Bees invade Dunwoody woman's home

DUNWOODY, Ga. — Experts say thousands of bees invaded a DeKalb County woman's home.
 
Channel 2's Carl Willis was at the woman's home Tuesday as a beekeeper safely removed the bees.
 
The bees were found underneath Roslyn Mullen's bedroom floor.
 
"They found a hole or made a hole. I don't know," Mullen said.
 
And that's all it took, a small crack between the siding and brick in her home on Durrett Drive in Dunwoody.
 
Nearly 50,000 bees turned her home into their hive.
 
"I was scared to death. I was uncomfortable sleeping in the same room thinking (about) all of those bees. I didn't know at the time how many, but I knew they were there," Mullen said.
 
But it could have been anywhere and any home, according to beekeepers.
 
"Bees are not particular about where they move into so, I've seen them in old homes, new homes, everywhere," said Joshua Lachmann of Southeast Bee Removal.
 
Lachmann said removing them is a balancing act. Killing honey bees is not illegal, according to the Georgia Department of Agriculture. But Lachmann said keeping them alive is vital.
 
"They pollinate approximately a third of the crops that we eat, so (it's) very important to everything," Lachmann said.

Lachmann said he's seen honey seep through walls and ceilings on the verge of caving in under the weight of honeycombs.
 
But he says there are ways to protect your home.
 
"Just closing up the gaps and cracks in the house. Anything that's about a quarter inch or bigger just caulk or use expanding foam," Lachmann said
 
The bees will slowly stop buzzing around once the cracks are sealed and the queen is removed.
 
Lachmann said it's better to deal with the honey bees early. In some cases, the bees can die off and the honey ferments and attracts other pests.

WSBTV