North Enders have seen just about seen everything in the neighborhood, but the latest “attraction” – an enormous group of bees – is the talk of the town. The swarm has taken up residence on a building awning at the corner of Prince and Salem Streets, above Dino’s Cafe across from Bova’s Bakery. It’s not clear whether the bees are making a nest or just taking a break before they move on.
6/15/13 9:00 pm update: A bee professional was seen taking the queen bee and most of the swarm away in a box. Several hundred continue to buzz around, but are expected to dissipate.
Many thanks to Lori Demarco Toscano for the honey sweet photos!
They’re honey bees. They should move on on their own. They cant nest just attached to the side of something like a building,… they nest in a hollow tree or bee box.
The property owner should make sure that the bees are not breaching / nesting inside the walls, which can lead to costly restorations. Honey Bees nest in building walls. Make sure your exteriors are free from entry points big enough to let in a highly-skilled flying insect (sometimes as small as a quarter inch.
If bees have breached, it is important to follow a powder poison protocol and block the holes. Even after just the initial stages, some remediation may be necessary. Consult an exterminator.
Helpful tip: to prevent bees / hornets/ wasps from building exterior nests, spray under your eaves with WD-40 before nest-seeking season.
I hate bees.