Springtime means warmer weather and busy bees

As the temperature starts to rise, so does the number of bee encounters we will have around the valley.

This time of year bees become more active as they pollinate new agriculture growth, produce honey, and grow their hive. These are all good things, but occasionally the bees will move in a little too close to our homes. Bees like places that give them protection such as valve boxes and under eaves.

Here are a few things to know about bees. A “hive” is a colony of bees actively producing honeycomb. These bees will protect the hive if they are disturbed. A hive will split and send out a “swarm” for several reasons, one being when the bees are too big for the hive location. This swarm is a big ball of bees that you would find on something like a tree branch, while they are looking for a place to start a hive. Swarms look very intimidating but generally they are not aggressive due to the fact that they are not yet protecting a hive. Bees that are pollinating flowers, etc. are not aggressive either.