Editor:
We discovered the bees swarming in our backyard on Sunday, Aug. 5. There were hundreds of them flying wildly below the branches of a cedar tree. Knowing that bees are so endangered, we watched through the evening hoping they would move on.
Monday morning, I discovered a small blob of bees in the branches. The concern was for relocating the bees and protecting our dogs from stings.
I called Tracy Phillipi for his expert opinion. He stopped by and said we should wait one more day for them to move on as they have in the past.
Tuesday, there was a group of bees the size of a cantaloupe in the tree. They had not become active, so I took a photo and sent a photo to Tracy. Very soon he arrived, suited up and vacuumed up the bees for nearly an hour.
It turns out they were Africanized bees. These bees do not move on, but set up a permanent hive.
It is a hypothesis that these bees may have been displaced by the fire and were seeking a new home. Tracy explained that he would dispose of them. If they had stung our small, 12-pound dog, it could have been fatal.
Diana Kurr
Idyllwild