Bee awareness

Arizona State University campuses are home to thousands of students, faculty and staff, as well as many bees, which use ASU facilities as resting areas during certain times of the year.

Bees play an essential role in our lives, including being responsible for approximately one-third of the food and drink we consume. ASU is working to conserve native pollinators by increasing the abundance of native plants, providing education and reducing the use of pesticides.

The program continues to implement sustainable environmental practices and promote the benefits of pollinators. Bee City USA and Bee Campus USA are initiatives of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation with a mission to galvanize communities and campuses to sustain pollinators by providing them with healthy habitats.

Bee facts

• ASU Polytechnic campus is home to one of the largest bee laboratories in the United States, where researchers are studying bee immunization, social behavior and evolution.
• Bees will seek resources like at a trash can or pool of water. These bees are not swarming; they are simply stopping off to get their food or water and then move on.
• Most sighted bee swarms are not actually creating a hive, they are just traveling or resting.
• Pollinators are keystone species in essentially every terrestrial ecosystem on earth, assisting in plant reproduction and supporting other species of wildlife. — Xerces Society
• The U.S. is home to just over 3,600 native bee species such as bumble bees, leafcutter bees, sweat bees, mason bees, longhorn bees and mining bees. — Xerces Society
• The value of crop pollination has been estimated between $18 and $27 billion annually in the U.S. — Xerces Society

Bee safety

The ASU Police Department assists ASU Grounds Services to cordon off areas until grounds can safely move the bees off campus.

Bee swarms and hives: What should you do?

1. Keep at a safe distance.
2. Do not aggravate bees or try to kill them.
3. Provide the time and location of the bee sighting.
4. Report details: Approximately how many bees did you observe? Are the bees flying, in a tree or on a building? Was anyone stung?
5. Call Facilities Management, available 24/7 at 480-965-3633 or use the ASU LiveSafe app. Tap: tips>other>send details

ASU Alert and Advisory messages: ASU Police sends Alert and Advisory messages to the campus community based on bee swarm severity through email, text, Facebook and the social platform X. Emails also are sent to all university email accounts. For more information, visit the Alerts and Advisories Web page.

ASU LiveSafe mobile app: Send ASU Police real-time, anonymous tips that include chat, pictures, audio and video. Download the free app via Apple iTunes or Google Play. Learn more about app features on the ASU LiveSafe Web page.