2006 Removals

We have removed honey bee colonies from several historic homes around the state since I started doing bee removals. I believe we have done most of them in Washington, GA. more than anywhere else. This historic plantation house was having repairs done to the columns which required the roof to be jacked up. When they do this they of repair the roof separates from the house (it suppose to). A honey bee colony had been removed from this area at some point in the past (we never cut the first board, we used the same cuts that were done the first time). When the roof was lifted and the crack opened that was all a new colony needed to move in. Honey bees will always choose a location that has had honey bees before. The smell draws them to the location and there is nothing NOTHING that can be done to remove the smell.

Here is another apartment ceiling/floor system.

About halfway into 2006 I did what I still believe is the largest removal ever. I know I've had a few come close, but this thing was just huge! When I cut the first hole in the ceiling I looked in and said "Ooh! I need to cut a bigger hole." It's (of course) in a truss floor system of an apartment in Athens, GA. I called my dad to come help. (My memory my be off but I will do my best to get this part right) It took well over 7 hours to vacuum the bees out and that's with both my father and I vacuuming at the same time. We figured (by weight) that there were approximately 130,000 bees in the colony. Even though there was about 130,000 bees there the colony had just swarmed a few days before (half the colony's population had left to go start a new colony) I removed 15 gallons of honey. Lastly it is the only job that I remember having to return to the next day to finish and clean up....