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ATTIC INVADERS By Jason Schaefer Bee infestation sticky situation for Taylor family When Taylor resident George Campos noticed a strange, sticky substance dripping from his ceiling June 20, he knew something wasn’t quite right. He brought the substance pooling on the floor of his den to his wife Dianna’s attention, and she was as puzzled as he. She dipped her index finger into it, rubbed it between her fingertip and her thumb and cautiously tasted it — it was honey. The Campos’ next instinct was to check their attic. George Campos pulled down the ladder he had not touched in at least two years and climbed into the attic with a flashlight. In a remote corner, just above the den, honeybees had built a massive hive. “I was surprised, but my wife was panicking,” Campos said. “She said (the) weekend is dedicated to bee removal.” Dianna Campos took it upon herself to find the proper authorities to remove the nest, but the couple agreed to stay away from those organizations that would use pesticides. After two days of phone calls, on June 22 the couple finally reached Wilbur and Ted Brinkmeyer, members of the Williamson County Beekeepers Association, and they came to remove the nest later that day. The beekeepers estimated the hive contained more than 250,000 bees based on its mass, and that it was more than two years old based on the dark color of the honeycomb. As they worked to remove the hive wearing protective suits and screened hats, the bees aggressively attacked the Brinkmeyers. “I’m 95 percent sure they were Africanized,” Wilbur Brinkmeyer said. “You know by the way they act. A good comb hive, when you approach it, (the bees) will leave you alone. Africanized bees come out by the hundreds and start to attack if you even get close to them.” The Brinkmeyers removed the honeycomb in pieces, filling five five-gallon buckets, and they gave one bucketful to the Campos family. During the removal, one of the Brinkmeyers broke off a piece of the comb and popped it into his mouth. George Campos immediately thought, “You can do that?” and tried the comb himself. He said it tasted delicious. After the beekeepers had gone, Dianna Campos pressed the comb and filtered the honey several times, harvesting about a gallon of it. The Campos family had hoped the Brinkmeyers would save the bees, but because the bees were aggressive the Brinkmeyers could not salvage them. In the future, George Campos plans to check his attic more often. He advises all residents to check their own attics, and to plug up any holes where bees might get in. “I just want to raise awareness and make sure people don’t get hurt,” he said. Wilbur Brinkmeyer advises residents to stay observant of the environment around the home. Look under the eaves of the roof and watch for brown clumps and the bees themselves. According to Brinkmeyer, honeybees can build about 10 square inches of comb in a week. By this time, the queen will start laying eggs, and can lay up to 2,000 eggs a day. Bees start hatching in about three weeks. “Once they get started, they can grow pretty fast,” Brinkmeyer said. “It has been quite a year for bee swarms and bee removals in the area.” The Brinkmeyers, who own Brinkmeyer Apiaries, can be reached at (512) 365-9675.
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