Bees in the Belfry

I’m often asked, what’s the biggest, messiest bee hive I’ve ever removed? The one that always comes to mind was early in my business.

Let’s set the stage. Kids lined up for lunch at the base of a five story bell tower when more than a few kids are chased by more than a few guard bees. Administrators have only one choice but to call A.S.A.P. Bee Removal.

They have no idea where the hive is but one look 50 feet up tells me it’s a huge hive from the sheer number of bees entering and exiting. No, the bells are not in operation. You must know there are no elevators to the top of the nearly 100 year old bell tower, so I laddered up from the interior. What I found was a totally africanized hive that probably had dozens of queens on the hive. It’s not unusual to find numerous queens on a africanized beehive.

Two hours later having been successful on the extermination I was given permission to pull the beehive. Killer Bees were bred for their honey production, but I had no idea this removal would amount to approximately 800 pounds of honey, wax comb and brood (dead bees and eggs). Two men and 8 hours later we were loading my truck with sticky bag upon bag.

I had way underestimated the size and scope of this job. As always experience proved to be the best teacher. This one stuck with me!