A BEE INVASION.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2447, 21 January 1881, Page 4

A BEE INVASION.

Several swarms of bees having recently located themselves in the roof and sides of Mr James Cochrane’s house, near Chaney’s corner, Mr Cochrane made two attempts to remove them, but failed to accomplish bis object, for on taking away the inner lining of the ceiling and side-wall, the bees, attracted by the light, naturally flew to the window',near which avery strong swarm happened to be settled. The latter viciously attacked the stray bees, and the room becoming the scene of a furious conflict, it had to be given up to the possession of ,the combatants, whose dead bodies could soon be numbered by thousands. Mr Cochrane, by the advice of Mr F. Adams, Secretary of the Canterbury Bee-keepers’. Association obtained the services of Mr C Chaplin, an expert recently arrived from England, who after working among them ■for several hours on Thursday and Friday last succeeded in removing the bees and their brood into the new bar-framed hives, much to Mr Cochrane’s satisfaction. The swarm had extended its operations below the floor of the bedroom, and the weatherboarding ©f the sitting-room bad to be taken down before the bees could be removed- The swarm contained eight quarts of bees, being rather over 30,000 in number.—“Lyttelton Times.”