I used to think I loved all creatures great and small...then came the termites ...but before them, came the bees.
At first they looked so sweet and innocent, buzzing around the tree outside my 2nd floor window, stingers safely on the other side of the screen. I’d look at all he pretty white blossoms and think how the bees had made that happen.
Little did I know what was transpiring behind the scenes. 
We’d heard about the decimation of the bee population worldwide, so I thought I was doing a good deed by housing them in my tree. They seemed concentrated there, but even when I was outside gardening or walking by, they were not aggressive. However, I soon noticed a small pile of dead bees every morning on the porch on the other side of the house, about 30 feet away. I figured they were coming from another tree on the opposite side of the garden where they had congregated a few months ago.
Within just a few short weeks, they had quadrupled in number and were constantly buzzing up against the screen, and a few had slipped inside where the cat had pawed small tears in the mesh. Then, my sons noticed them falling out of the ceiling ducts...some were still alive but a bit woozy.
Time to call in the experts! I summoned the beekeeper first, as I still wanted to rescue them and transport them to a faraway land, but it was too late for that; plus, their hive was inaccessible.
The bee removal company was next. Poking and prodding through the host tree and the attic, not one but two large hives were discovered tucked carefully inside the eaves-- just a bit out of reach...and they were calculated to weigh up to 80 pounds each!!! I was calculating how much it was going to cost to annihilate these ungrateful guests--especially once I heard that large portions of my roof would have to be removed in order to adequately eliminate them, and then the attic would have to be sanitized. This is a crucial step, as the sweetness of the honey attracts rats. And--the termite company would not start the fume until I got rid of the bees. Talk about being instantly over-budget!
Note the hive on the rafter, and the Coke can for proportion. Hives really are lovely-- and a very expensive piece of art!
It took a few extra weeks and a lot of extra work, but now I am bee-free, and thanks to the help of a friend and his family, I’ve got a partially new roof and a squeaky clean attic.
As much as I love flowers and animals, I am now on my guard for excessive bees. If you notice an overabundance of bees at your house, call a beekeeper immediately, as sometimes they can save and relocate the hives; if not, pounce on the task and get the bee removal people out there right away.
© 2013 Barb Fischer San Diego La Mesa
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