Thousands Of Bees Occupy, Wreak Havoc In Omaha Couple’s Attic

OMAHA, NE — You could say an Omaha couple was bedeviled by what they found in their attic — thousands of worker bees that had been living there for decades, their little glands working overtime to create a massive honeycomb that prompted a classic what-the-heck response from a neighbor who noticed honey dripping from the soffit and onto the side of the couple’s house. For all the damage the massive swarm did, it may have a billion bees.

Becky Reilly wasn’t sure what to do. The roof needed some work, so she gave that a whirl. The bad news is, the bees caused “terrible” damage, according to Takoda Green Roofing Co. owner Jason Starkey. The good news is, the roofing contractor she called also happens to have a beekeeper on staff.

But, holy moly, was John Gebuhr surprised by what he found when he ascended into the attic. In 40 years of beekeeping,he’s never seen anything like it.

"Bees are cavity dwellers and an attic is a nice big cavity. It;s out of the rain, out of the wind, " Gebuhr he told Omaha television station KETV. "Going up in the attic, you could see the honeycomb down right next to the eaves. It was a big swarm, a big nest.”

Reilly said the “loud and rhythmic buzzing … was somewhat terrifying.”

But now that they're gone, everything is as sweet as it can, ahem, bee. The find gave Reilly a good head start on her Christmas shopping. Everyone is getting honey this year. About 40 pounds of honey was retrieved from the honeycomb.

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