"C'mon, they won't bother you."

[Mr Chesapeake]

Ran a service call today. The house was all the way down a cul-de-sac and no access to the unit except through the house. This guy had six beehives just five feet away from the condensing unit. I told the guy I was allergic and he says that they won't bother me. So, I go to my truck, get my epi-pen, and decide to grow a pair and do the call. Yeah, there's nothing like having a cloud of curious honey bees buzzing around you to check you out while you work on a condenser. And they land on you too. I hate bees. Last time I got stung it was fun hanging out in the hospital half the day. Thankfully it was just a blown run capacitor, so I was out of there rather quickly.

I wish I had pics, but the homeowner stood there with me the whole time, and I was afraid a unplanned camera flash might send them into a frenzy.

[tunnel_rat]

I had a helper that was allergic to bees, and had to carry a needle around with him. It was a serious reaction too, swelled up like a hot air balloon. I doubt if it was me if I'd have done that one. Some chump's comfort ain't worth my life, or any hospital stay for that matter. He'd be moving his frikkin bees.......

[marter]

i usually dont mind them dont run from them they wont bother you (sometimes)

now if im going up or down my ext. ladder and they start coming towards me, then it gets abit hairy

[iowapmt]

Carb cleaner will shoot 8'.

[Milk man]

I would have declined.

It's a respect thing.

[cody350]

i'm allergic and i would've walked

get rid of the bees and i'll be back

my reactions are not terrible, but i would have to go to urgent care

i'm not going to urgent care for some home owner

[VetNutJim]

When I was a kid my Dad always said "just be still and they won't bother you."

Around 12 years old I was sitting on some old, wooden concrete forms and a big'ol black bee came buzzing out from under them.
Flew around my head a couple of times, I never flinched.
That bee landed on the back of my hand and stung the peedoody out of me.
I sat there and watched it sting me. Left the stinger in there when it took back off. All that time (seemed like minutes but was probably seconds) I never moved a muscle.
I could easlily have knocked him off but I did as Daddy said, I didn't move.
That was the day I found out Daddy wasn't ALWAYS right.
After the bee stung me I went running to the house and Dad put tobacco out of one of those old no filter Camel cigarettes on the sting.
Was supposed to do 'something', I can't remember what.
But it DIDN'T help ! Back of hand swelled up like a baseball and it hurt like heck.

BTW, that's a true story, happened just like that.

Don't listen to ANYBODY that says if you just leave them alone they won't sting the crap outta'ta.

Better yet, tell them to get in there, do the job and SHOW you those bees won't sting.

The carb cleaner is the BEST advice!!!! It's like a death ray to them.

[ISOTHERMAL]

Carb cleaner will shoot 8'.

Honey Bees have had a difficult time in the last several yrs. Without Honey Bees there would be very little food getting pollenated.

BTW I have been told that, in some states it is against the law to kill Honey Bees.

If it were me I would have just refused the call, especially if I were allergic to Bee stings


Of course if they are coming after you that is one thing, but to just go and spray something at a hive is another

[EugeneTheJeep]

I once had to work on a Hess Gas Station RTU, the entire para pit surrounding the roof was full of Yellow Jacket nests. We just kept our cool, and no one got stung.

[btcstudenthvacr]

I'm not a pest control service. I'm not trained on bees other than to avoid and kill them with spray. I have been stung while standing still and having one crawl in my helmet and sting my eye while riding my motorcycle, it is an old wives tale to be still. Swatting them really pisses them off too thou. I service HVAC/R equipment that is pest free, its a simple policy.

[EugeneTheJeep]

I'm not a pest control service. I'm not trained on bees other than to avoid and kill them with spray. I have been stung while standing still and having one crawl in my helmet and sting my eye while riding my motorcycle, it is an old wives tale to be still. Swatting them really pisses them off too thou. I service HVAC/R equipment that is pest free, its a simple policy.

Come On! What do you do when you go on a roof and open a disconnect and find bees? Do you ask the customer to exterminate? Leave the job? I can see if you are allergic, even the brave thread starter did his job despite his allergies, but don't tell me you are afraid of a little insect that makes honey

[btcstudenthvacr]

Come On! What do you do when you go on a roof and open a disconnect and find bees? Do you ask the customer to exterminate? Leave the job? I can see if you are allergic, even the brave thread starter did his job despite his allergies, but don't tell me you are afraid of a little insect that makes honey

When my throat swells and I can't breathe, it's life or death. You may think twice your self in my shoes.

