One at a time, Glover removed the bricks. Several minutes later he had successfully chiseled out two rows of bricks. His work seemed to hardly put a dent into the complete job. With the size and thickness of this honeycomb, he realized why the original pest control company failed to exterminate the bees.
Glover said the heavy layer of wax prevented the pesticide from spreading. That was a good thing! While many pest control companies exterminate bee hives, he doesn’t believe in killing honeybees. Meanwhile, he wondered, ‘Exactly how much bigger is this thing?!’ It just seemed to keep going and going.
Removing the Bricks
Glover’s plan was to remove the bricks, one by one. The smoke served to stun the buggers while he dismantled their home. The first brick he removed was the one closest to the weep hole. It did not take long before Glover and the Tennessee family saw what they were up against.
The first thing Glover did after smoking the entrances was to spray some Honey Bandit in the small hole you see him drilling in this photo. He did that to help keep the bees from running up the wall when he started working with the hammer drill. Once he pried the first brick off, he knew for certain what sort of pest problem this family was dealing with.
Busy, Busy Bees
With the brick removed, a clear sign of bees was revealed. A honeycomb. As an expert, he knew an entire hive of honeybees was in there. The infrared camera indicated that the hive was very large, larger than Glover had ever dealt with in all his years removing bees.
His service includes relocating the hive to local bee farmers around the state. Glover is proud of his work saving honeybees. He says they are vital for crops. The Bartlett Bee Whisperer told local news WREG, “One-third of what we eat comes because of pollination. 85% of the plants in the world exist because of pollination.”
The True Size Revealed
Five rows of bricks later, Glover determined the edges of the massive comb and had a true sense of the hive’s enormity. It was the largest beehive he had ever dealt with, and it was the largest hive inside of a wall he had ever seen. Glover said that every once in a while, he gets a call that makes him cringe.
But, as he later reported on his Facebook page, even though he was dreading removing the bricks, what was revealed was "AWESOME!". The story went viral. It amassed over 100,000 shares in just one week. This hive held 35,000 bees and measured three feet high, and five feet wide. He estimated that it was about two years old.
Pest Control Damage Report
Not all pest problems are easily managed. This one required dismantling a side of the house, which goes against Glover's regular preference. He prefers to be minimally invasive when he removes honey bees from buildings. There is a risk to taking out bricks. The mortar could chip out, or the bricks could crumble. He wondered if the combs will still be usable once the bricks are out of the way.
It all worked out, and the homeowner was happy that the bees were removed and were able to be relocated. Those uninvited guests were officially evicted. It took the Bee Whisperer four hours to complete the labor-intensive work of removing the bees and cleaning the wall.