With a number of species of bees on the endangered list, our passionate wildlife advocate and BASO Fiona Mallia set her sights on having them rehomed rather than destroyed.
Fiona arranged with apiarist Shane from Bee Removals Victoria to have them rehomed so they could continue to pollinate and grow the bee population.
This morning (Tuesday 5 Feb) they attended Diggers Rest Fire Station where a large hive had formed in the walls. By removing a number of external bricks, Shane and his team could extract the bees and their hive safely.
Shane commented that it's better to have the hive safely removed by professionals, rather than have it exterminated by pest control services. Other insects and pests can be attracted to the leftover honey which melts on very hot days and drips down walls. By exterminating the bees, fire stations may have a short-term solution, but could have a larger pest problem in the long term.
If you have bees at your fire station, contact your catchment team to find out whether it’s possible for your local asset project officer (APO) can help you safely remove the hive, rather than seeing it destroyed.
Watch a video showing the hive in the station wall.