Cape Coral man’s mailbox swarmed by bees, halting mail delivery

A Cape Coral man is grappling with a swarm of bees that has taken over his mailbox, leaving his mail delivery on hold and prompting him to set up a temporary second mailbox.

Carol Enmon, who lives on SW 5th Place near SW 40th Terrace, said the situation has drawn plenty of attention from neighbors.

"I have a lot of people come to our house, knock at our door, let us know we got some bees in our mailbox," Enmon said.

Enmon described his mailbox as unique and said he tried to figure out why the bees chose it.

"Well, it's a unique mailbox. If I was going to have a home. But, you know, it's interesting. There are no real holes underneath," he said.

The swarm has also caused issues with mail delivery.

"So now our mailman won't deliver mail; he's been a great man, Russ," Enmon said.

A mail carrier, speaking off-camera, said the bees have been in the mailbox since last Friday. Video footage showed the carrier driving past the mailbox without stopping, and Enmon’s mail is currently on hold.

Even though Enmon has set up a second mailbox without bees, the original mailbox continues to draw attention from neighbors.

"They're not coming after me. They're not coming after you. We're standing within ten feet of it. They're not bothering us," said Chuck Greenberg, another Cape Coral resident.

"I'm allergic to bee stings, but they won't sting me, said Paul Simms.

Bee expert Matt Anderson of Anderson Bee Removal explained that it’s not uncommon for bees to swarm mailboxes, especially during the summer.

"You don't want to do that because the longer bees are there, the more pheromone gets laid down. And bees, even if you remove the current hive, if bees have been there for a while, the attractant for them to come back there, a new swarm, is pretty high," Anderson said.

Enmon said he contacted several beekeepers but learned that removal services are not free. He plans to have the bees removed by Saturday if they are still there. In the meantime, he intends to move the temporary mailbox in hopes of finally receiving his mail.