Swarm Retrieval & Bee Removal

 Just when summer at our quiet Greenwich campus should have been peaceful, an insect problem turned out to be a full honey bee colony living in the eave by the narthex. After weeks of ineffective pest control visits—and a rising level of rector stress—the situation escalated when bees began flying inside the narthex.

A knowledgeable technician finally identified the insects as honey bees and explained that they could not be exterminated due to their importance to pollination. A beekeeper would be needed. With help from the Audubon’s list of local beekeepers, Monkey’s Pocket Apiary of Fairfield, CT arrived on Wednesday.

Chris Wengenroth and his son from Monkey's Pocket Apiary, assessed the hive, suited up, and carefully removed the colony, leaving behind a small “nuc” box for returning bees. Their professionalism—and their good humor—helped ease the tension. Chris joked in an email that the bees were “in a re-settlement program being debriefed with one-on-one counseling to ease their anxiety.”

By the end, the bees were safely relocated and calm had returned to St. Barnabas. As I reflected on the experience, I found myself humming “Day by Day” from Godspell and giving thanks for the strength to navigate even unexpected challenges.

The Rev. Ted Pardoe, Rector
St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, Greenwich, CT

Subject: Thank you

Date: August 25, 2016 at 6:48:42 PM EDT

To: Chris Beekeeper <monkeyspocket@gmail.com>

Chris, I want to thank you for helping assist our guys today with the extraction of the honeybees. I am absolutely shocked at the amount of the combs and bees that were hiding out in our roof. I am glad that you were able to save them all and that you were on top of this issue as quickly as you were. 

I will happily recommend you to anyone experiencing this problem in the future and again many thanks for your attention to this matter.

Best, 

Pam