Thousands of honeybees made an unexpected home high atop the Reckord Armory in June, drawing attention from passersby and prompting a uniquely delicate Facilities Management response. The swarm settled more than 30 feet up on one of the building’s east portico columns, creating a sizable nest just as crews were preparing to repaint the area. What followed was a careful, collaborative removal effort involving FM’s Pest Control team and experts from the Department of Entomology — all carried out with the goal of protecting both the bees and the building.
The nest was first reported by an undergraduate student and quickly grew in size, making its presence known at one of the campus’s most visible locations. With the repainting schedule fast approaching, Andrew Pucci, FM’s Program Manager for Exteriors, reached out for help. That call brought together FM’s Pest Control team and entomologist Eric Malcolm from the UMD Bee Lab. As a certified Bee Campus USA, the university prioritizes pollinator protection, so the removal had to be done safely and sustainably, with the bees’ survival as the top priority.
On a sweltering morning with temperatures already in the 90s, FM’s Bryan Wright and entomologist Eric Malcolm suited up in protective gear and took to a lift that brought them eye-level with the swarm. Over the course of more than an hour, they carefully relocated the queen into a container and patiently encouraged the rest of the colony to follow. “It wasn’t my first time working with honeybees,” Bryan said afterward, “but I did learn a lot while I was up there. I can say it was a very exciting adventure.” The effort was a success — the bees were safely transported to a UMD-managed apiary in Beltsville, where they’re now thriving in a more suitable home.