20,000 Stray Bees Hived On Linden St. By Expert Milo Bacon-This Day in Norwood History-June 30, 1955

With an assist from firefighters Leo Storme and Joseph Dempsey using the fire department aerial ladder, Milo Bacon, bee man for the Norfolk County Agricultural School, was hoisted 30 feet in the air outside the home of Clifford Mackie of 24 Linden Street yesterday to retrieve a swarm of 20,000 bees that congregated on a limb of an Elm tree.

Mr. Mackie noticed the bees buzzing around his front lawn yesterday morning and looking skyward, saw the huge swarm gathered on a small limb of a tree, 30 feet from the ground.

Milo Bacon was called to the home and needing a tall ladder, the fire department was called on for assistance.

Bacon brought along a bee hive and a small saw and a mask to wear if the bees gave him any trouble. the ladder truck was pulled up to the curb outside the Mackie home and the ladder raised. Mr. Bacon climbed the ladder and gently sawed off the limb on which the bees had congregated.

On reaching the ground with the bees, he shook the limb over the hive and most of the bees went in. side. Hundreds that were still flying around entered the hive later and then the hive was taken to the Agricultural School.

Mr. Bacon said that the over-population of other hives in this area caused the swarm to seek another home, with the hot weather a contributing factor in their movements.

A large crowd gathered to watch the bees being removed from the tree but they kept at a safe distance.

(All articles were originally published in the Norwood Messenger unless otherwise noted)