Mindful of Past Bee Swarms Which Caused Injuries, Pasadena Considers Contract for ‘Live Stinging Insect and Bee Removal’ Expert

The Pasadena City Council will vote Monday on a three-year contract for a bee removal expert to be on call to back up firefighters and police in the event of bee and wasp swarms.

The city has seen a number of isolated swarms in recent years, including one large incident three years ago in which 30,000 to 40,000 Africanized bees injured five people and forced the closure of a city block.

In that incident, the swarm descended on a busy intersection in Pasadena on February 20, 2020. The bees were Africanized bees, which are a subspecies of honeybee that is known for being more aggressive than other types of bees.

The swarm was so large that it forced police to close the intersection and divert traffic.

Five people were stung by the bees, including two firefighters and a police officer. The firefighters were responding to a call about a car accident when they were swarmed by the bees. The police officer was directing traffic at the intersection when he was also stung.

All of the victims were taken to the hospital for treatment. None of the injuries was life-threatening.

The bees were eventually removed from the intersection by a professional beekeeper. 

Pasadena hired a bee removal company on a month-to-month basis to be on call for future “stinging insect” emergencies and bee removals.

That company, Beecasso Live Bee Removal Inc., is now recommended by City staff as the best choice for an extended contract for three years with an option for two, one-year extension periods, renewable at the discretion of the City Manager.

A bidding process by city staff scored and pointed to Beecasso for the contract, which is valued at an amount not-to-exceed $365,000.

Beecasso is a local company that has been in business for over 20 years. They have a team of experienced beekeepers who are trained to safely and humanely remove bees from any location.

The contract would retain Beecasso to be on call 24/7 to respond to bee swarms.

The matter is included on the Council’s Consent Calendar, a list of non-controversial items that are typically approved by the Council with a single roll call vote.