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A Texas non-profit group is hoping to save part of our ecosystem by relocating bees. A massive honey bee hive is safe and sound after being removed and relocated. The bees that were calling it home on the side of the hotel were rappelled down.
Some honey bees at Austin's Town Lake Holiday Inn have made themselves comfortable. "On the under-hang of the 12th floor a feral bee hive or wild bee hive attached itself in the spring," said Walter Schumacher.
Now the clever creatures are getting an eviction notice. Instead of killing the bees, Schumacher and his non-profit organization, The American Honey Bee Protection Agency, is stepping in to help.
"Once we're there they're going to cut out each individual piece of honey comb and then put it into a frame, and put that frame into a bee box," said Schumacher.
Their answer is to meticulously remove each part of the hive, and suck the bees into a vacuum.
"In Austin the preferred method is relocation," said Schumacher.
It's a choice beekeeper like Chloe Baer feels can help us all
"Protecting them, and helping them thrive and expand in the urban environment is really beneficial," said Baer.
"Honey bees, are a necessity. Without them, humans would probably starve," said Schumacher.
After the crew gathers the bees, they will nurse the hive, and put them in a less dangerous location on top of the roof.
"So everybody wins, Holiday Inn wins, the bees win, the city of Austin wins, these beautiful trees win," said Schumacher.
It's an effort to show the other side of a misunderstood insect
"When I was a kid, I was told that bees sting you and they're dangerous and they're aggressive and people put poison on them," said Schumacher.
"They're just such an important part of the ecosystem, without them we wouldn't have this green space," said Baer.
The crew will place the hive along with a few others on top of the Holiday Inn hotel.