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Bees swarm Santa Maria woman’s home

Posted at 10:57 PM, Jun 07, 2018
and last updated 2018-06-08 01:57:18-04

What would you do if you were looking right at a swarm of thousands of bees? For some, it could be a nightmare. For others, an opportunity for a rescue. It’s swarm season and honey bees are looking for new homes. 

Beekeepers say they’ve been busy with in-home hives this year. 

Joan Snowdy was startled by buzzing and came across thousands of bees swarming her Santa Maria home, she called a beekeepers group to help. 
 
"Oh my god, this is terrifying! Terrifying! They are swarming now! Huge huge huge!" said Snowdy, who recorded video of thousands of bees surrounding her home.

"When the swarm started coming it was a very loud buzzing, constant buzzing. There were literally thousands of them coming out," Snowdy said. "The bees are right up there going into the vent."

They got in through a small opening and staked a claim in the vent above the kitchen stove, many of them getting inside the house.

"I was terrified, it was a terrifying experience," Snowdy told KSBY News. "I was scared and I was nervous, I didn’t know what to do. I mean I love bees. I didn’t want them to get hurt."

Who would want to face ten thousand honey bees? The Santa Maria Valley Beekeepers Association is up for the job. They save the bees and rehome them with another beekeeper.

"Things are blooming, a lot of bees are looking for a place to live," said Tara Hoffmann, beekeeper. "So they will check out different places you might see one or two and don’t pay much attention and then you see a lot. Well, that’s because they decided to live there."
 
So the beekeepers went to work, free of charge, taping off an area and suiting up. They use a special bee vacuum to suck them up and store them until they are rehomed.
 
"It is just fun and it’s challenging," Hoffmann said. "I just get a charge out of it you never know what is going to happen. There will be bees flying over the place while you are cutting out honeycomb. I do it for the honey too, it’s liquid gold you know!?"

Beekeepers say as we get warmer temperatures, the bees will be out.
To prevent beehives in your home, make sure any exterior openings or small holes are screened off.  Hoffmann says that bees can chew through tape and foam.
 
Beekeepers say often times bees are looking for water, too.
Put some water out across from your home so they don’t go for your spigots or faucets.