I don't know if you heard or not, but we had 1 (or maybe 2) colonies of bees living in out house between the 1st and 2nd floor. Last year, we knew 1 group was there and the county extension office suggested waiting until after winter then seal off the entrance. That way the bees would eat all the honey and we would not have as much of a mess to clean up. Mort sealed off the entrance and thought our problem was solved. Anyway, when we came home from DC the family room was covered in bees (literally). They had chewed a hole through the drywall by the fireplace and tried to get out the (closed) windows and doors in the family room. When they couldn't get out, they just died there. But bees kept coming out. An exterminator sprayed and plugged up the inside hole and we didn't see any more in the house, but we still had to get the hive exterminated and then remove the hives. This is Mort's beekeeping outfit as he planned out his strategy.
After the extermination, Mort cleaned out the hives- at least as much as he could see and the vacuumed up the dead bees. He was very resourceful. He had mirrors attached to coat hangers and his little flashlight trying to check between the joists. He also improvised platforms for the shop vac.
This is the hive(s) he removed. We think the darker stuff is from last year and the white is from this year. I just hope he got it all. With the high temperatures we have been having, any wax left will melt through.
Steve, Robin, David, Mitch, and Ashton relaxing before the concert
The Cousins
Bug spray, anyone? Some of us really needed it!
Steve...being Steve and Megan
Lisa and Tutu in their patriotic finery
