Bees

Though diminutive in size, the contributions of these creatures to our planet's ecosystems are monumental. Life on Earth would not exist without this tiny creature. With bee populations plummeting in the last century, it is becoming imperative that we save them whenever we can.

My mother-in-law noticed a swarm under the deck of her house. The multi-generational hive had built a substantial home inside the house. Over the years, a relatively small hole, about the size of a half-dollar, was whittled away, allowing entrance. The buzzing in the ceiling could be heard, and it was even louder in the room above when I placed my ear on the floor. Instead of spraying to eradicate them, we chose to pay the price.

Nestled within the floorboards and ceiling, the bees returned each year to build a fortress. We didn’t realize how large the colony had grown until the discovery was brought to light. A bit of research and a phone call brought a quality bee harvester to inspect our quandary. They arrived and surveyed the task before them. A team of three spent the necessary time determining the best approach to extract the hive.

A portion of the 60-year-old hardwood floor had to be cut out for the bee specialists to access the honeycombs. Yes, repairs will be needed for the floor and wall, but the hive was removed safely and will find a new home. The bee specialist returned a few hours after the majority of the swarm was removed to collect the remaining lost ones and reunite them with their family. I was instructed to gently capture any stragglers that ventured out of the cordoned-off area with a glass and thin pad of paper, and release them outside to continue their lives. Though they may never find the hive they had known, surely they would be adopted into a new family.

We were given a container to sample the honey that the bees created while living among us. It was a delight to taste something so pure, unscathed by human hands.

The ordeal was surreal. An estimated 20,000 to 30,000 bees were part of this hive. The sheer numbers brought shivers to my skin. They lived within the hollows of a structure where we slept, ate, and celebrated holidays, and we co-existed without fault. Their nuisance was brief, a sting or two over the years, but nothing that would have ended the peaceful collusion of nature and man.

While our path, our life, may undergo radical changes, with some damage occurring and perhaps even some loss, could it be that it was all meant for a new life?

This old house requires a few repairs, but I find solace in knowing that it has contributed positively to the environment despite a damaged floor and plaster wall. Though I winced at the noise when I heard the saw cutting into the floor, I knew I was expanding the world around me. When the little living beings, those seemingly ungrateful buzzing bees, were gone, I felt a sense of duty to the Earth. That sense soothed me. And now, as we build a place for a new hive to join us, albeit OUTSIDE of the house, we are reminded that sometimes a little pain is for the greater good.