Bees at the waterparks; time to do some pest control

[bumbershoot]

To those ending up with them in their drinks, if you got that drink from a pool-side, outdoors, location, it might have been on the drink spout.

I was considering getting a soda in January while doing laundry as DS swam at one of the SSR pools. I rarely drink it because DH and DS cannot, but I was thinking about it. (I had a refillable mug with me for coffee) Went to the drinks station and there were yellow and black striped flying insects (not going to decide if they were bees, yellowjackets, etc) hanging out around the station and ON the station. On the parts where the drink comes out, even up inside.

I decided to not have a drink.

So I bet if you got the drink from an outside self-serve station, it was on the spout or in it, and had been in the drink the whole time.

Which is, of course, icky.

A kid I knew as a kid got stung on the lip by a bee that got inside his Tab (why we were being allowed to drink a diet drink I do not know). Ouch!



bees are very very necessary for the world to continue feeding us...so I have a hard time wanting them to die, but I get that it's scary and icky to have them around. I feel the same way about lovebugs.

Of course, I'd rather start by getting rid of the outdoor drinks stations....

 

[RealBlast3]

 

[OurBigTrip]

I want to second the opinion that these are very unlikely to be "bees" meaning honeybees, the kind that live in man-made beehives or in hollow trees, and that visit flowers and make gallons of honey.

Without having seen them, I would guess that these are actually yellowjacket wasps which usually nest in holes in the ground, or else paper wasps which build paper nests on/in buildings or hanging in trees. They look like honey bees, but they are really nasty and defensive around their nests, they can sting repeatedly, and they have a really nasty, painful sting that can cause your face or limb to swell up like ... something really swollen.

I know the difference between a bee and a yellowjacket. These were bees.

 

[OurBigTrip]

To those ending up with them in their drinks, if you got that drink from a pool-side, outdoors, location, it might have been on the drink spout.

I was considering getting a soda in January while doing laundry as DS swam at one of the SSR pools. I rarely drink it because DH and DS cannot, but I was thinking about it. (I had a refillable mug with me for coffee) Went to the drinks station and there were yellow and black striped flying insects (not going to decide if they were bees, yellowjackets, etc) hanging out around the station and ON the station. On the parts where the drink comes out, even up inside.

I decided to not have a drink.

So I bet if you got the drink from an outside self-serve station, it was on the spout or in it, and had been in the drink the whole time.

No, it was not in the drink the entire time - I watched it crawl in while I was holding the cup.

I'm somewhat confused as to why some posters are trying to tell us what we actually saw, since we were there and actually saw it.

Disney has a bee problem at the water parks that they need to address.

 

[NotUrsula]

OP back again. To clarify, at TL it was a mix. I saw honey bees, bumblebees, yellow jackets, and paper-nest wasps along with some dirt-daubers. I grew up in the deep South and I'm pretty familiar with the various varieties. The yellowjackets were most prevalent near Leaning Palms and the nearby ice cream stand. The ones at BB seemed to be more true bees, much less aggressive and mostly congregating on flowers, rather than on meals and on trash.

I'm not overstating the number, I'm afraid. There were times when some of the lettering on the drink refill stations was actually obscured by the number of them congregating there. People were also throwing trash on the ground because they didn't want to approach the trash cans too closely.

I'm not suggesting poisoning them. Baited traps, however, will draw them away from populated areas and reduce the numbers. To target yellow jackets in particular, traps placed in the bushes near the restaurants might get them away from the tables and trash cans. (Yellowjackets can't resist a nice chunk of rotting meat, IME.)

And in regard to this:

Bees are very very necessary for the world to continue feeding us...so I have a hard time wanting them to die, but I get that it's scary and icky to have them around. I feel the same way about lovebugs.

There is a world of difference between bees/hornets and love bugs. love bugs can neither sting nor bite. Lots of love bugs are a nuisance, but a lot of bees are a danger. This isn't about ick, this is about ouch ... Disney needs to drastically reduce the number of stinging pests in guest areas at the water parks.

Professionals can remove honey bee hives to another location. Wasps and hornets, quite frankly, deserve to die a nasty death. IMO. (The incident which caused my fear of yellow buzzing things actually involved yellow-jackets. I was 6 years old and ended up in the hospital that day.)

 

[fluffykalie]

Unfortunately Bee's and wasps can travel miles so its hard to get rid of them if they are traveling to the food source.

 

[Miskey]

I was at TL and BB week before last. There were definitely a large number of honey bees at TL around the drink dispensers and food areas. However, I had no problem filling my cup at the dispensers, and we sat at a table to eat with them buzzing around and again, had no problem.

The simplest solution to the problem would be to do away with the drink dispensers and food, and allow only water in the park....

 

[NotUrsula]

The thing is, I've been to the water parks in summer in other years, and while bees were visible, they were not problematic: this year they are. It may be just a natural phenomenon that has so many in one place at one time, but it's time to get SOME of them to move on. The sheer number guarantees that there will be lots of guests stung (and I can confirm that; we went to First Aid when DD bruised her chin and needed some ice, and I mentioned the bees. The EMT on duty said that he was treating a LOT more stings than usual, though wave pool casualties were still his most common customers. In the 10 minutes we were at First Aid, 4 bee sting cases came in for ice.)

