WHAT’S ALL THE BUZZZZZZ ABOUT?

Elyria – When an Elyria couple decided to cut down an old oak tree in their Brandston Ave home – they were shocked at what they found hidden inside the hollow of the tree. Bees – Lots and lots of bees.

The homeowners did not want to harm the bees, so they called in Beekeeper Walter Jorgensen to safely remove the bee hives. Jorgensen said one hive was 5 to 8 feet long.

Jorgensen explained why it was so important to save the bees. “They pollinate for us – one third of everything we eat is dependent on the honey bee, directly dependent on the honey bee. If something would happen and all the honey bees – just honey bees – die all over the world at one time, life as we know it would cease in five years.”

While sawing into the tree bees began to swarm the area and as Photographer Craig Bevan discovered – these bees got some bite to them. “I was stung twice, once on the forehead and then again on the back of my neck. You really feel the sting but a lady put honey over the area the sting went away almost instantly.”

Jorgensen said that although some people just think about bees as stingers – he believes we can all live together in peace and harmony. “We can give the bees a safe environment to last from year to year which they cannot do in the wild.”

Bevan said even though he was injured while shooting this story he enjoyed being there. “It was a lot of fun and a learning experience. Plus, I never thought that one day I would be involved in a “sting” operation.”


PHOTO GALLERY
Photos: Craig Bevan