Q: Some kind of black bees created this structure in my tree. What is it?
— Glenna Moyers
Randolph Township
A: Denise Ellsworth, director of Ohio State University’s honeybee and native pollinator education program, confirmed that’s a honeybee colony. It was created by a swarm of bees that split off from another colony and set up housekeeping in your tree.
Those platelike structures are the honeycomb the bees produce to house their larvae and store pollen and honey, which they make to feed themselves over winter.
Ellsworth said honeybees can have a wide variety of coloration. Some races of honeybees are more black in color than the more typical buff-colored ones, she said.
Unfortunately, she said the colony will die once the weather turns cold. The bees don’t have enough stored honey to make it through winter or the insulation that would be provided by a managed beehive or a protected area such as a tree cavity. The colony could be captured by a beekeeper, but the insufficient honey makes it unlikely it would survive, she said.
Have a question about home maintenance, decorating or gardening? Akron Beacon Journal home writer Mary Beth Breckenridge will find answers for the queries that are chosen to appear in the paper. To submit a question, call her at 330-996-3756, or send email to mbrecken@thebeaconjournal.com. Be sure to include your full name, your town and your phone number or email address.