MIDLAND, Texas — If you're driving down Princeton Avenue in Midland, you might see a giant wooden box hanging about 15 feet off the ground in a tree.
If you take a closer look you will notice a beehive with thousands of European honey bees buzzing around it. But this is not your average beehive.
“I think this is truly amazing," said Michael Nickell, Sibley Nature Center scientist.
Nickell says this is the largest natural hive he has ever seen in Midland, maybe even in all of West Texas.
Homeowner Garrett Nichols came across the beehive a few months ago as he was mowing his lawn and noticed honeycombs on the ground.
“It was quite a fright just to see them up there; there’s probably thousands of bees up there and that’s startling to see when you’re right underneath them.”
It's enough to give anyone the creeps, but Nichols says the bees have not bothered his family at all. In fact, they have kind of grown on him.
“I mean they’ve been really good neighbors, they haven’t bothered us or our neighbors or our pets," Nichols said. "With school starting up so we are wanting to get them a new home and get them out of here safely."
He goes on to say, "We’d hate to exterminate such a enormous hive because they’ve worked hard on their house."
Half a dozen Beekeepers have tried to relocate the beehive but because of its size and where it is located in the tree it is been a challenge.
“It’s going to be very, very heavy. It’s going to be loaded with honey and it’s not out of the realm that it’s going to be 90 pounds or more,” Nickell said.
But how do you go about getting a hive like that down?
On Saturday, a beekeeper who is up to the large task is going to box the branch with the beehive, cut it and then slowly pulley the box and bees out of the tree.
“He’s wanting to take them back and farm it," Nichols said. "Hopefully I can get a jar of honey soon in a few months.”
If that beekeeper does not have any luck getting them down, the homeowner says he is going to keep trying to do everything he can to relocate the pollinators safely.