You can assume that any bees you see are the very aggressive Africanized bees.

A large swarm of bees stung several residents and at least two firefighters Tuesday as they responded to an active beehive in a pine tree at a Scottsdale home.

The beehive, which was comparable to the size of a trash can, was resting 35 feet high in the tree in the 5300 block of North 83rd Place, near Granite Reef and Jackrabbit roads.

Fire crews worked with the homeowner to contact a bee-removal service, and nearby residents and schools had been contacted, informing them of the situation and to stay inside, according to the Scottsdale Fire Department.

None of those stung by the bees has been taken to the hospital, Nichols said.

Since the entry of Africanized honey bees into Arizona in the 1990’s, bees are no longer cute.

If you see some bees you should see if you can find out where they are coming from.

If you can find where you think the hive may be, DO NOT attempt to remove it yourself. Tell the property owner and if it is on your property, call a company that specializes in the removal of bee hives. Call your local fire department of advice.

I understand, although I’m no expert, that Africanized bees won’t go more than about one-quarter mile from the hive. That means that you can out run them.

But not everyone can escape. Most of the deaths are elderly folks who can not run away fast enough and pets who are trapped in their backyards or on leashes.

Keep an eye out for bees in your neighborhood.

A pipe bursts in the wall of a condo. Is the HOA or condo owner responsible for the resulting damage?

When a broken pipe flooded several McCormick Ranch condominiums in June, causing massive damage, homeowners figured they could count on the insurance they purchased through their homeowners association dues.

They were wrong.

Not only did the HOA fail to act on their insurance claim, but the association is refusing to install water pressure relief valves on the building to prevent future breaks, and is blocking the residents from installing the valves themselves, said Gerry Price, whose condo suffered up to $20,000 in damage from the flood.

Furthermore, the HOA has ceased communication with the residents, refusing to respond to phone and e-mail messages, Price said.

The HOA, through its property management firm, National Property Services, wouldn’t answer questions from the Tribune, either.

Price’s condo was one of four in the McCormick Ranch Villages II complex on Purdue Avenue, off 91st Street just south of Mountain View Road in Scottsdale, that suffered major water damage when a pipe behind condo owner Wendy Nickerson’s toilet broke.

From the azcentral;

• ZMC Hotels is planning to tear down the 33-year-old Pima Inn and Suites, 7330 N. Pima Road, to build a three-story, 100-room hotel.

As planned, the new hotel would be a Cambria Suites, an upscale, all-suites brand that Choice Hotels International Inc. of Silver Spring, Md., launched about two years ago.