Back to School Means More Kids Are Outside
Back-to-school season is here in South Florida.
Every morning and afternoon, children walk through neighborhoods, gather at bus stops, cross common areas, visit parks and travel across school campuses.
Parents teach their children to watch for cars, use crosswalks and stay aware of their surroundings. There is another South Florida safety issue families may not think about:
Bees nesting in unexpected places along the way.
Honey bee colonies can establish themselves in water meter boxes, irrigation valve boxes, electrical boxes, trees, walls, utility infrastructure and even playground equipment.
These are the same types of places children may pass while walking to school, waiting for a bus or playing outside.
That makes awareness especially important as students return to their daily routines.
This Is a Real BeeBoyz Removal
The photos and video accompanying this article show an actual colony BeeBoyz encountered in South Florida.
What appears to be an ordinary utility or meter box can provide bees with something they naturally seek: a protected cavity with a small entrance.
Once a colony becomes established, there may be thousands of bees, along with comb, brood and stored food, hidden inside.
A child walking past may have no idea the colony is there.
That’s why the most important lesson isn’t to be afraid of bees. It’s to recognize unusual bee activity and give it space.
What Should Kids Look For?
Seeing a honey bee visiting a flower is normal. A bee collecting pollen or nectar does not necessarily mean a hive is nearby.
Instead, watch for multiple bees repeatedly flying into and out of the same opening or location.
That flight pattern can indicate a colony nearby.
Pay particular attention around:
- Water meter and irrigation boxes
- Electrical and utility equipment
- Holes or openings in walls
- Hollow or damaged trees
- Dense landscaping
- Playground equipment
- Sheds and storage areas
- Soffits and rooflines
- Drainage structures and other protected cavities
The simplest rule for children is:
If you see a lot of bees going into and out of the same place, don’t investigate. Move away and tell an adult.
Five Bee-Safety Rules to Teach Before School Starts
1. Stay on sidewalks and designated paths
Children should avoid cutting through dense bushes, landscaping or utility areas when a normal pedestrian route is available.
2. Don’t open utility or meter boxes
Never lift covers, reach inside holes or play around electrical, irrigation or water-meter equipment.
3. Never disturb a hive or swarm
Don’t throw rocks, spray water, poke a nest or try to see what’s inside. Even if the bees appear calm, leave them alone.
4. Tell an adult
If children notice concentrated bee activity, they should tell a parent, teacher, crossing guard, school employee or another responsible adult.
5. Know what to do if bees become defensive
If multiple bees begin pursuing or stinging, run away from the area and get inside an enclosed building or vehicle as quickly as possible. Protect your face and eyes while moving to shelter.
Do not stop nearby to swat at the bees or try to hide in bushes.
Parents: Walk the Route and Look Around
Before school routines become hectic, consider walking the route your child takes to school or the bus stop.
Look around common areas, sidewalks, trees, landscaping and utility equipment.
You’re not searching for an occasional bee on a flower. You’re looking for repeated bee traffic concentrated around one opening or location.
If you see it, don’t open the box, seal the opening or attempt to investigate it yourself.
Keep children and pets away and notify the property owner, HOA, school, municipality or appropriate authority responsible for the property.
Schools, HOAs and Property Managers Should Be Proactive
Back-to-school season is also a good reminder for schools, HOAs, apartment communities, parks and property managers to inspect areas with frequent pedestrian traffic.
UF/IFAS specifically recommends that Florida schools educate faculty, staff and students about honey bee safety and conduct regular inspections for colonies.
Property managers should pay particular attention to protected cavities and openings around buildings, playgrounds, landscaping and utility infrastructure.
In Florida, the primary honey bee swarming season generally occurs from March through July, although swarming can continue considerably later in South Florida.
That means bee awareness remains important when students return to school in August.
Don’t Seal an Active Bee Colony Inside
If you discover bees entering a wall, utility structure or other cavity, don’t simply seal the opening.
This can trap an established colony inside and potentially force bees to seek another exit.
The colony should be properly addressed first. Once it has been removed or otherwise professionally handled, the entry point can be evaluated and sealed to help prevent another colony from moving into the same space.
Awareness Without Fear
Bees are an important part of Florida’s environment and play a vital role as pollinators.
We don’t want children to be afraid every time they see a bee.
A honey bee visiting a flower is very different from hundreds or thousands of bees protecting an established colony.
The goal is simple:
Look around. Don’t disturb them. Keep your distance. Tell an adult.
Those four habits can help children safely share their South Florida environment with one of nature’s most important pollinators.
Professional Bee Removal Across South Florida
BeeBoyz provides professional bee removal services throughout Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Counties, including Fort Lauderdale, Davie, Plantation, Pembroke Pines, Cooper City, Weston, Sunrise, Hollywood, Coral Springs, Miramar, Miami, Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, West Palm Beach and surrounding communities.
If you discover a bee colony around a home, sidewalk, common area, utility box, park, playground, school or commercial property, don’t disturb it.
Keep people away from the immediate area and contact a qualified bee-removal professional.
Whenever conditions allow, BeeBoyz believes in safely removing and relocating honey bees while protecting the people and properties around them.
Back to School. Stay Alert. Stay Safe.
This school year, add one more lesson to the normal back-to-school safety conversation:
Be aware of your surroundings.
A few seconds of awareness can help protect our children, our neighborhoods and the pollinators that are such an important part of South Florida.
BeeBoyz
Protecting Our Children. Protecting Our Community. Protecting Our Pollinators. 