Pooh's Dream Come True

After the hurricane, we noticed water spots on the ceiling. This led to an inspection of the roof for a hole. It turned out to be a big hole (the size of a coke can). It was curious that we had been finding dead bees out in the front of our house since we moved in. For some reason, we didn't give it much thought until the water spots arrived. I guess you figure if you pay $700 for a detailed inspection and also pay for a pest inspection from a reputable company, that this would have been found out already. Not true. So, the pest people came out last Tuesday and killed the bees and then plugged the hole with expandable foam, so the worker bees out for the day couldn't get back in. They asked if we just wanted the hive killed or killed and removed. Would people really leave a dead hive in their roof? Anyways, the pest guy came back Monday morning with a ladder, razor blade and a tarp. When I opened the door, he said, "OK, I'll just be coming in and out. I have got to come up with a game plan, first." Hmm, I thought, you are the pest removal service and you don't have a game plan? You advertise on the side of your truck that you remove bees, but you are not sure how you will do this? So he sets up his ladder and barely makes it to the spot where he thinks he can go in. His first try was through the wall, but as you can see he ran into a 2x8 (Nicholas was watching him cut and said "triangle!"-smart boy). Next he went to the part of the void space above his head. My neighbor, Paula, was over and we were chatting away with our cameras poised, when all of a sudden thousands of dead rotten bees fell on top of his face and head. No need to tell you the words that came out of his mouth.

There were seven layers of homey comb and from what the pest people said, each layer represents a season. That is almost 2 years!

Honey dripped all over the pest guy (and our walls) as he pulled the honeycomb out. It was so disgusting and smelled really bad.

He plugged up the square with a folded up tarp and some paper towels and honey is still dripping through the tarp onto a tarp on the floor. He showed me with his flashlight that above where the hive was, the roof deck had rotted away and all that was left was shingles. Now, we need to figure out how to clean up the honey soaked wood, have the roof repaired, clean up the honey on the wall and possibly repaint AND call the exterminator out again to check for mice or squirrels. Chuck awoke the other morning to Baby Kitty staring at the wall. There was something scratching on the inside. Yuck!!!