Bees have been swarming in Hawaii and experts say warm weather caused by El Nino may be responsible.
The weather pattern has created something like an “eternal spring,” entomologist Michael Kliks told KITV4.
“It’s humid, it’s hot, we have periodic rains, and many, many trees are blooming again like they’ve never bloomed before,” said Kliks.
Over the past month, Kliks said he’s received three times as many calls as normal from people desperate to remove bees from their property and scared to leave the house and face the swarming stinging insects.
Bee swarms usually leave within a day or two to find a permanent location for the colony, according to experts. In the meantime, Kliks’ advice is to stay calm.
“Don’t do anything. Be a tree,” he said. “Don’t move. Don’t breathe out heavily because carbon dioxide from your breath — that’s an alarm pheromone. Rapid motion is an alarm pheromone, so this idea of swatting bees is very dangerous.”
The swarms could be caused by bees seeking out new locations as their colonies become overcrowded, said Ethel Villalobos, director of the University of Hawaii Honey Bee Project.
“Colonies grow enough that they decide, ‘OK, we can send half the population with the old queen,’” explained Villalobos. “‘We’ll make a new queen.’ … So out of one colony, you have two.” She said insects just want to settle down somewhere and aren’t trying to protect honey or babies.
Kauai event offers fitness, health programs
Lihue >> The public is invited to attend the ninth annual Health and Wellness Fair sponsored by Life’s Choices Kaua‘i, which is part of the Office of the Mayor.
The event will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday at the Kauai War Memorial Convention Hall.
Some 50 organizations are expected to participate with information tables. Among the services and programs: fitness and exercise programs, Hawaiian healing practices, domestic violence and suicide prevention, fraud prevention, tobacco cessation, alcohol and drug awareness programs, cancer prevention, employment services and more.
In addition, there will be blood pressure screenings, cold laser spinal screenings, miniature massages, health screenings, hands-on CPR demonstrations and Reiki demonstrations. Flu shots will also be administered free to those with health insurance.
Life’s Choices Kaua‘i Coordinator Theresa Koki said, “I believe it’s important for the county to offer its employees and their families as well as the general public current information on health and wellness programs.” She added, “Our goal is to help people lead more productive and fulfilling lives, both personally and professionally.”
For more information about the fair, call the Life’s Choices Kaua‘i Office at 241-4925 or send an email to tkoki@kauai.gov. To make arrangements for an ASL interpreter or other auxiliary aid support, contact the office five days before the fair.
