdale, leaving one man in critical condition after being stung 100 times. The other man was also stung.
The hive was found underneath a manhole cover near Loop 101 and Raintree Drive.
The owner of The Beehive in Gilbert says he has gotten some pretty strange calls over the years.
Though he is the first to say that while bee colonies forming underneath a manhole is rare, it isn’t impossible.
He says by the time you see bees outside your house, it may already be too late.
Hodgson says their favorite spot is hiding inside the underside of your roof, adding it only takes a couple of weeks to colonize and start making honeycombs.
“We do thousands of calls each year,” he told ABC15. Hodgson says bees are active in the spring, summer, and part of fall.
“If you see bees outside of your place, it’s best to get them removed right away,” he added.
That’s because he says they can colonize in as few as three weeks.
Hodgson says bees only need a small hole to get in and get to work.
“Anything that has an opening, like a wine barrel, or a valve box in the ground, there are multiple places in the roof usually,” he told ABC15.
Hodgson says while you may think seeing one or two bees isn’t a big deal, he stresses looks can be deceiving.
“It might look like a couple on the outside, but there are thousands on the inside. Usually between 40 and 60,000 bees in a colony,” he said.
Plus, once they are colonized, they can become territorial and aggressive.
“That’s when they’re dangerous. That’s when you hear about people going to the hospital. Horses getting killed. Dogs getting killed,” said Hodgson.
This is what Hodgson says you should do if you get attacked.
“You want to run away as soon as they attack you. As fast as you can and get inside, or in your car, and get out of there,” he told ABC15.
Though, before it gets to that point, he says it’s best to seal up any openings around your home, especially the roof and neighboring sheds.
Hodgson says bees don’t mess around. “They build every day. They’re busy,” he said.
This is why Hodgson says you should be busy, too, sealing holes and keeping your home safe.
