While getting ready for the upcoming school bond issue, the Okmulgee superintendent went to see what needed to be renovated on the track and field building the students used as a dressing room. And that's when he came across a problem he didn't know was there.
Okmulgee Superintendent Tod Williams first spotted the swarm of bees buzzing around the track and field building a few weeks ago.
"Our busy bee friends are busily making honey," Tod said.
This isn't his first encounter with a bee hive.
"It reminded me of a school I was at 10 years ago. We had the same problem," he said.
In Burbank, Oklahoma, bees took over a similar stone building.
"I think there's something about the stones they like," Tod said..
Tod knew he needed to make a phone call.
Reginald Murray with Oklahoma Wildlife Control, LLC inspected the school building yesterday.
He knows how dangerous bee stings can be.
"Worst case scenario would be someone killed if somebody was allergic to the bee stings," Reginald said.
Reginald says a small hive would house 5,000 bees. A large hive - 50,000.
And there's no way to know for sure until you really look.
"Until we get the wall opened up and see what we're dealing with," Reginald said.
"You've got to open the wall and get the queen, or she will just lay more eggs and the bees come back," Tod said.
"We know what she looks like... she has longer body and has shorter wings... she's easy to find if you know what you're looking for," Reginald said.
Until the queen and all the other bees are gone... the district won't be using the building.
And Tod will keep a respectful distance.
"Bees are our friends, but still we don't want them in the wall," Tod said. "It's gotta be taken care of."
The district would like to wait until the building is renovated to take care of the bee problem - next school year.
The superintendent says the building will not be used until the bee problem is fixed and the building is renovated.
Reginald Murray says when it's warm a hive can double or triple in size within a few months.
When reginald removes a bee hive, he takes it to a local beekeeper. He says it's important to protect our local bees.
