Large beehive saved near park
SKYE POURNAZARI/THE FORUM
While bees swarm around him, Pat Mullins brushes bees off and into a hive box Saturday at a home near Happy Hollow Park. Believing he caught the hive queen, Mullins said he’ll take the hive to his boxes west of town.
MARYVILLE, Mo. — Described by a neighbor as looking like a tornado, a bee swarm recently moved into a local man’s backyard near Happy Hollow Park. It was located and removed Saturday.
Bob Westfall went out to mow Saturday afternoon, but found it a bit dangerous after discovering a large hive of honey bees in one of his bushes.
Pat Mullins, who keeps a few bee hives west of town, was kind enough to come in and remove the bees. Dressed in protective beekeeping gear, he used a saw to cut off a branch the bees were attached to and place it — and hopefully the queen — into the hive box.
“It’s just so exciting to see a swarm that tight on a ground level,” he said.
With all the commotion, the worker bees darted here and there surrounding Mullins in an attempt to protect their queen.
He estimated the hive to number anywhere from 10,000 to 15,000 bees. They may have come from another hive box in town, but it’s hard to tell, Mullins said. Bees can travel up to 3 miles and usually only leave their hive, when it becomes full.
While waiting for the bees to settle down and move into the hive box, Mullins explained when a hive box becomes full, the bees will work to designate a new queen. Once she is in charge, the old queen moves out with several thousand worker bees to set up a new hive.
“Yeah, the queen’s in there,” he said and about 15 minutes later, most of the bees had settled down into the box. He planned to take the bees home and put frames into the box so they can begin making honey.
Mullins said it’s important to educate people about bees because they are an important part of the ecosystem.
“Don’t be freaked out,” he said. There are many people in the area who would be happy to remove a hive.
The Northwest Missouri Beebusters meets at 7 p.m. on the second Monday of the month at the Nodaway County Ambulance District headquarters, 103 W. Carefree Drive in Maryville.
According to the group’s Facebook page, the group was started by a group of beekeepers in Nodaway County and sponsors and teaches classes each year.
They started beginning and advanced beekeeping classes in January and February to help gain more public interest in the honey bee.
To have a hive removed or learn more about bees, Mullins suggested contacting the Northwest Missouri Beebusters on Facebook at http://bit.ly/NWMOBeebusters.
SKYE POURNAZARI/THE FORUM
A bee hive is shown Saturday at Bob Westfall’s home near Happy Hollow Park in Maryville. The hive was estimated to consist of between 10,000 and 15,000 bees.
SKYE POURNAZARI/THE FORUM
A bee hive consisting of between 10,000 and 15,000 bees is shown located on a bush in a Maryville man’s backyard. The bees were removed Saturday.
SKYE POURNAZARI/THE FORUM
Pat Mullins saws off a branch of a bush hoping to capture the queen of a beehive located on it Saturday. He estimated the number of bees at between 10,000 and 15,000.
SKYE POURNAZARI/THE FORUM
About 15 minutes after the removal of a branch with a beehive on it, the majority of between 10,000 and 15,000 bees consolidated inside a hive box on Saturday at a home near Happy Hollow Park. The hive was found by the homeowner who planned to mow.
