N.C. Woman Finds 10,000 Bees Inside House

ap ^ | 6-7-05

[Dan from Michigan]

GREENVILLE, N.C. - Judy Byers saw about 20 bees buzzing outside her window recently and feared thousands of more were lurking close by. Again. Closer inspection Monday revealed a colony of about 10,000 bees living inside the walls of her home. A similar colony had been found at the house about a year ago.

"My first thought was, 'Oh no, they're back; we have to go through this again,'" she said.

Byers called on Joe Powell, a Rocky Mount man who extracts unwanted bee colonies from the walls of homes using a customized vacuum and carting them off to join his personal backyard collection.

Bees are at peak production during the hot months of summer, stocking up on honey to last them through winter hibernation. When overpopulation crowds a faction of bees out of a colony, they often take up refuge in an unprotected patch of wall or roof.

"If they find a hole small enough or large enough, they'll get in it," Powell said

[Dan from Michigan]

Damn that would suck. Only thing worse is 10,000 killer bees or yellow jackets.

[Enterprise]

10,000 bees on the wall
10,000 bees
one fell down
and I saw him drown
one less pesky bee on the wall

9,999 bees on the wall
9,999 bees
one fell down
and I saw him drown
one less pesky bee on the wall

[Kirkwood]

I would rather have 10,000 bees than 10,000 Formosan termites.

[Rennes Templar]

It's late but it's time for FPunr's to wax eloquent here. I can't hive the fact though that this could develop into a sticky thread.

[JoeSixPack1]

What a honey of a story! Should make quite a buzz for water-cooler talk.

But if this woman has to hive while she's getting de-combed, here's hoping the bill doesn't sting too much.

[WorkingClassFilth]

10,000 honeybees is a small colony. At peak season, a colony can go larger than 75,000 or more. Besides, this was in the walls (a common occurance) and weren't really a big deal. Honeybees in the house will go to the nearest strong light or a window since their vision is polarized for navigational reasons. They're just fuzzy babies and wouldn't hurt this lady at all.

[paulat]

Are you SURE it wasn't 9,754???

[NoCmpromiz]

They're just fuzzy babies and wouldn't hurt this lady at all.

Unless, of course, she petted them too hard....

[WorkingClassFilth]

Well, getting rough with them will do it from time to time. You can "pet" them however, just be gentle and they'll be lady like.

[Rennes Templar]

Im sure there'll be a lot of buzz over this as neighbors swarm to see her house. I just hope they don't drone on forever.

[GSWarrior]

A, CDBs?

MNOBs

OSMRBs

OS, ICDBs!

[Maigrey]

So, how would Ruth Buzzi feel about this sticky situation? Talk about needing to comb things out.

[LibertarianInExile]

"Byers called on Joe Powell, a Rocky Mount man who extracts unwanted bee colonies from the walls of homes using a customized vacuum."

"Damn that would suck"

No pun intended, I'm sure. 8^]

[A CA Guy]

I bet John Kerry would have liked these B's for his freshman and sophomore years at college!

[gubamyster]

Byers called on Joe Powell, a Rocky Mount man who extracts unwanted bee colonies from the walls of homes...

As opposed to those bee colonies we want inside of the walls of our houses.

[LibertarianInExile]

Anyone else immediately think of that Doris Day song?

"Que sera, sera..."

[The Red Zone]

Would you like the job of counting 10 thousand bees?

[kayak]

:-)

Boy, does that go back a long way.

[LibertarianInExile]

You forgot:

O, UCDBS?

SICM! ARBSRIT!

[backhoe]

Dan, a few years ago ( beyond my ability to get it easily on the web ) we had an abandoned house that was largely filled with a yellow jacket nest.

I mean, rooms full of a giant nest.

I can't recall the estimate of how many of the little devils ( they are relatives of hornets, and just as nasty ) were inside the building, but is was astronomical.

I used to drive by the place almost every day.