Beware Of The Bees! Unexpected Swarms Take Over OC Beaches
HUNTINGTON BEACH (CBSLA.com) — Bees have become an apparent problem in Orange County due to unexpected swarms that have been taking over near the beaches.
Thousands of honeybees swarmed over the top of Liz Moctezuma's stroller while she was in Huntington Beach with her children.
"I was standing there and saw stuff flying in the air," Moctezuma said. "I thought it was clumps of dirt."
Her immediate reaction was to run off with her twin boys in hopes of not getting stung by the swarm.
"I didn't even realize that it was a hazard to worry about," said Moctezuma.
Luckily, the trio did not get stung during the incident. Park officials were able to safely remove the bees from the area.
According to Lt. Claude Panis, bee swarms occur at least 10 times each summer.
"For the last four or five years, we've noticed an increase of the bees on the beach," added Panis.
Lifeguards reported they see stings occur at least once a day.
Bee experts explained that the increase of sightings is normal as it is their swarming season.
During this time, bees migrate to look for a new home and will rest on objects. They will usually leave the objects within a day or two if they are not removed.
Experts went on to share that in most cases, if someone attempts to kill the bees, it doesn't work and the swarm defends itself.