07/20/2026
Just six weeks.
In early June, our thermal camera showed a strong, distinct heat signature running the entire height of this two story home. Everything suggested a healthy, active colony.
Fast forward to the scan from this week, and the heat signature had changed dramatically. Yesterday we opened the wall.
What we found was a reminder that honey bee colonies can change incredibly fast.
There were clear signs this colony had likely occupied this home for 3-5 years, if not longer. The first floor showed evidence of years of comb that was no longer there, only leaving a small amount of the freshest comb, which appeared to not be fresh due to the consistency, while the second floor still held an entire stud bay of comb with capped honey, nectar, pollen, and brood. The brood pattern was inconsistent, but it wasn’t a laying worker situation, we even watched young bees emerge as we worked, indicating a laying queen from at least 21-24days prior.
There were also wax moths. The most we have ever seen within a cutout.
The lack of dead bees, combined with remaining resources and several signs consistent with swarming, suggests this colony may have swarmed and then struggled to recover. Without being there to watch it unfold, we’ll never know the full story. Sometimes there isn’t one clear answer. Colonies can change dramatically in just a matter of weeks.
What makes this one especially interesting is that, had we arrived to find the colony as healthy as we initially expected, it likely would have been the largest removal we’ve tackled to date. Evidence showed it once stretched from the roofline, through the second story, down into the first floor, and nearly to the foundation. We had mentally prepared for a colony of 200,000-300,000 bees.
Instead, while several thousand bees were still successfully rescued and relocated, the colony had already declined significantly. The silver lining was that the relocation took far less time than anticipated, allowing us to save the remaining bees before the colony collapsed completely.
The best part? A young couple can now move forward renovating their first home without bees hidden inside their walls.
Even better, one of the homeowners suited up and spent the day alongside us, getting a crash course in honey bee biology and live removals. By the end of the day, he was already talking about beekeeping and bee rescues…so we may have accidentally created another beekeeper.
If there’s one thing these removals continue to teach us, it’s that every colony has a story, and no two stories are ever the same.
