| The swarming season in South Africa lasts | | | | A single bee which stings does so to protect |
| generally from September through to February. | | | | itself, if you try and swat it for instance. Bees |
| South African Beekeepers are available to | | | | invade fizzy drink cans to consume the sugary |
| remove all migratory swarms professionally and | | | | syrup as a substitute for nectar. |
| humanely. | | | | If you swallow a bee in a coke can, it will sting |
| Persons who keep bees or deal with bees in any | | | | you to protect itself. Cover your fizzy drinks |
| way are required to be registered with a South | | | | when you notice bees buzzing around them. |
| African Beekeeping Association. Ensure that the | | | | Bees will attack collectively and go on a stinging |
| person asked to remove your swarms is a | | | | spree for a number of reasons. If they sense the |
| Registered Beekeeper. | | | | hive is being robbed when it is vandalized or is |
| A number of Pest Control companies claim to be | | | | knocked they will attack. They can attack in very |
| able to remove swarms but generally these | | | | hot weather, especially if their wax combs are |
| swarms are destroyed with gas. | | | | melting and they fear their home will collapse. |
| Not all swarms can be humanely removed and | | | | If they run out of space to make new combs |
| relocated. For example a swarm which has been | | | | they become very irritable. |
| lodged in a chimney for a number of seasons and | | | | Never provoke a swarm of bees. Never try and |
| has been allowed to grow may be difficult if not | | | | destroy them or get rid of them by spraying |
| impossible to remove. It is always advisable to | | | | them with an aerosol can of Insect Killer, for |
| remove swarms as early as possible before they | | | | instance. |
| have had an opportunity to settle and become | | | | If you find yourself in a serious situation where |
| protective of their comfortable home. | | | | bees are stinging, get yourself and everyone else |
| Please note that bee removals are generally done | | | | and pets out of the way. Once bees start stinging |
| in the evening especially with settled (as opposed | | | | something, the stings emit strong pheromones |
| to migratory) swarms. During the day a third of | | | | which incense other bees to start stinging that |
| the bees are out foraging so it does not make | | | | victim. |
| sense to try and remove them during the day. | | | | If an animal is being stung, remove it to a place |
| Also it is potentially dangerous to do so as | | | | of safety and cover it with a blanket to protect |
| swarms are very protective and may become | | | | it. If it has been badly stung take it to a vet. |
| aggressive. Bee Removers who remove swarms | | | | Never jump into a swimming pool in the hope of |
| during the day, other than migratory swarms, are | | | | avoiding the bees. |
| generally acting without regard to the bees' | | | | Bees love this game. You can't hold your breath |
| interests and more than likely will destroy the hive | | | | for a longer period than the bees' disinterest. |
| as the bees will not be able to resettle and their | | | | When you come up for air they will be waiting to |
| infrastructure as a working family may be | | | | zap you on the head and face. |
| irretrievably disrupted. | | | | When a bee stings a victim with a thick hide, like |
| Most Beekeepers will remove swarms in the cool | | | | a human, the barbs on the end of the sting |
| of the evening when it is possible to calm the | | | | embed themselves in the victim's skin. When the |
| bees and move them into a catch box for later | | | | bee tries to forcibly extract itself, or is brushed |
| translocation into a proper bee hive. | | | | off, the poison sac is ripped from the bee's belly, |
| Some experienced beekeepers does the removal | | | | maiming the bee to death. |
| during the day and leaves the bee box that he | | | | When bees sting other insects the barbs do not |
| has transferred the brood into, in so doing, | | | | embed themselves. |
| encouraging the bees to settle into their new | | | | The poison in a bee sting as in most stinging |
| home and then removes the box at night, all | | | | insects is a mix of proteins, peptides, amines and |
| members of the community will be collected. This | | | | alkaloids which will cause pain and swelling and |
| minimises the problem of disrupting the colony's | | | | may also act as allergens in a very small |
| integrity and the possibility of leaving a large | | | | percentage of individuals who will then become |
| number of homeless bees behind that could cause | | | | allergic. |
| a problem. | | | | To neutralize the stinging use an acid substance |
| Bee Stings: | | | | such as vinegar. |
| Queen Bee and the female worker bees have the | | | | (Never grip the sting sac between your fingers to |
| ability to sting, although the worker bees which | | | | pull it out - you only squeeze more poison in. Use |
| are more ferocious in this activity given their | | | | a sharp blade to scrape off the sting.) If stung |
| fundamental instinct to protect. | | | | immediately scrape the sting out using your |
| It is not in a bee's nature to randomly sting for | | | | fingernail as this minimizes the amount of poison |
| the sake of it. Bees sting to protect themselves, | | | | that can be injected by the contracting sting sac |
| their homes and their food sources as well as | | | | muscles. |
| their queen and the brood. | | | | |