Beware of Ground Bees in New Jersey Lawns
With garden flowers in full bloom, bees are becoming an increasing problem for northern New Jersey home and business owners. Bee and wasp stings kill 50 to 100 Americans every summer and send half a million people to hospital emergency rooms every year. More than 2.5 million Americans are allergic to bee stings which can cause life-threatening anaphylactic shock. Even for those who are not sensitive, bee stings can cause painful itching and swelling that lasts for several days.
Most people in northern New Jersey think that bees live in hives in trees far above the ground. While some do, several bee species build their nests in the ground. Bumble bees and halictid, or sweat, bees often inhabit abandoned chipmunk or other animal burrows, building extensive nests underground. Ground bees pose a serious health and liability hazard should an unsuspecting adult or child stumble across one of their nests while playing or walking across a lawn. When disturbed, hundreds of angry bees may shoot out of ground nests, attacking en masse and stinging viciously. Even for p0eople who are not allergic, repeated bee stings present a serious, potentially deadly, health risk.
If you notice large, round black and yellow bumble bees or tiny, metallic black and green sweat bees hovering over the ground or flying into and out of a hole in the ground, contact an experienced northern New Jersey pest control professional before someone gets hurt.