{"id":616862,"date":"2026-10-05T04:54:39","date_gmt":"2026-10-05T04:54:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.olympiajournal.com\/news\/story\/616862\/for-seven-months-25000-honeybees-lived-in-a-las-vegas-backyard-tree-now-they-have-a-new-home.html"},"modified":"2026-10-05T04:54:39","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T04:54:39","slug":"for-seven-months-25000-honeybees-lived-in-a-las-vegas-backyard-tree-now-they-have-a-new-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.olympiajournal.com\/news\/story\/616862\/for-seven-months-25000-honeybees-lived-in-a-las-vegas-backyard-tree-now-they-have-a-new-home.html","title":{"rendered":"For Seven Months, 25,000 Honeybees Lived in a Las Vegas Backyard Tree. Now They Have a New Home."},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"For<\/a><\/div>\n
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An established honeybee colony built multiple sections of natural honeycomb in a Las Vegas backyard tree before being removed and relocated by Vegas Bees on September 26, 2026.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
The colony had been living in the tree since February 2026 and had built extensive natural honeycomb, with an estimated population of approximately 25,000 bees.<\/div>\n

LAS VEGAS, NV – October 05, 2026 –<\/strong> Since about February, an estimated 25,000 honeybees had been living in a backyard tree in Summerlin, building nine sections of natural comb in the open air. For the homeowners, Mark and his wife, the decision to move them was not an easy one. She wanted the bees to stay. Mark felt the colony had grown too large to remain.<\/p>\n

Vegas Bees co-owners Pete Rizzo and Betsy Lewis arrived on September 26 to relocate the colony alive. The removal took two and a half hours. They cut the nine sections of comb from the tree, the largest about two feet wide, and secured them to wooden hive frames so the bees could keep their brood, honey, and stored resources. Mark and his wife watched the removal from start to finish.<\/p>\n

“We knew this was an established colony as soon as we saw the amount of bees on the tree branch,” said Betsy Lewis, co-owner of Vegas Bees. “There was a lot of life in that tree. Finding the queen was especially important because it meant we could move the colony together.”<\/p>\n

Once the comb was secured, the bees were transferred into a hive box. After dark, the beekeepers netted the box and secured it for transport to a Vegas Bees desert apiary.<\/p>\n

“People are often surprised by how split couples are on this. One wants to keep the bees, one wants them gone,” said Pete Rizzo, co-owner of Vegas Bees. “Our job is to find a way that works for the family and for the bees.”<\/p>\n

The colony is now settling into its new hive.<\/p>\n

Vegas Bees recommends that anyone who finds a honeybee colony on their property keep children and pets away, avoid disturbing or spraying the bees, and contact a qualified beekeeper or live bee removal professional.<\/p>\n

Photos and video of the removal are available on request at betsy-pete@vegasbees.com<\/a>. Rizzo and Lewis are available for interviews.<\/p>\n

About Vegas Bees<\/strong><\/p>\n

Vegas Bees is a Las Vegas-based live honeybee removal and relocation company founded in 2022. It serves Las Vegas, Henderson, Summerlin, North Las Vegas, Boulder City, and the rest of Clark County. More information is available at https:\/\/vegasbees.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Media Contact:<\/strong> Betsy Lewis, Co-Owner, Vegas Bees (702) 472-3869 betsy-pete@vegasbees.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Media Contact<\/span>
Company Name:<\/strong> Vegas Bees<\/a>
Contact Person:<\/strong> Betsy Lewis
Email:<\/strong> Send Email<\/a>
Phone:<\/strong> 7024723869
Address:<\/strong>612 Thrush Drive
City:<\/strong> Las Vegas
State:<\/strong> Nevada
Country:<\/strong> United States
Website:<\/strong> https:\/\/vegasbees.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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