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The hole is about two feet wide and one foot tall. In the lower left corner is just building stuff (I don't know what it is). Everything that the bees are on is honeycomb or wax. The hive actually extended beyond the hole in both directions by about a foot, and even down the wall on the right. The beekeeper said we had between 40 and 60,000 bees. Here's a close up of the lower right corner where the bees aren't all clustered so you can see the honey comb.
How in the hell have I missed all these great posts? Wow, burnt, this is fascinating and I certainly understand your disappointment in knowing you can't keep your own personal nature project going right at your fingertips - I'd be disappointed, too. I've had two circumstances where a ton of bees moved to my backyard (two different houses, miles and years apart), but within several hours they moved on.
I've got several questions.It seems we're seeing the hive from the inside of your house? Could they not get to it from the outside? Is the hive all around the studs, is that what we're seeing? Did the beekeeper have any idea how long they'd been there?
ETA: You just posted the second picture - it's amazing 60,000 bees could be so quiet, isn't it? What a terrific close-up of the honeycombs.So you're saying the hive is about four feet wide? Wow!
Yes, this is from the inside. They would have to remove brick to get to it from the outside. I'd rather repair sheetrock than brick! And they built a little tent of plastic sheeting when they started sucking out the bees so they wouldn't escape into the rest of the house. Yeah, those are the studs that the hive is all wrapped around. The beekeeper said they had to have been there for at least 8 months to be able to build what they have. He also said they've probably spawned several swarms that built hives elsewhere in the neighborhood. I only got the one picture because I was starting to get a little freaked out being in the plastic tent in bare feet talking to two people in all their bee getup.
I'm totally going to add that to my wish list on Amazon, Gutmutter. Thanks for the title!
And here's an update on bee watch 2007 -- They came after dark and sucked out MORE bees. It was only supposed to be the few stragglers who ran the first time and had to come home at dark. But no, they got another 20,000 or so. Yikes. And he said that he heard some buzzing still but it was echoing so he thinks a bunch of them clustered in some hollow place in the walls that he couldn't reach. It's kind of an odd setup where they started their hive and they have plenty of places to hide. Smart queen. And on a very positive note, they are sure that my bees were European and not African. The bees were very gentle and neither of the beekeepers got stung once, which is abnormal even for European bees. They don't know if they got my queen in either of the two passes, but if they find her, they're going to keep her and just clip one of her wings so she can't fly away once they get her set up on their farm. Yay! They have to come again to try to get the rest tomorrow. If they can't get to the remaining buzz they hear they'll have to shoot in some powder to kill them. But I'm amazed and happy that I had so many big, healthy, gentle bees that are going to live on. I told the guy as they were leaving tonight that I was kind of sad to see them go and he said "Don't worry, they'll be much happier in the country on my farm. They don't belong in the city where there's more pavement than flowers." Awww. And seeing live bees in a box like you see on TV is AMAZING! I am in awe of these creatures now.
Fying in and out of their 'little' hive. This seems funny now that you know what you had in your walls.They're definitely honey bees. We've taken pictures of them flying in and out of their little hive. It's not too big yet....
Probably not as interested? Are you kidding????? I was so relieved that you'd called the beekeeper instead of waiting til spring (altho I wonder...by spring, would the bees have consumed the honey themselves, thus making for less of a honey cleanup?) If you'd seen all the honey and comb broken out of the building I saw in NC...it was just stunning how much there was and the sheer size of the mass on the ground.And it is NOT free (curses), I have to pay for the "extermination".I'll be sad to see my little National Geographic experience leave. If I can take some pictures, I will. You all probably aren't as intersted, but it's exciting stuff around here
I'm sorry it wasnt free...you'd think...they are getting all that honey and the bees...will your homeowner's insurance help pay for any of this?
Only EIGHT months??? wow...I thought with that many bees they'd have been there longer.those are the studs that the hive is all wrapped around. The beekeeper said they had to have been there for at least 8 months to be able to build what they have.
Sounds like this story is going to have a happy ending... keep us posted....cant wait to hear the rest of it...will you have to get in there with soap and water and clean out the honey/hive residue inside the walls?They don't know if they got my queen in either of the two passes, but if they find her, they're going to keep her and just clip one of her wings so she can't fly away once they get her set up on their farm.
burntbratThat is really neat, and what a great thing you did.A lot of people would have killed them without any second thoughts. I hope the clean up isn't too much trouble. I'm also amazed you couldn't hear them. Is that wall in a room you don't use much, or else the TV room
. I would be a little freaked out by it all. Thanks for the great pics!
I was in someone's home once that had a glass "sandwich" beehive in their living room with access to the outside. You could see the bees coming and going and building the comb, etc. Now I'm wondering how they arranged that. I remember being fascinated by it the whole time I was there. Burntbrat - ask your beekeeper person about that. Hmmm. Something I'd want to do here?
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