Bees secretly thrive in Scottish homes and surprise car mechanic
7:16 PM EDT, June 27, 2024
A resident of Inverness, Scotland, was living with a surprising secret—a "buzzing" bomb. Beekeeper Andrew Card from Loch Ness Honey Company visited the house and discovered over 180,000 bees living hidden under the ceiling's drywall. What's more, the colonies could have been there for several years.
The bees were probably not discovered for years because they lived in the ceiling of an additional guest bedroom. The homeowner admitted that the only clue was his grandchildren's observations, who mentioned "listening to bees at night" after every sleepover.
The beekeeper discovered three separate colonies, each averaging about 60,000 bees, which is more than the average colony at this time of year. His team removed the bees with the help of a specialized vacuum and relocated them to temporary hives.
The colonies will be monitored for six weeks for parasites and fed to give them the best chance of survival during winter.
Next year, the bees are set to start producing honey.
Bees decided to live in a BMW
Last month, a mechanic specializing in car window installations was quite surprised when a swarm of bees took over a BMW he was working on. He was replacing a window and installing a mosquito net.
An Autoglass employee from Kent, England, heard a loud buzzing just before the bees swarmed the car.
He ran to his van and called for help from local beekeeper Peter Down. The bees were believed to be seeking a new home because they outgrew their previous hive, and the BMW 2 Series seemed like an "optimal" size.
Down, who is 41, moved most of the bees, including the queen, into a mobile hive so the rest would follow. Fortunately, the swarm didn't sting anyone.
(The employee - editor's note) just wanted to equip the car with new window screens, and apparently, the queen bee decided to conduct her own inspection along with the other honey bees, said Down humorously.
He also added that the expression on the window technician's face when he arrived and saw what had happened to the BMW was priceless.
