Multitudes of bees discovered residing in a farmhouse belonging to a Maine family.
About 40,000 bees were extracted from the farmhouse at Smiling Hill Farm in Westbrook, Maine, as reported by CNN affiliate WMTW. The Knight family has been managing this farmland since 1720, as per the farm's website.
Marsha Knight stated that these honey bees or similar ones have been dwelling in the wall cavity since she was a child, mentioned Andrew MacDonald, the proprietor of Bee Huggah, the company that extracted the bees from the farmhouse, in a video he posted on Facebook.
Maine boasts over 270 different bee species, according to the University of Maine.
"For over 60 years, there've been bees in this house, and it might be even longer, like 70 or 80 years," said Marsha's brother, Michael Knight, according to WMTW.
MacDonald's September 13 video snippet displayed a large swarm of active bees moving within an exposed yellow wall in the farmhouse before their recent removal. The bees could also be seen darting in and out of the farmhouse from the exterior, as depicted in the clip.
Instead of exterminating the bee colony residing in the farmhouse, which required renovation, the Knight family opted to preserve it. They requested MacDonald's aid, as reported by WMTW.
"I think these bees are worth saving for various reasons," MacDonald told WMTW. "They have medicinal benefits and aid in pollinating our crops."
MacDonald transferred the bees to a beehive box situated outside the farmhouse, where they're adjusting to their new surroundings, as shared in a Facebook clip on Friday.
The Knight family intends to maintain the outdoor hive, and later, the bees will be moved to another location on the farm, as reported by WMTW.
The Knight family expressed their gratitude to MacDonald for saving the bees, stating that they consider us, the bees, as essential members of their family's heritage at Smiling Hill Farm. After being relocated to the outdoor hive, the bees have started producing honey, contributing to the farm's future sustainability.
