The other night as I was falling asleep, I saw a bee at the end of my nose. I bolted upright and flipped it off the bed, then turned on all the lights. More bees were on the windowsill, struggling to fly. This has happened before, but not quite as badly as this invasion. We think the bees are honeybees and have a nest somewhere in our attic. We’re not sure how they’re getting into the bedroom.
Florida is home to over 300 species of bees, but the honey bee is the main pollinator for Florida. The Apis mellifera or western honeybee was brought to the Americas by early European settlers and has been a part of the natural environment ever since. Unlike native species, the honey bee can be managed to benefit the pollination needs of certain crops. In Florida, commodity crops like blueberries, watermelons, cucumbers and onions would produce little to no fruit if it were not for the honey bee.
The esoteric meaning of bees is that of communication, sincere hard work, and a team effort in which everyone involved prospers. Bees are also about creativity. Animal Speak by Ted Andrews, defines them this way:
Bees are the symbol of fertility and sexuality. Its honeycomb, a hexagon, is the symbol of the heart and represents the sweetness of life found within our own heart. It is also the symbol of the sun and all its energies.
The bee reminds us to extract the honey of life and to make our lives fertile (productive) while the sun shines. No matter how great the dream is, there is the promise of fulfillment if we pursue our dreams. If a Bee has shown up in your life, examine your own productivity. Are you doing all you can to make your life more fertile? Are you busy enough? Are you making time to savor the honey of life and not becoming a workaholic?
The bee is the symbol of accomplishing the impossible.
So, understandably, we didn’t want to kill them. But when one lands an inch from your nose while you’re in bed and a dozen more are on the nearby windowsill, your choice is clear. With each one I slapped with a shoe, I apologized. I also asked them to please stop coming into the house.
Rob turned the hose on the swarm outside on the roof just above our bedroom. And it helped. But we may have to get someone out here to remove the nest in the attic and take it elsewhere, like out into the Everglades!
So, understandably, we don’t want to kill them. But when one of them lands an inch from your nose and a dozen or so are on your windowsill, the choice is pretty clear.
You may have a huge nest up there somewhere. There are people who know how to remove and relocate the bees. We need these pollinators badly. They are much better landing on flowers and not on your nose. Check online.
Rob managed to plug the hole they were using to get into the attic. So far, so good. If they get back in, we’ll need to get someone out here.