Cue the typical "Nature is Healing" especially because pollinators are under massive pressure due to pesticides and herbicides.<p>Having said that, I'm glad they called a good beekeper who was able to rescue the hive.<p>Also, I've heard that if you have a bee infestation in your attic for example, not to call an exterminator, but to call a beekeeper. Often these new hives are valuable to hobbyists and they are happy to come take care of it for free. There are apparently directories of local beekeepers all over the world that are fairly easy to find on a search engine.
A few observations - I’m a beekeeper.<p>The brood pattern on that comb is horrible - I suspect a lot of varroa, but there are other potential causes.
Varroa can be tidied up if the colony isn’t too far gone. Once it’s removed it needs to be kept under observation for a bit, and kept away from clean hives.<p>If it’s carrying something like American Foul Brood, it shouldn’t be spread. Here in NZ the ‘treatment’ for AFB is to burn the colony and the hive.<p>A colony is unlikely to die if the queen is killed (assuming it isn’t winter). They will make a new one from an existing egg.<p>This is a neat write up - and good on the person who removed them. Cutting a colony out of a building is a horrible, messy chore. Catching a swarm is very wary in comparison.<p>Edit: one more thought, comb is white, then it goes yellow, then brown and finally black.
This is from use, bee feet and the cocoons that are inside each cell.<p>That process takes time, usually a season of two at least. I retire my comb at about 3 years old.<p>That comb looks quite black - I think it a been there for more than a season (dead bees noticed in April).
They were always busy workers, but used too many buzzwords. The boss was too gossipy, a real queen bee type. They were pretty good at crosspollinating ideas, but the cubicles felt like cells. They liked to keep the workers in the dark most of the time. They did all feel like members of one big family, though.<p>I know, you're going to downvote me. I have no regrets.
Unrelated to lockdown, but I recall once there was a raccoon who made it into a third floor research lab at my former institution. Apparently it managed to find its way into a ventilation duct somewhere on the ground floor and crawl its way up.
Always fascinated with bees. The swarm behavior, individual unit, and produced goal. The hive. Something I came across is how they regulate heat within the hive. And also how they collectively raise their body temperature to make it too hot inside should a wasp/intruder enter.<p>A 2 degree tolerance allows the bee's to survive than a wasp which enters the hive. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNroEwFxh6I&t=1s" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNroEwFxh6I&t=1s</a>
Having removed ~10,000 bees from my attic, I was surprised to learn, that they fit in a 2 gallon container. 20,000 seems like “a lot” but mass and volume, it’s really not much.
I’m always amazed at how quickly animals and insects can setup shop. I’ve experienced this a lot in commercial buildings.<p>At my current office, we’ve had crows peck through the roof twice.
Before the pandemic, I worked in a building that had a wasp problem. It was not uncommon for a wasp to fly out of the heating vent and hang out in my office.
As always, there is a relevant xkcd.<p><a href="https://xkcd.com/1439/" rel="nofollow">https://xkcd.com/1439/</a>
5k honey bees (as estimated by the beekeeper who rescued them) took over one of my trees during the lockdown.<p>Despite being just a few feet above a sidewalk, they didn't harm anyone.<p>A beautiful sight, first time I've ever seen a peaceful swarm up close, hope it's not the last.