The Aftermath: Boosted Bees & Busted Bricks

Foreground: Reset stump. Background: damaged cemetary wall.

The fallen tulip poplar tree near the Roundhouse is gone and so are the bees that lived within it. Previously, we posted our own pictures and video from CBS6 as a warning about the danger of aggitated bees. However, the ongoing story of the tree mess has concluded with a new home for the bees. A hole in the cemetery wall remains, as evidenced by the pictures posted here (the rest are after the jump). Here’s more from WTVR, CBS6:

It fell down in the park and stayed there for weeks because City crews discovered that it was loaded with thousands of bees. They wanted to protect the hive, so Friday crews disassembled the log piece by piece and were careful to protect the workers and the bees.

Luke McCall, an arborist for the City of Richmond said if they thought there was going to be any danger to the workers – they would have gone with another plan. Luckily, that didn’t happen. “Always there’s going to be something simpler. But in this case we really didn’t want to go there. We didn’t want to have to exterminate the bees knowing how important they are, we definitely want to try to save them.”

The bee log is now in Bryan Park near the azaleas. The arborists hope the hive will help pollinate the flowers. They also think it will be a safer situation for park visitors.

The distance from stump to brick wall tells the tale of a tall tree's demise.

A make shift picnic table?

Hopefully, the ghosts aren't as riled up as the bees were.