Pressure washing costs in McAllen

McAllen sits in the county where Africanized honey bees first reached Texas. The Handbook of Texas says the first killer bees arrived in Hidalgo County in 1990, and the border town of Hidalgo came to be known as the Killer Bee Capital of Texas. Texas A&M's apiary inspection service dates the bees' first entry into the U.S. to the fall of 1990, in south Texas.

That history matters on wash day. The inspection service lists what can set these bees off: vibration from a tractor, mower, weed eater or chain saw, loud noises, and people moving close to the hive, even without touching it. A gas pressure washer isn't on that list by name, but it is loud equipment with an engine that shakes.

These bees are less fussy about choosing a home, the service says. They may nest closer to the ground, and they love water meters and abandoned hives. Its bee-proofing list starts with the walls you're about to clean: seal and caulk cracks and small holes in siding, eaves and corners.

If bees do come at you, its steps are alert, cover and exit. Warn the people nearby, cover your head and face without blocking your vision, and get into a car or the house right away, without stopping to look for the colony.

Check the yard on the day the crew comes, not the week before. The service says colonies can move in during the day while you're at work.