Welcome back to the Bee Sanctuary! Today we’re working on a rooftop not too far from home. This removal is a classic case of “I’ll get to it later”—the homeowner was told about the bees during a roof repair back in August of last year. That means this colony has had over a year to make themselves comfortable.

It’s a chilly spring evening in Johannesburg, with temperatures hovering around 18°C. Our mission is to move fast; if the brood gets too cold during the extraction, it won’t survive. We need to get these bees tucked into their new box as quickly as possible.

The Inspection: Betting on the Direction

Bees are master architects, and they love a good roof cavity.

• The Tiny Cavity: Initially, we thought we were in for a massive job, but once we popped the first few tiles, we realized the cavity was quite shallow. The ceiling board sits just a few inches below the tiles, creating a long, flat space for the nest.
• A Losing Bet: There’s always a bit of guesswork involved in finding the heart of the hive. I put my money on the bees moving to the right, but after pulling a few tiles, it was clear they’d headed left toward the main wall. I’m glad we didn’t put a real wager on that one!

Reading the Comb: A History of the Hive

As we started pulling tiles, the story of this colony became clear.

• Old vs. New: We found very dark, almost black comb near the wall—this is the oldest part of the hive, likely where they started a year ago. As we moved up the roof, the comb turned a lighter, fresher yellow, showing exactly where they’ve been expanding this spring.
• Propolis Everywhere: The ceiling board was coated in thick, sticky propolis. This “bee glue” is used to sanitize and seal the hive, and it has a wonderful, distinct smell. It’s also a key ingredient in many natural health products!

Spring Fever: The “Drone” Explosion

Because it’s early spring, this colony is in full expansion mode.

• The Drone Tell: We found an unusual amount of drone cells (male bees). You can tell them apart because they are larger and more “bullet-shaped” than the flat, uniform worker brood.
• The Swarm Signal: Seeing this many drones tells us the colony was preparing to swarm. Drones are produced specifically to go on mating flights with new queens.
• Technical Choice: During a removal, we specifically avoid putting drone comb into the new hive frames. We want the colony to focus its energy on workers and the Queen to ensure they settle in strongly at the apiary.

Mission Accomplished

Despite the cold air, we managed to extract the core of the nest and vacuum the workers safely. It was a fascinating look at how a colony survives a Johannesburg winter and immediately starts building upward and outward the moment the spring sun hits the roof tiles.

Want to see how we handle these high-altitude removals?

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