Thousands of bees found a quiet, peaceful place to call home in Torrington, but they were causing problems for mourners.
So, 10,000 honeybees were removed from the Stone Chapel in the Hillside Cemetery on Monday, the Torrington Register reports.
“People are having funerals here, and you don’t want them to be stung,” Norman Patterson, a pastor and bee expert, told the newspaper. “It became a liability issue.”
Patterson, of New Hartford, is “The YellowJacket Expert” and he’s a pro at “all-natural” pest removal.”
For more than 16 years, he has been removing thousands of nests from homes, businesses and schools in Connecticut and beyond.
He collects some stinging pests for medical labs, where they are used for medical research and for patients who are allergic to stings, according to his Web site.
“The labs use the venom from yellow jackets and hornets to create medication for people with allergies to stings,” Patterson told the Register.
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But, when he removes a hive of honeybees, he often gives them to a local beekeeper because of a honeybee shortage, he told the newspaper.
“Honey bees are dying quicker these days, so I make sure I can find someone who will take the bees,” Patterson said.
