Dodging bees buzzing around campus can feel like a nightmare when you’re just trying to get to class. Plenty of students are allergic to bees, fear being stung or might have a general distrust of any insect flying around their faces; however, these pollinators are incredibly important to local ecosystems and food crops.

Bees and their hives must be treated properly — no matter where they may be found.

A beehive discovered inside the wall of the men’s restroom in Lovett Auditorium spurred a search for proper care and removal in mid-March. Jason Youngblood, assistant vice president of Facilities Management, said Facilities Management officially decided to proceed with the removal on Wednesday, March 18, after initial reports reached his office on Friday, March 13.

Wes and Laura Standifer of Southern Honey LLC conducted the removal through Seavers Beavers and More Wildlife Management, a Kentucky-based animal removal company.

To minimize risks to the campus community and the bees, the Standifers handled removal processes during the University’s spring break on Saturday, March 21.

Laura Standifer said they used thermal imaging to determine the best way of opening the wall and extracting the hive inside. The beehive, estimated to be three years old, measured 2 feet wide and 4 feet tall and was partially stuck to the concrete dry wall.

“The bees weren’t too happy about it since the entire colony had to be rebuilt into a bee box, along with the rest of the hive that was still inside the wall,” Laura said. “Even though we had to tear into their home, the bees were incredibly docile and didn’t try to sting either of us.”

Youngblood said it was important to have the hive removed from Lovett, not only for those on campus with bee allergies, but for the structural damage a large hive can cause.

“A large colony can accumulate up to 400+ lbs of honey, putting immense pressure on structural beams and ceilings, leading to potential collapse,” he said.

Wes Standifer said the number one thing people need to know about finding a beehive in the home or a business building is not to kill it.

“Killing the hive will only lead to more issues, such as drawing other bugs and rodents to the honey, including more bees,” Wes said. “It will also smell as the larvae start to rot, creating a whole other issue. Then there is the melting honey that will run down the ceiling or walls and, like water, it will find its way out or into every nook and cranny it can.”

Killing beehives can also result in legal recourse as the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act of 1947/1972’s KRS 217B prohibits the use of insecticide against honey bees.

Qualified contractors like the Standifers and local beekeepers as listed by the Kentucky State Beekeepers Association have the proper equipment and resources to safely remove and relocate the hive to a more appropriate location without harming the bees, residents near the hive or themselves.

Jesse Adams, a senior business management and occupational safety and health major, has been a beekeeper for eight years. He said he first noticed the bees around campus before spring break and followed their “bee line” back to Lovett. Adams said he was glad to see the hive removal done properly and in a way that did not endanger students or the bees.

“There needs to be more of an emphasis on the distinction between an exterminator and a wildlife manager,” Adams said. “Someone could have easily sprayed these bees with a can of wasp spray and been done with the whole situation. Murray State University made the right decision by having the bees removed by someone who understood the inherent risks, the probability of something going awry and the severity of what could happen if control measures failed.”

The Standifers relocated Lovett’s beehive to their own hive yard in Mayfield, Kentucky. Laura said the bees are now thriving in their new home on the farm.

“We have a bee yard next to our horse pasture and far away from any fields that get sprayed with pesticides,” she said. “It is close to lots of flowers, budding trees and a creek, so the bees have everything they need.”