A little over a week ago, at the warehouse where I work, I had to get a spool of wire from the top shelf of an outside rack. I brought it down with a forklift and ran it into the warehouse to measure the wire. When I went to prep the spool, what I saw was the second photo!

I jumped back on the forklift and took the spool outside again, trying not to bump anything. It was then I noticed bees buzzing around the shelf where the spool had been, no doubt wondering what had happened to their queen and home!

I put a warning sign on the spool and began looking for someone who might be able to collect the bees, with not much luck. I enlisted my wife in the effort and she found JD at Superbees, a juice bar in Kona that uses their honey in their drinks. He said he’d come by and take a look.

When JD saw the situation, it was obvious the first thing that needed to happen was to remove the top of the spool to access the interior. The goal was to locate the queen and move her to the hive he’d brought, and then the rest of the bees would follow. He donned his gear and set to work. Luckily, the nuts on the rods holding the spool together came off easily. He then eased the top off the spool. It was immediately obvious the bees had been there for a considerable time. The underside of the lid dripped with honeycombs. He set the lid to one side, examining it closely to see if the queen was there, but he couldn’t find her.

Next up was an examination of the interior. This wasn’t easy as it was thick with bees and more combs. He spent quite a while looking, pulling more combs from the interior, but still he couldn’t find the queen. He said it was possible the queen had drowned in honey dislodged when the lid came off.

In the end, he gathered some of the bees and some brood combs and said to let him know if a new hive was forming.

Next morning, I found a bunch of bees clustered under the remains of the spool. Was the queen amongst them? If so, she should be easier to find. I let JD know and he said he’d come by. A while later, I looked out and the bees were all up in the air, buzzing around. Five minutes later all was quiet again.

When he arrived, the bees were quiet, but he still had no luck spotting the queen. The remains of the spool were pulled apart and examined closely. Still nothing. In the end, he set his hive down and gathered as many bees into it as he could. he said he’d leave them to settle in if they were so inclined and he’d pick them up the next morning.

About half an hour after he left, I looked outside and saw the bees swarming as they had in the morning. But this time they were moving over the parking area. I went inside for a few minutes and when I came back out they were gone. I wasn’t sure whether, as in the morning, they’d returned to the hive. But when JD returned the next morning his hive was empty. The bees had gone. What I’d seen the previous late afternoon was them relocating. It’s possible the queen was amongst them. If not, and if there are enough bees to sustain a hive, a new queen could be developed. (I wanted to say elected, but it’s a much different process!)

I thanked JD for his efforts. I was hoping he’d get a new hive for his efforts, but maybe some of the brood stock he got will do well. He was kindness personified, treating the bees with as much gentleness and care as was possible in difficult circumstances. And he left us with some honey. It was quite pale, which he thought meant it was from plumerias. There’s a row of them across the street so that’s likely the case. And the taste? It was a little smoky from the smoker he used, but he said that will fade quickly.

Posted for this week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme of ‘Smoky.’ See more responses here.