The walls in the Spratt heritage home near Girvin were once abuzz with activity thanks to a bunch of busy bees that built a hive in the third-floor attic.
The hive was discovered earlier this summer by residents Keith and Mary Catherine Lindberg (Spratt).
Three years ago the Lindbergs had an interlock metal roof installed on the heritage home.
They selected interlock, because it’s not supposed to leak, says Mary Catherine.
She wasn’t impressed when earlier this summer she spotted wet spots on the ceiling in one of the second-storey bedrooms. She called the roofing company to notify them that the roof that doesn’t leak had sprung one.
Eventually the roofers arrived at the house to inspect their handiwork. One of the crewmembers reached up and touched one of the wet spots on the ceiling with his finger and then licked it. It tasted like honey. The good news is the roof doesn’t leak, the bad new is there is a large honeycomb in the walls that needs to be removed.
The Lindbergs speculate that when the new roof was installed on the house, it prevented the bees from getting to and from their hive. Without bees to maintain the hive, the honey began to run this summer, causing those suspicious looking wet spots.
Unfortunately, with their means of escape sealed by the new roof, the bees had all perished leaving behind a honeycomb in the attic that runs down the ceiling and wall of the room on the third storey.
The hive could be fairly large with its start in the attic above the third storey room and then running down the sloped ceiling, and continuing down the wall.
The Lindbergs have asked a local contractor to remove the hive. This will involve cutting through plaster and lathe to get at the hive inside the wall.