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SAVANNAH, Ga. — In a recent power outage repair, Georgia Power workers encountered an unexpected challenge when they discovered a honeybee hive nestled inside a local electrical pole.
“Our infrastructure is out in nature, so our linemen are accustomed to such interactions,” explained Joshua Peacock, Georgia Power’s External Communications Lead. “However, this particular find certainly took the lineman by surprise.”
The hive was discovered in an older pole, which is due for replacement. According to Peacock, the bees likely found a small opening in the wood to establish their hive.
Georgia Power has long been committed to supporting the honeybee population. In fact, they maintain honeybee hives at their headquarters, Peacock noted.
To protect the bees in this instance, a lineman collaborated with a beekeeper to set up a trap box alongside the pole. This box, filled with honeycomb, aims to attract the bees away from the pole, encouraging them to relocate to a new hive.
“So, he staged a small nucleus box next to him, he’s tempting the bees to go into it,” President of the Coastal Empire Beekeepers Association Gregory Stewart.
The trap box doesn’t harm the bees; it is just a way to transport a majority of the colony to a new location.
“The transition plan is that the bees, as they expand, need more room the bees are going to lure themselves and take the colony just a few inches over into the box,” Stewart said.
To help the honeybees move to the box, they put a wire cone on the entrance of the original hive, making it an exit only.
“The bees are actually swarming around a couple of the entrances that we blocked,” Peacock said. “They’re trying to get back in but hopefully they will slowly migrate into that hive right next to it.”
Stewart said, honeybees need to protect and saved if they can, as they are considered an endangered species. Honeybees are crucial to the state’s agriculture and ecosystem.
“Georgia’s state insect is the honeybee and Georgia passed laws called the HDR, where you have honeybee removal rules” Stewart said. “So, beekeepers that are participating in homes and commercial properties, they are supposed to be licensed and insured, so that they are trained to properly do it.”
Peacock said the power lines aren’t hurting the honeybees and the bees don’t affect the lines.
The box is slated for removal in a couple of weeks and will be transported to a safe location.