It’s just after midnight in Bedfordview, and we have just finished an absolute epic battle. If you caught our last post, you know we were at this same property two nights ago dealing with a poisoned “non-removal”. Tonight was the redemption round—and man, did these bees put up a fight!

The Challenge: Apex Contortion

The colony had moved into the cottage roof, specifically in the apex cavity where all the structural timber and rafters meet.

• Access: We chose to go through the ceiling board rather than disturb the complex waterproofing and mesh under the roof tiles.
• The Struggle: The space was incredibly tight. Getting the bee vac and our tools around the timber was a technical nightmare. It wasn’t the largest hive we’ve ever seen, but the physical difficulty made it a true marathon.

A “Perfect” Piece of Comb

Despite the tight squeeze, the rewards were beautiful. We pulled out a frame-perfect piece of comb that is a textbook example of a healthy colony:

• The Layout: A thick ring of pollen around the edges, with a massive center of healthy larvae and capped brood.
• The Queen: Looking at the density, the queen had laid in practically every single cell. There wasn’t a wasted millimetre of wax in there!

The Outdoor Cluster

After we cleared the interior cavity, the job wasn’t over. A huge portion of the swarm had clustered on the outside wall near the entry point.

1. The Shift: We moved the ladders outside to vacuum the external cluster.
2. The Light Trick: We left a bright light shining into the interior corner to draw any remaining stragglers out of the dark rafters so we could collect them before heading home.

12:00 AM and Heading Home

We are exhausted but thrilled. We’ve turned a “sad story” property into a successful rescue, saving a high-quality queen and her colony from a potential DIY disaster. They are now heading to the Kyalami Apiary to join the road to 300 hives.

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Want to see the “apex” struggle for yourself?

The footage of us navigating those rafters is pretty intense—make sure to subscribe and hit the like button! Every bit of support helps us save more colonies across Johannesburg.

Beekeeper’s Question: When you’re working in a tight roof apex, do you prefer a headlamp or a stationary work light to draw the bees out? Let’s talk gear in the comments!

How should we proceed? Would you like an update on how this “Apex” queen is laying in her new box, or should we head to the next technical wall removal?