Stingers Cornered By Milo Bacon Shipped To Sheldonville Orchard
The caption on this story should be “35 000 GATHER IN TOWN SQUARE’ ’ But probably the editor will write it “35,000 BEES BUZZ NORWOOD SQUARE.”
The bees made a 10-point landing on some bushes in the north-east corner of the square, near the fire station, and had town officials, merchants and shoppers somewhat worried until Milo Bacon of the Norfolk Agricultural School arrived on the scene and “put the fire out” as the baseball writers say when the Red Sox head into a lot of grief and a relief pitcher is put on the mound to save them.
The reason for the swarm was the usual one. They were escorting their queen to a new home far from the old hive. No one knows just where that was. The alarm was given by Warren L Milliken who noted their arrival as they flew across the square Among his other accomplishments. Mr. Milliken includes a knowledge of farming and bee culture, having attended the Norfolk Aggie at one time He and the Fire Department notified Milo Bacon at the school It so happened that Mr. Bacon is actively working with bees just now and was just about to leave the institution with a complete beehandling equipment in his car. including a hive. He speeded to the rescue.
In the meantime, some of the lire-men were, trying to put out the fire themselves, but without much luck Mr. Bacon backed his hive up against the bush where the thousands of bees were buzzing around their beloved queen Then getting on the other side of the shrubs, he blew smoke at the little insects with the technique which beekeepers learn. The bees soon began to go into the hive which represented home to them As soon as the queen went in they all followed in an orderly rush and were soon all hived.
Mr. Bacon had set up his hive on a blanket As soon as the bees were in it. he drafted three firemen and the four lifted the blanket by the corners and placed it on a truck without any accident.
Mr. Bacon said this morning that the hive and swarm will be sent to the Gilmer apple orchard in Sheldonville, Mass., where an increased supply of bees is needed for fertilization Tiiv Norwood swarm will be placed in a hive which already has bees in it A newspaper will be placed over the Sheldonville
bees in the hive and the local swarm placed on the paper. This will prevent the two swarms from fighting. In a few days the new bees will eat through the paper and by that time they will feel perfectly at home.
Swarming bees are usually harmless if left alone But says Mr. Bacon. if some kid had shied a rock into the huge mass of honeymakers, they would have scattered all over the square If the stone had killed or injured the ’queen the bee; would have been furious and many people might well have been stung
(All articles originally appeared in the Norwood Messenger unless otherwise noted)