Removing 35,000 bees from a brick wall is a big job. In this case, it required tearing open a 3’x5’ section of the wall. That was quite a project, but then the cleanup work begins. It’s remarkable that it only took four hours to complete the work.
Glover says that most people think a beehive is as big as a wasp’s nest, but they have no idea the magnitude of what bees are capable of doing. They’ll work with whatever space they have, and the fact that this hiding spot was so protected meant that these bees were able to house multiple generations and thousands of individual bees inside. It’s a good thing the family called him before the hive doubled in size!
A Maze of Intricate Tunnels
Glover cautiously removed every section of the honeycomb. What he saw surprised him. The Bartlett Bee Whisperer thought he had seen every kind of hive there was. But this one was gigantic. Not only that, but this hive contained a tunneling section that was simply amazing.
Glover couldn’t get over the way the bees had built the honeycomb. The bees had had years in this protected and secluded area to build a truly phenomenal hive. Without any other explanation, Glover jokingly exclaimed, “The construction crew in this part of the hive was dropping acid.”
Bees of Peace
All the while, as Glover dismantled the bees' home, the little buzzers stayed calm. We usually think of bees angrily attacking with blazing stings, but Glover said the hive was more cooperative than he expected. A few bees even rested on his shoulder, observing the process.
The bees who had their queen removed were also calm. They seemed curious and confused as they buzzed over and around the strange box that contained their queen. It just goes to show that so much of what we think we know of bees is incorrect. We tend to only encounter them when they are angry and confused, looking to protect themselves. So much so that just the sound of them buzzing makes us afraid and on edge. Not so for Glover.
A Temporary Hive
Glover was putting the final touches on his clean-up job. He left a white metal box at the entry point. This way, when worker bees return from collecting pollen, they’ll have a place to go. Going back to a beehive that does not exist anymore must be jarring. Luckily, the Bartlett Bee Whisperer was not about to leave these worker bees high and dry.
Glover's plan was to pick up those stragglers later. Some bees may have been frightened off in the removal process, but by far and away the majority of bees made it safely to their new home, where they could continue their work in safety and peace.
The Bees Left Their Mark
On the inside of the wall, behind the bricks, you can see a large, round mark. The sprawling stain was made from honey. It got there after millions of tiny feet left honey imprints on the wall. To think of how tiny bees are (let alone their feet!) and how large this honey stain is is rather staggering.
Glover joked, “Kind of cool when you think about all the times your mom told you to wipe your feet before coming into the house.” This family now had an unforgettable memento of the bewildering beehive that flourished in their very own walls.