Welcome back to the Bee Sanctuary! Today was one of our most physically demanding removals yet. I was invited by Hannes from Bee Live to assist with a massive African honeybee colony that had been established in a residential roof for over five years.

When a colony is left alone for this long, it doesn’t just grow; it integrates with the structure of the home. This mission presented a unique set of challenges that I haven’t seen in my three years of beekeeping.

The Challenge: A Sea of Polystyrene

The crawl space was incredibly limited, but that wasn’t the biggest hurdle. The homeowner had stored loose polystyrene cubes and sprayed insulation all over the ceiling.

• The Mess: We were literally lying in a sea of polystyrene while trying to work. It was uncomfortable, messy, and made moving equipment like the bee vac nearly impossible.
• Integrated Comb: We discovered that the bees had actually chewed the polystyrene and interlinked it with their wax. It was a bizarre “bio-synthetic” nest that was incredibly tough and messy to take apart.

The Extraction: A Collapsed History

A colony left for five years goes through cycles. We found that the original, massive nest had actually collapsed under its own weight at some point.

• Old vs. New: Huge slabs of old, black comb were lying flat on the ceiling boards. The current, active nest was built on top of this wreckage.
• Exponential Growth: In favorable conditions, a colony like this can expand its nest by 2 to 4 square meters a year. This hive was a sprawling metropolis of thousands of bees.

Technical Strategy: Managing the Cluster

Because the space was so tight, we had to be tactical.

• The Assembly Ground: Hannes pointed out an “emergency assembly ground” where the bees were clustering on one side. Instead of vacuuming them immediately, we left them to group up. This allowed us to clear the comb first and gave us a better chance of spotting the Queen in the cluster.
• Drone Brood: We found large patches of fresh drone brood (male bees). This is a sign that the colony was strong and healthy, preparing for a potential seasonal split.

Mission Accomplished

After hours in the “polystyrene jungle,” every bee was vacuumed into Hannes’ custom-built vacuum, and the brood comb was secured in insulated boxes to keep it warm.

The Final Step: Prevention

The most important part of a five-year removal is making sure it doesn’t become a six-year problem. We advised the homeowner to:

1. Install Branding: Properly seal the roof cavity.
2. Fill the Volume: Use insulation to fill the space completely. If there’s no air space, there’s no room for a new nest.

Want to see more “impossible” roof rescues?

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