As arborists, our jobs aren’t just about the tree  – it’s about homes. And sometimes the tree is the home. 

When we were called to remove this hollow tree just blocks from Ponce City Market, we were greeted with a buzzing surprise – a whole colony of bees! Naturally, we called the experts – in this case, Master Beekeeper Deb DeWitt – to help us handle these important little pollinators properly. 

Deb supplied our crew with the proper attire to handle the bees, our crew member Jeorge headed up the tree safely zipped into a bee jacket and veil – along with a chainsaw. Jeorge was able to make precise cuts on the tree to keep the bees’ home intact. With the ‘bee log’ on the ground, Deb came in with a bee vacuum to help extract the bees into a screened container while the log traveled to its new home. 

Our crew wrapped up the removal of the rest of the tree and brought the ‘bee log’ to its new home in Smyrna, where the bees were reunited with their tree.

Special thanks to Master Beekeeper Deb DeWitt and Smyrna Honey.