MORGAN PARK — A massive swarm of bees has returned to an apartment building at 2035 W. 111th St. in Morgan Park.
The honey bees arrived sometime last week, said Weldon Allen, the building manager for the 43-unit apartment complex.
Within two days, a giant swarm had formed over the front entrance on the eastern end of the building. It's actually the second time this has happened, Allen said on Wednesday.
A slightly larger swarm perched above the western front entrance last year. Unable to reach the bees safely from the outside, Weldon drilled several holes from inside the building into the previous swarm, he said.
"When I pulled the drill bit out, [bees] came right out of the hole," Allen said.
Howard Ludwig says people are gawking at the swarm:
Using a system of thin tubes, Allen sprayed about eight cans of insecticide into the swarm from the inside of the building. The bees eventually left but some damage remains on the western eave.
This time, Allen hopes to find a professional able to shoo away the insects. He hadn't found anyone up to the task as of Wednesday afternoon.
Though the swarm is massive, it might have gone unnoticed if not for the pile of dead bees near the doorway.
Lula Mays is the manager of the condominium complex across the street at 2030 W. 111th St. She said the bees have become a bit of a local curiosity as passers-by often stop to take pictures of them.
Allen hopes the neighborhood attraction finds someplace else to call home. He's hoping the rent-free tenants move along and take their queen with them.
"They come back every year," he said.
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