Africanized bees create negative buzz in Houston neighborhood

Credit: Joe Raedle

Credit: Joe Raedle

An upscale neighborhood in Houston that is home to several colonies of Africanized bees is causing a negative buzz among dismayed residents.

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"They are everywhere in this town," Claude Griffin, owner of Gotcha Pest Control, told KHOU about the aggressive bees in the River Oaks neighborhood.

"Everyone walks around here, so it's kind of scary to know that that's there," Kathleen Zinn told the television station.

An 80,000-bee hive on one street was removed by two pest control companies, but the void was filled quickly with a second hive two blocks away atop a tree.

"This one is worse than that one," Griffin told KHOU.

The second hive is larger and more dangerous, so Griffin said it could not be taken down Thursday.

"You can see how many bees there are guarding the most beautiful queen you've seen in your life," Griffin told KHOU.

Griffin said he wanted the neighborhood “completely on lockdown” when he removed the bees, the television station reported.

Residents just want to be safe when they walk through the neighborhood.

"It's a concern when you have kids riding their bikes," Zinn told KHOU. "There's not a sign on that tree. There's just pile-ons. It'll be a great relief."

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