BLOOMINGTON - Dave Johnson and Jim Crowley of the city of Bloomington's public service department needed one sign they didn't have when they were called to Madison and Front streets to close a sidewalk because of a small natural disaster Tuesday morning. | Video

The sign would read: "Bee-ware."

"The boss called and said, 'We have a bee problem,' " Crowley said. "I said, 'Well, that's a new one. What do we do about that?' "

He knew the insects couldn't be trusted to "bee-have."

"If you look inside, there are about 3,000 bees," said Bloomington policeman Shad Waghoft who was flagged down by a passerby.

The swarm of bees showed no intention to be gone on their own. So, a Pantagraph reporter on the scene suggested a call to Mackinaw beekeeper Steven Mayes, whom the newspaper had used as an expert on a bee story in the past. Mayes directed authorities to Normal fireman Tom Elston, who raises bees for his Amber Bee Company in rural Bloomington. Elston patiently swept and scraped the bees into a section of beehive and took them away. The key is to capture the queen. The others follow along, he said.

"They are in charge, you just kind of work with what's best for them. I make sure I have good condos for them, and they give me honey. It's a symbiotic relationship," Elston said.

Mayes and Elston explained that spring is the time of year when bee hives are at a peak in population. When their numbers grow too large, the old queen leaves the hive with about half the total.

In this case, the majority of the swarm landed in a window well in a building on the northeast corner of the intersection to wait for scout bees to find them a new home.

During swarming, most bees are docile, Elston said. However, there are stinging exceptions. Proof was the swollen knuckle on his right hand.

"Some days are worse than others," he said.

As Elston scraped bees into the hive he'd brought along, he waited until the first ones had time to let off a scent to alert the others that all was well and they could enter the hive, too. Over the next few minutes, he repeated the process so more of them would take flight and wind up inside. Observers could tell when the queen had entered because the remainder calmed quickly and joined her.

Elston said he usually removes a swarm for free because the process is generally simple and he clams the bees for a new hive to make honey. But, if bees get inside the exterior wall of a house, a garage or somewhere else inconvenient, the job becomes more work, and he charges a fee. Phone (309) 829-3006.