 

[Caroline NZ]

Will there be as many around in October?

 

[BudgieMama]

I hate flying bugs, especially bees and wasps. Seriously, I freak out, flap and scream like a little girl... However, I recognise that there is a bigger problem:

I get it. I'm uneasy around bees. But I also understand that there is a global shortage of bees that could result in mass famine if we don't do a better job of caring for our bees.

This. Totally this. Bees need some serious love and care. I suspect that it is almost impossible to deal with the wasps without affecting the bees. There may even be rules in place to protect the bees, which may tie Disney's hands. Anything that flies in is hard to control, as Disney can't seal the whole resort in a glass dome.

 

[Scrap_Vamp]

I hate flying bugs, especially bees and wasps. Seriously, I freak out, flap and scream like a little girl... However, I recognise that there is a bigger problem: This. Totally this. Bees need some serious love and care. I suspect that it is almost impossible to deal with the wasps without affecting the bees. There may even be rules in place to protect the bees, which may tie Disney's hands. Anything that flies in is hard to control, as Disney can't seal the whole resort in a glass dome.

I'm in agreement too. It's a difficult compromise.

I have had increasingly nasty reactions to stings the last couple of times, which scares me, but I have just learned to stay very, very still. Flapping only makes it more likely you will get stung!

We (as a family) avoid sweet drinks and foods as far as possible in an outdoor environment so they don't come to us. I also think a solution is to stop serving sweet sodas as these are like magnets for bees and wasps, and it would be less enticing for them to hang around the food service areas and trash cans.

 

[mousefan73]

This thread reminded me to be more viligant with our drinks. Anotherwards, not using straws and lids. Just getting a soda and finishing right then and there.

I have heard of wasps entering straws and then ouch!!

We will keep water bottle only lying around, but sugar drink are best indoors or drunk on the spot.

 

[OurBigTrip]

The thing is, I've been to the water parks in summer in other years, and while bees were visible, they were not problematic: this year they are. It may be just a natural phenomenon that has so many in one place at one time, but it's time to get SOME of them to move on. The sheer number guarantees that there will be lots of guests stung (and I can confirm that; we went to First Aid when DD bruised her chin and needed some ice, and I mentioned the bees. The EMT on duty said that he was treating a LOT more stings than usual, though wave pool casualties were still his most common customers. In the 10 minutes we were at First Aid, 4 bee sting cases came in for ice.)

(Bolding mine) - this exactly.

It isn't reasonable to tell people that they can only drink water or that they should gulp down their entire drink as quickly as possible.

And getting rid of the bees at a water park is going to have no effect on the global bee shortage,

 

[stargazertechie]

I hate flying bugs, especially bees and wasps. Seriously, I freak out, flap and scream like a little girl... However, I recognise that there is a bigger problem:



This. Totally this. Bees need some serious love and care. I suspect that it is almost impossible to deal with the wasps without affecting the bees. There may even be rules in place to protect the bees, which may tie Disney's hands. Anything that flies in is hard to control, as Disney can't seal the whole resort in a glass dome.

I'm *guessing* that beekeepers could be brought in during the shoulder season to place hives to attract and relocate the honeybees, which would then permit spraying for wasps.

I also think they'd do well to remove the soda stations from the waterparks, and get bear-proof trash cans (which would also seal out the bees) but we all know Disney won't remove their cash cow soda sales from the waterparks.

 

[Mousemommy1]

Perhaps they have all been displaced from the ITTBAB attraction. Should be all systems go come Sept when it reopens.

 

[TonyStark]

Went to BB today and had a Polar Patio, which generally have bee problems due to the flora surrounding each one. I'm happy to report that we only saw a handful of bees on the patio all day. No more than 3 at a time, and only then when we had a Sand Pail. We kept our mugs in the cooler on the patio and made sure to clean up food.

All of the drink stations had misters running and I didn't see any bees there or near the trash cans.

We did switch our plans from TL due to the OP, and I'm happy to say we didn't have any bee problems at BB. The weather may have helped, as it was rainy from 8:30 to 10:00am, but it was sunny the rest of the day.

 

[disnut8]

Not allergic to bees but will swell up when bitten.

However, has anyone who noticed the problem at the waterparks told Disney about it? I'm not sure I saw that on this thread and if it's out there, I apologize.

 

[MPB82]

(Bolding mine) - this exactly.

It isn't reasonable to tell people that they can only drink water or that they should gulp down their entire drink as quickly as possible.

And getting rid of the bees at a water park is going to have no effect on the global bee shortage,

Actually, killing a hive would effect the global bee shortage.

They are bees and wasps not loaded handguns or alligators. Avoid them, if you are allergic, carry an eppy pen

 

[OnSpaceshipEarth]

Anyone ever see any Praying Mantises at WDW?

They love to eat wasps.

 

[spewey]

Actually, killing a hive would effect the global bee shortage.

They are bees and wasps not loaded handguns or alligators. Avoid them, if you are allergic, carry an eppy pen

You're right. Bees aren't alligators. Bees are FAR more dangerous to humans than alligators. Not even in the same league, in fact.

Not suggesting the answer is killing them, though. They are an important species.