Pesticides and bees

I received a phone call from our new casino, Isle of Capri, concerning a problem they were having with honeybees swarming their front door. I asked a question, "Are they all bunched up or are they flying around?" (I can only collect honeybees that are bunched up, and most normal swarms are one big bunch of bees).

The caller said they were flying around as someone had "disturbed" them. When I asked if the bees were disturbed because someone sprayed them with pesticide, the caller said, "Yes."

I declined my help as I cannot risk collecting these bees and bringing any pesticide back to my honey production. I produce a human food product. I have zero tolerance for pesticides.

Earlier this summer, another person called complaining about honeybees taking residence in the soffit of their house. They said, "We sprayed them, but it didn't do any good." I also declined my help for the same reason. The caller could not understand how I would leave them in the lurch.

Spraying honeybees with any household wasp/hornet spray is foolish and futile. Thanks to increasing government regulations and pressure from environmental groups, most pesticides have diminished potency and only serve to increase the bees' defensiveness. You also limit your options and have totally eliminated the possibility of saving an endangered and beneficial insect.

Please, before you spray anything, call a professional exterminator to evaluate the situation. Every reputable exterminator knows several beekeepers who are willing to remedy the problem.

GRANT F.C. GILLARD, Jackson