Feral European honeybee treatment at George Bolton Swimming Centre
On Friday 11 November the George Bolton Swimming Centre will be closed while works are underway to remove several feral European honeybee nests.
These works will commence at 8 am and are necessary as a matter of priority for the health and safety of City of Burnside residents and all other visitors to the pool. Feral European honeybee stings are known to cause health complications such as anaphylaxis, and the City of Burnside aims to reduce this risk as much as practically possible.
During this closure, we will remove the feral European honeybee hives within the vicinity of the pool, which we hope will reduce the presence of these bees during the upcoming swimming season. The City of Burnside will only target feral European honeybees during these works – native Australian bees will not be targeted.
Acting Senior Urban Forestry Officer Tom Jolley said the works would effectively remove the hives and improve public safety.
“Within 24 hours of the works, we will see a noticeable decrease in hive activity, and eventually no activity in the days following,” Mr Jolley said.
“As spring slowly warms up, there has been an increase in feral European honeybee activity, and when you have so many people within close proximity of multiple hives for an extended duration of time, there’s always a risk of stings. With stings comes the risk of severe allergic reactions.
“Being in a pool environment with visitors having a greater level of exposure than normal, the risk of being stung elevates even further, which is why this work is so crucial.”
George Bolton Swimming Centre Team Leader Ben Grant said removing the hives is necessary to ensure the ongoing safety of all guests at the pool.
“Our number one priority at the George Bolton Swimming Centre has always been, and always will be, the health and safety of our visitors,” Mr Grant said.
“Whether it’s water safety or safety from bee stings, we want all our visitors to be able to enjoy a safe, fun experience at the pool and come away happy and healthy.
“Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen a spike in stings from feral European honeybees, more so this year than in previous years.
“By removing these bees, we will be able to continue to offer a great, family-friendly outdoor experience and provide peace of mind to parents and guardians who want to bring their children to the pool.”
The George Bolton Swimming Centre has EpiPens onsite as a precautionary measure in the event of an emergency; however, we recommend that anyone who has been prescribed an EpiPen please bring it to the pool.
If you have any questions, please contact our Customer Experience team on 8366 4200.
