PANAMA CITY BEACH — A wasp infestation has closed the auditorium at J.R. Arnold High School.
Dancing for Life, an American Cancer Society benefit event by Fred Astaire Dance Studio, was postponed after the wasp infestation was discovered. The event had been scheduled for Thursday at the auditorium.
Bay District Schools Executive Director of Operations John Haley was not sure how long the wasps had been in the auditorium, with the Dancing for Life cancellation the first time he was made aware of the infestation.
Haley said he personally went out to the auditorium and saw wasps swarming around, adding the wasps were stirred up when lights were turned on and music played.
“They become very visible," Haley said.
Haley said he didn’t know whether any students had been stung. The auditorium will remain closed to all activities and events until the wasp situation is cleared, Haley said. Several pest control companies were contacted about eradicating the wasps, he said.
Derek Pumphrey, general manager for Brock Lawn and Pest Control, was at the auditorium Thursday afternoon and said the wasps were newly mated queens who were not nesting but getting into the auditorium to hibernate. The wasps were waiting out the winter and likely started doing so in the fall when temperatures got colder, Pumphrey said.
No extermination was done Thursday, with exterminators still inspecting the site to assess the severity of the infestation.
Several dead wasps could be seen on the floor Thursday, and more wasps were in fluorescent lighting fixtures.
Camellia Johnson, an instructor at Fred Astaire, said those who had tickets for Dancing for Life should keep their ticket. The event will be rescheduled when the auditorium opens, she said.
Arnold High Principal Keith Bland and theatre teacher Kathleen McNulty were not able to be reached for comment.
Wasps inject painful venom into a person who is stung. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, those allergic to bee stings may experience swelling of the throat, lips, and mouth, along with breathing difficulties and hives.