PHOENIX — If you think you’re seeing more bees, you’re not dreaming: Arizona’s warmer weather is bring out the insects by the thousands.

“That speeds up their ability to reproduce faster,” Curtis Whalen, with Blue Sky Pest Control in Phoenix, said.

As the bees reproduce at a faster rate, the amount of food required by the hive increases.

“Wildflowers and regular flowers — and all the landscaping people have — they need that,” Whalen said. “They need nectar and pollen.”

Whalen said most bees in Arizona are now Africanized, which presents another problem. They are more aggressive and tend to congregate in larger swarms, meaning they will attack in larger numbers if they feel threatened.

Whalen said it is best to leave bees alone because it is difficult to tell if they are Africanized from a distance. If you find bees in or near your home, or on a roof or tree branch, call an expert to have them removed.

Arizona’s bee season typically runs from mid-March through mid-September.

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