More than 100,000 bees living in 70-pound hive discovered in California man’s backyard
Herb Herbert had known for a while he had a bee problem in the backyard of his California home. But he got quite a surprise when he realized just how many bees were living back there.
When professionals from Bee Nice Wildlife Rescue were called to his El Cajon home, Herbert feasted his eyes on a 70-pound hive that was home to more than 100,000 bees, he said.
Herbert first noticed the bees near the shed in his quarter-acre backyard around two years ago, but he didn’t think much of it, he told McClatchy News. Eventually they began to increase in number, leading Herbert to plug a hole he noticed the bees coming in and out of.
The problem persisted, and with Herbert planning a party at his residence, he knew it was time to safely get rid of the bees.
The professionals reportedly peeled back the flooring of his shed, unearthing the massive beehive. Herbert said he “absolutely had no idea” there were so many bees living under the shed.
“His estimate was there were probably 100,000 bees at least and 20 to 25 per minute going into the hive,” Herbert said. “That puts it at 1,200 an hour. Only 10 percent of the bees leave the hive. The other 90 percent stay in and work.”
Herbert was only stung once in the two years the bees populated his yard, and that was when he was mowing his lawn, he said.
He said he knew it was time to remove the hive with bee season approaching. Bees often hibernate in the winter and awaken in the spring to collect pollen and nectar, according to Orkin.
The bees were safely removed, which was Herbert’s hope.
The honey bee population declined by more than a third in the United States between October 2018 and April 2019, according to BeeInformed.com. In California, the honey bee population declined by more than 30 percent during the same time period, the website says.
Experts say “industrial agriculture, parasites/pathogens and climate change” have contributed to the decline of bees throughout the world, according to SOS-Bees.com.
“The most important thing to us is that we were able to save them and not have to kill them,” Herbert said. “There were some recommendations to kill them, it’s easier. But there are issues with the bee population. To take out 150,000 wouldn’t be right.”
This story was originally published February 21, 2020 at 1:46 PM with the headline "More than 100,000 bees living in 70-pound hive discovered in California man’s backyard."