The secret life of White House bees

[Undercurrent]

Posted: Thursday, April 09, 2009 2:37 PM by Mark Murray
Filed Under: White House

From NBC's Athena Jones
A beekeeper from the White House came to the rescue Thursday, when thousands of honeybees took up residence in a bush just inside the White House's northwest gate near the television live-shot positions.

The soft-spoken Charles Brandts -- who wore a hat with a net that covered his face and said he had worked in the carpenter's shop here for 25 years -- explained that the bees had been "cast off" by another hive that had grown too large and that the swarm was the beginning of a new hive.

He cut the grouping of bees out of the bush and placed it in a large cardboard box, sealing it with bright blue tape as several bees flitted around him. Brandts said the remaining bees would likely scatter shortly.

All is well.

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/04/09/1887660.aspx



White House carpenter Charles Brandts, who is also a beekeeper, lends his skills to the White House after a swarm of Honey Bees nested near one of the front gates at the White House on April 9, 2009 in Washington, DC. Brandts, put the queen and the swarm into a cardboard box and removed them from the grounds.
http://www.daylife.com/photo/0dtjc0d83k5jn?q=White+House

[FrenchieCat]

1. That's how I can tell it is our house again.

I'm actually interested in even this sort of thing.
Before, I didn't care what was going on in the WH! :)

[Chulanowa]

2. Shrub would have just hosed them down with something from Montsanto

[sarge43]

3. Exactly what my husband who keeps bees said.

In fact the Obamas should set up a couple of hives on the WH grounds. They would do wonders for her new garden - could increase crop production by 40%. They have a keeper in place. They could use the honey in the WH kitchen, give it away as gifts and donate it to shelters.

[Clio the Leo]

4. They're one step ahead of ya....

http://www.usnews.com/blogs/washington-whispers/2009/3/28/michelle-obama-goes-organic-and-brings-in-the-bees.html

I wonder if they ever caught all of the raccoons?

[sarge43]

5. Thanks for the heads up, Clio.

That's excellent news. First Bees, got to love it.

If there are raccoons prowling the WH grounds, they better fence the hives, electrical fence, Normandy Beach defense. Raccoons will tear hives to pieces.

[GoCubsGo]

6. Another possible good thing to come from this...

I hope this will draw more attention to the ongoing decline in honeybee populations. Maybe it will lead to some more funding of research on the problem?

[sarge43]

7. Second that.

Research funding is desperately needed. This country has lost one third of its honeybee population.

[Muttocracy]

8. The bees headed for the WH are pest-resistant ones:

http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2009/090409.2.htm

There is a lot of money going to CCD research nowadays. My impression is that it's many stressors on the bees coming together at once.