You’ve probably noticed something buzzing in the air. Experts say this is the time of year when bees make new hives all over South Florida.
From the Treasure Coast to Boca Raton, the insects are putting people on edge.
“They're forming a hive and they're coming and going all day long,” explained George DeMaria.
He said he first brought up issues about bees at his neighbor’s house in on SW 3rd Street in Boca Raton last year.
“It was the scariest thing ever,” he remembered. “It was like watching Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds. A whole bunch of bees came and swarmed the side of my house.”
DeMaria can see the bees in two parts of his neighbor’s house. He said no one lives there. In the past, he said the property owner, Curt Rossband, hasn’t followed through on promises to fix the problem.
Now he’s afraid the bees will hurt his daughters who will be playing outside all summer long.
“I have to worry because there are hundreds I can see right from here,” he pointed out from behind his fence.
DeMaria isn't alone. Monday, more than 100 bees stung a Fort Pierce man who tried removing a hive.
Brian Moore runs a bee removal business. He says this time of year is called swarm season.
“When there are more blooms more food for the bees, the queen will start laying more eggs, the hives will get stronger,” Moore pointed out.
He suggested having a professional remove a hive from your property.
If the bees are on your neighbor's property, like DeMaria’s situation, he said most cities have a code enforcement procedure to help you address the problem and help keep you safe.
“A hive can go from calm to aggressive in seconds,” he said.
The director of Delray Beach’s code enforcement department said his office will pay to have the bees removed from private protery and then charge the property owner for reimbursement in emergencies.
DeMaria said he has reached out to Boca Raton code enforcement. Late Wednesday afternoon, DeMaria said he got a call from code enforcement and Rossband. Both said Rossband would take care of the beehives shortly.