MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The removal of a massive beehive is making its rounds on the internet.
David Glover with Bee Rescue and Removal made the removal at a historic house, set to be remodeled in Whiteville, Tennessee.
The heat map of the home looked promising but the actual removal is what led to the massive discovery.
“This is huge,” Glover said. “This is the biggie. This is the big one.”
Glover removed about 30 feet of combs from the home.
“That’s 30 linear feet plus the 15 inches between the studs,” Glover said.
All of the bees, including the queen were safely taken to a local farm.
“As we were finishing up the removal, another swarm of bees moved in and were trying to move into the house,” Glover said. “So, we were able to capture a second queen in the swarm. So, we left with two complete colonies of bees.”
Glover did point out that it is important to understand how crucial bees are to the environment.
“They’re very important,” Glover said. “Not just to our ecosystem because we like honey but for agriculture. In 2018, that was worth about $29 billion of added agriculture just from the pollination services. So, it’s very important that these bees in people’s houses get put back out on farms.”
Glover says if you find a large amount of bees near your home, call the Memphis Area Beekeepers Association and they will pick them up for free.