Maybe your child isn’t so allergic to bees that you keep Benadryl and an EpiPen on hand at all times. Even an ordinary bee sting can cause pain and tears, and there have been a lot of them at the Verona Pool this summer–bee stings, that is.
Bees love clover and there is a lot of clover in the grassy areas around the pool this summer. But there’s always been a lot of clover in the grass there, so why we have so many more bees this summer is a bit of a mystery. Bee populations have been in serious decline in New Jersey and all across the U.S. in recent years, so maybe we should be celebrating that Verona has enough to warrant our attention.
The Verona Pool usually gets a run of wasps in mid- to late-August, and it always puts out wasp traps. But the large number of bees this early has prompted Verona to put out bee traps at the pool, and to spray around the property. (The pool’s maintenance team has also sprayed for an abundance of poison ivy around the edges of the pool property.) Township Manager Joe Martin says the town has not yet considered replacing the clover with a ground cover that is less bee friendly because the bees have not been this much of a problem in the past.
So, if you’ll pardon the pun, bee smart around Verona Pool for the rest of this summer. Encourage your kids to stay on the walkways and off the grass, especially around the shuffleboard courts and flagpole area, where the clover is most abundant. You might also want to consider mandating water shoes or flip-flops. If your kids–or you–do get stung, the First Aid room is right next to the women’s locker room.
