One thing I like about my job, is how exciting and interesting it can be from day to day! I come across some pretty bizarre and crazy bee stories. 

Take for example, this honey bee removal I did in Dunwoody, Georgia, north of Atlanta. The bees had just traveled cross-country from California all the way to Georgia. A company in Dunwoody had ordered some concrete boxes that would be buried in the ground and hold cable lines. These concrete boxes came on a big truck and were completely empty on the inside. Before the journey was made, apparently honeybees had swarmed inside one of the concrete boxes and made a bee nest.

Up to a hundred of these concrete crates were unloaded neatly into the receiving area, possibly at night  because I don't think the bees were noticed right away. I am guessing the following day, thousands of bees were seen swarming in the middle of the stack of concrete crates.  The company quickly had their forklift driver start moving the pallets of  concrete boxes aside until she was able to get to the one that had the bees. She was able to pull this pallet out into the middle of unloading area where it could be dealt with.

By the time I arrived on the scene the bees were pretty stirred up! There were bees flying everywhere, and I could not get close without being stung, so I had to put my beekeeping suit on. I usually wait until I start getting stung to put my suit on because it is so hot and easier to work with the bees without it on. But sometimes I have no choice but to wear it, especially if the bees are being more defensive than usual. 

When I took the heavy lid off the concrete box I could tell the bees had had a very rough Journey. A lot of the comb of the hive had fallen to the bottom of the crate in transport. I could see the remains of the comb stuck to the top of the crate where the nest had been built originally. 

Southeast Bee Removal got everything removed from inside the Box including the honey, comb, and most of the bees. Since the bees were so stirred up there were still many flying in the air. After a day, these would calm down and go away, but there was not much else I could do about that for now.

After this, the bees had one final journey to make. That was to our Fayetteville bee yard, where they could finally settle down and rest and enjoy their bee life.