[ampulman]

Hope you never have to use that Epi-Pen, but be aware (if not already) that the heat inside your truck will negatively affect the stability (shelf life) of the unit (see below).

While I've dispensed many of them, I can't recall looking inside the package to see if the solution was visible. If it is, you might want to check it periodically for any color change of the solution. It should be clear and colorless.

Also, the expiration date is based on being stored at 'controlled room temperature' (68 - 77 degrees F).

I would recommend that you replace them in the Spring and Fall.

Amp

[btcstudenthvacr]

Hope you never have to use that Epi-Pen, but be aware (if not already) that the heat inside your truck will negatively affect the stability (shelf life) of the unit (see below).

While I've dispensed many of them, I can't recall looking inside the package to see if the solution was visible. If it is, you might want to check it periodically for any color change of the solution. It should be clear and colorless.

Also, the expiration date is based on being stored at 'controlled room temperature' (68 - 77 degrees F).

I would recommend that you replace them in the Spring and Fall.

Amp

Good to know. Normally I have 15-20 min window on one sting before things goes south if they do. Depending on how many times I get stung and what kind of bee seems to makes a difference. I had trouble as a kid with asthma and stings, big black bee stung me and had a rush to the ER I still haven't forgotten 20 years later.

[TMH58]

I was on a rooftop replacing some hail damaged condensers one day and a very dark cloud started coming over the top of me. At first I did not know what it was. Then I realized it was bees. i yelled to my buddie and we high tailed it to the roof hatch swinging rags and flailing around.(Not a good thing to do) I find out later talking to an old timer at a bar and he tells me," That was a colony of bees moving the queen" Apparently the drones surround the queen and move in mass to protect her when they move. He also said little harm would be done a person during this process. I am not going to test that theory.

[shaygetz]

I deal with hives of a different kind. At least once every 2-3 years they'll build one in my walls, in this case, they came in around the meters. They generally are very easy to work around, just don't make any sudden moves or wear bright, flowery colors. Here, the beekeeper was showing off his little invention, a vac that sucks them into a box for moving while he looks for the queen. Only a couple hundred were in the unit when we were doing this, I've been surrounded by upwards of several thousand when clearing out a large hive, a stunt I certainly wouldn't recommend for someone with allergies.

[EugeneTheJeep]

When my throat swells and I can't breathe, it's life or death. You may think twice your self in my shoes.

You did not mention any of this in your original message? Now you are allergic too?

[btcstudenthvacr]

You did not mention any of this in your original message? Now you are allergic too?

You mention this like I have a choice. I was born allergic and asthmatic. I spent a good chunk of my childhood once a week in a dr's office getting allergy shots and at least once a year in hospital for a bad asthma attack.Made grade school a real *****, especially gym class. Lost my mother to it too. Now you know the story. Sorry I didn't know I had to post it out for you in my original post.

[Mr Chesapeake]

Hope you never have to use that Epi-Pen, but be aware (if not already) that the heat inside your truck will negatively affect the stability (shelf life) of the unit (see below).

While I've dispensed many of them, I can't recall looking inside the package to see if the solution was visible. If it is, you might want to check it periodically for any color change of the solution. It should be clear and colorless.

Also, the expiration date is based on being stored at 'controlled room temperature' (68 - 77 degrees F).

I would recommend that you replace them in the Spring and Fall.

Amp

Yeah, I know the heat gets to them if you leave them in the truck. I've been carrying one of those portable electric coolers for a few years now and I keep my epi-pen in there with my lunch and drinks. It also protects it from the UV light. And I do get them replaced when they are about to expire. I've got about three months to go on the two I have.

Normally I would have walked because I get the jitters around those critters, but like everything else in life sometimes you have to just bite the bullet and do it. Which is what I did. As for carb cleaner, I've used it on hornets and wasps, but 6 active hives would be trouble. Killing bees causes them to give off a pheromone which alerts members of its hive to go on the offensive. That I don't need.

[EugeneTheJeep]

You mention this like I have a choice. I was born allergic and asthmatic. I spent a good chunk of my childhood once a week in a dr's office getting allergy shots and at least once a year in hospital for a bad asthma attack.Made grade school a real *****, especially gym class. Lost my mother to it too. Now you know the story. Sorry I didn't know I had to post it out for you in my original post.

Well, I am allergic to sulphur dioxide, good thing it is no longer used as a refrigerant. Another reason I found that bees don't bother me, is that they don't sting me. They attack and back off after a little nibble, I guess they don't like the taste of sunscreen?