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Beehive under control in Peoria after residents reported several stings

By
Published  April 22, 2024 5:26pm MST
Wild Nature
FOX 10 Phoenix

PEORIA, Ariz. - Pest companies call this time of year in Arizona "bee season." Hives are all over the place, and some are even buried underground.

Residents in a Peoria neighborhood have been getting stung left and right over the last few weeks, and finally, action was taken to stop the attacks.

Typically, we're talking about a hive being on a roof or somewhere on a building structure. This one was on a hillside underground.

Beehive under control in Peoria neighborhood

A swarm of Africanized bees buzzed everywhere before being controlled by Aaron Lorti with AZ Bee Kings.

Peoria resident Sandi West had a problem, so she called Lorti.

"There was a swarm under the deck," she said.

She's trying to sell a Peoria house, so she called AZ Bee Kings to remove the hive under the deck.

Two days later – more bees.

"I was scared, so I ran into the house and one got me here in the forehead, and I was able to get away from them in the house," West recalled.

Lorti found multiple hives buried under the ground on the hillside. 

"This time of year, I call it ‘bee season,’ and it's constant. The phone is always ringing," Lorti said.

With the hive this deep underground, the only option was to fog them.

"These things are just attacking too many people, so when it comes to that, I don't mess around, so we don't want anyone getting stung," Lorti said.

The trek down was steep.

"It's tough to get here because it's in the wash," he said.

Once he made it down to the hive, he was immediately surrounded. They gave off an attack pheromone.

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"It's funny, but it smells like a ripe banana," he said.

Lorti has been doing this for 17 years. And not to worry, he respects these swarms.

"Without bees, our world can't live," Lorti said.

But, if you get stung next to a hive – run.

"When one stings you, it leaves a scent on your skin, so it tells them all to attack," Lorti said.

After an hour of fogging, Lorti was on his way. 

"Hopefully we'll go back to showing the property soon, minus the bees," West said.