Experts estimate that more than 90 percent of wild honeybee colonies in North America have vanished in the last 10 years. Harsh weather conditions, overuse of pesticides, and attacks by two varieties of mites have decimated wild populations of these important pollinators. Cabrina Bosco, an experienced beekeeper, was invited to a Limbwalker foreman meeting to discuss beekeeping, the importance of bee conservation, and what to do if we ever came across a hive.
On a hot June Friday, Rick Denbeau, Jason Raisor, and Greg Cushing were removing an dead cherry tree. The colony was about thirty feet in the canopy of the long dead tree, but there was no sign of the bees until the tree was felled into the yard. Once the tree was on the ground, Jason went to untie the pull line. He was swarmed and stung dozens of times. Rick was also stung. Eyewitness accounts were both animated and dramatic, as the bees had surprise and fury on their side.
Cabrina Bosco was called to the scene. She and an assistant were able to retrieve the portion of the hive containing the queen and set a trap for the rest of the worker bees. By Wednesday of the following week, the bees were successfully relocated and Limbwalker was able to finish the job.
Follow this link to see more photos of the rescue.