Un-bee-lievable.<\/p>\n
The NYC Parks Department is giving a terrified Queens neighborhood a stinging response over a massive hornets\u2019 nest \u2014 telling worried residents to pay out of their own pockets to humanely relocate it.<\/p>\n
Reps for Councilman Phil Wong\u2019s office swarmed the agency with complaints this week after constituents spotted a wasp fortress the size of two basketballs hanging 10 feet up in a city tree at the corner of Cowles Court and Dry Harbor Road in Middle Village, mere steps from a 79-year-old woman\u2019s home.<\/p>\n
The NYC Parks Department gave Queens neighborhood a stinging response over a massive hornets\u2019 nest \u2014 telling residents like Anthony Labita on Cowles Court in Middle Village to pay out of their own pockets to humanely relocate it. J.C. Rice for NY Post<\/p>\n
They asked the agency to exterminate the pests or remove the hive \u2013 only to be told to buzz off.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Parks Department worker bee Camile Easterling told the councilman\u2019s staff the city won\u2019t touch the stinging horde of bald-faced hornets because they \u201cplay an important role in our ecosystem.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBees and wasps serve as plant pollinators and help control populations of harmful insect pests,\u201d gushed Easterling, an assistant to the department\u2019s borough commissioner, in a Monday email to Wong\u2019s chief of staff, Daniel Kurzyna, obtained by The Post.<\/p>\n
If relocation is deemed \u201cnecessary,\u201d Easterling said the agency \u201crecommend[s] hiring a qualified insect relocator\u201d \u2014 but reminded Kurzyna that \u201cany work performed on or involving a city tree requires\u201d a tree work permit from the agency, adding another layer of red tape.<\/p>\n
Hiring contractors to relocate bees and wasps\u2019 nests from NYC trees typically costs anywhere from $200 to $800, according to Angi.com.<\/p>\n
A wasp nest at the corner of Cowles Court and Dry Harbor Road in Queens. J.C. Rice for NY Post<\/p>\n
Easterling also suggested residents call 911 if it\u2019s an emergency as the NYPD has a dedicated beekeeping unit.<\/a><\/p>\n Wong called the Parks Department\u2019s response \u201cabsurd.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cResidents should not have to pull a permit, hire a contractor and pay out of pocket to relocate a wasp nest from a city tree, while the other option is apparently to wait until someone gets stung and call 911,\u201d the moderate Queens Democrat<\/a> told The Post. \u201cParks needs to do its job before somebody gets hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n The nest is home to bald-faced hornets, which are a type of wasp. J.C. Rice for NY Post<\/p>\n Betty Coccaro, who spotted the nest hanging from a tree outside her home last week, questioned whether the city is putting the health of bugs ahead of residents \u2014 especially since some people have life-threatening allergies to stings.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course I\u2019m concerned,\u201d said the 79-year-old. \u201cWhat happens if the nest falls?<\/p>\n \u201cI could see if it was bees because you can get honey out of them, but the only thing you can get out of this is being stung. Why won\u2019t they get rid of them?\u201d<\/p>\n The wasp nest is outside the adjacent homes of Anthony Labita and neighbor Betty Coccaro. J.C. Rice for NY Post<\/p>\n Jody Gangloff-Kaufmann, coordinator of Cornell University\u2019s Integrated Pest Management program, said bald-faced hornets usually build nests higher up on trees and avoid interacting with people, but she understands why residents are concerned.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tStart your day with all you need to know\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMorning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n