NEWPORT NEWS — Locals will be able to roam the historic 1884 Warwick Courthouse in Denbigh without the interruption of bees, thanks to a few local beekeepers.
Judd Nierle and Pete Ostrowski of the Colonial Beekeepers Association transferred the bees from the historic site to Colony Road on April 19, according to a news release from the City of Newport News.
Critical to pollination, the bees weren’t exterminated because it’s illegal, according to the release. The bees were interfering with the air conditioning unit at the historical site and had to be removed so city workers could perform their maintenance on the unit.
Nierle and Ostrowski first collected the insects in a low pressure vacuum cleaner, then scraped away the honeycomb before transferring the insects to bee boxes. In total, the job took six hours.
The city’s Public Works, Building Services and Parks, Recreation & Tourism’s Historic Services staff were on hand to provide support, according to the release.
