Krispy Kreme doughnut store battles bee invasion

Krispy Kreme franchise are buzzing over a bee problem at the store resulting in painful stings and claims the insects could becontaminating doughnuts sold to gas stations and grocery stores across Florida. Photos: Click here for photos of the beesAn employee of the Krispy Kremelocation on North Florida Avenue in Tampa, who recently quit over the issue, tells 10 News the problem got so bad he eventually started documenting the insects and other issues on his cell phone. "I complained there are bees everywhere and I don't want to get stung," said the former employee who asked not to be identified. "We were told if we said anything, we'd be out of a job, so I quit." A visit to the store Tuesday afternoon revealed bees in fact swarming over the outdoor garbage dumpster. Amateur video shot by both current and ex-employees shows the bees were also inside the store, swarming in a doughnut storage area, in some cases even landing on doughnuts. Video also shows what appears to be a filthy air conditioning vent blowing near freshly cooked doughnuts, and termites eating through wood beams above the same area. An owner of the West Central Florida franchise,Gulf-Florida Doughnuts tells 10 News he is aware of the issue and is working to correct the problem. "The bees were a lot worse during thesummer months," said owner Mark Gauthier. He says a national pest control company visits the property regularly, and he's had a bee keeper on site to try and determine where the bees are coming from. "They're coming from a location off property, we just don't know where," said Gauthier. He says the company plans to get rid of the garbage dumpster out back which may be attracting the bees, and install a new, airtighttrash compactor. />