An influx of bees within the MHHS campus is an apparent hindrance to many people’s lunch or classtime. This time of year is especially busy for insects with colonies (primarily bees and ants), as the season shifts to winter until March. Overflowing trash cans provide valuable caches of food for these insects, which happen to intertwine with populated areas within the school.
Scavenging insects, such as bees, have an incredible sense of smell. Whether it’s in a classroom, lunch table, or backpack, bees are able to locate the source of food using olfaction. Half eaten snack foods, sodas, and other such items found in school trash can become beacons for foraging bees. Receptors and communication techniques—special dances—allow bees to pin-point the location of food and alert other workers of its location (National Library of Medicine).
“[They invade] a lot; I don’t like bees. I’m terrified of them and there’s been times where I have to get up and run from them. Even then, if I’m not being directly harassed, they make it extra annoying to throw away anything because of how much they enjoy loitering around the trashcans,” said senior Isabella Retief.
To prevent this issue from reaching the extent it has this year, one can follow some short steps: cleaning up the lunch area around oneself and avoiding stuffing a trashcan to its brim.
On another note, it’s highly recommended you do not harm bees; they only follow their instincts. If they come too close to you, be calm and try not to make them think you’re a threat. Bees are incredibly important for almost everything our food is grown from, so it is vital to be happy they’re here rather than attempting to hurt them.
