Springtime in Arizona means trees and flowers blooming in the desert and an increase in bee activity.

It is a time when bees may be swarming to find a new home and that can be an intimidating sight or situation for people.

According to the website for the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum, there are more than 1,000 species of bees in the Sonoran Desert.

The everyday business of honey bees was not too much to get concerned about, even if they did settle down under the eaves or the deck of a home.

However, the arrival a number of years ago of the Africanized Honey Bee, or commonly known as “killer bees,” changed people’s perception of the bees.

The Africanized bees are much more aggressive in defending their colony and queen than the docile European honey bees.

The sting of the Africanized bee is no more potent than that of the European bees, and they also can only sting once.

There are concerns due to the number that may attack at once. The venom from the hundreds or thousands that might attack can be enough to kill a dog, or a weak, elderly person or young child.

There have been a few incidents lately in the Valley involving bee attacks.

If a person is about to be attacked, he can cover his head and run for shelter, a building or car, but should be careful not to let the bees in also. In most cases a person can outrun a swarm.

People can call an exterminator or professional beekeeper to have bees removed from their property. They should only call 911 in the event of an attack and injury.

Fountain Hills Fire Chief Randy Roberts said firefighters will not kill bees unless there is a threat or danger to human safety. He highly recommends finding a beekeeper to remove the bees.

Roberts said the fire department has received some calls this spring related to bees, but none has been an emergency.