Most bees are harmless. In fact, most bees are pretty important members of the agricultural and horticultural community. But there are some situations where bees are not your friends.

If you see a structure about the size of a large cup (could be as big as a Slurpee cup) that looks a little like a sprayed cone of cardboard or paper, and it hums or seems to vibrate, you may be seeing a hive. And if the hive belongs to Africanized honey bees, they can represent a threat to you, your family or your pets.

Most Tucson apartments have good maintenance crews that keep an eye out for hives. But that doesn’t mean they have x-ray eyes. If you notice a lot of bee activity, or you hear bees buzzing in a specific area, stay away from that area and call the City of Tucson Neighborhood Resources number at 792-CITY (792-2489).

Remember – not everything that buzzes is as helpful as we are at hubbuzz.com.

Photo courtesy of greensmiths.com – a great source of info about bees.