Last week District 8 personnel including Station Officer Simon Mildren responded to a call out of an unusual nature.
A swarm of bees had attached itself to a family home in Mount Martha and although this level of expertise isn’t usually within the CFA’s repertoire, firefighter and beekeeper Mr Mildren was glad to help.
Mr Mildren said what most people don’t know is that a swarm of bees at this time of year is completely normal and if left unbothered, relatively harmless.
“It is hard for people to comprehend this because a swarm is often noisy, however it is important to know that they are just looking for somewhere to settle and make a new home,” said Mr Mildren.
“If you come across a swarm of bees you should leave them alone and contact your local council who maintains a list of beekeepers for this purpose.
“It is best to leave swarm management to trained and experienced beekeepers so that no one (including the bees) gets hurt.”
Mr Mildren has been involved in the production of a CFA information brochure on bee keeping which can be found here.
Author: CFA Media