Days of steady rain caused a few trees and limbs to topple across the area, and one of those that fell in North Knoxville contained a sweet surprise thanks to nearly 100,000 busy workers.
A large tree limb that fell in Fourth and Gill Park cracked open to reveal a colony of bees inside guarding a large hive overflowing with delicious honey. Enter professional honeybee relocator and beekeeper Gary Anthony with the Knox County Beekeepers Association, who arrived to save the important insects and give them a new home.
Donning a beekeeper's outfit, Anthony cut out sections of the honeycomb to transplant along with the hive's queen, who binds the colony together and keeps it healthy as its mother by laying some 1,000 to 2,500 eggs a day.
Anthony put the sections of hive in boxes so they bees have a new place to call home, and as he was working some stopped by to check it out and taste the fruits of the bees' labor by collecting some local honey.
Once he wrapped up, the bees were taken to the Corryton-Gibbs area of town.
When it comes to hives in unwanted places, it's best to contact a professional beekeeper like Anthony to relocate them -- as the creatures are crucial to the environment. If they are inside your home, it's strongly advised to get professional assistance as their hive could damage your home if not removed.
Tennessee continues to deal with an extreme loss of honeybees over the last few years, so if you see one -- don't kill it. Experts say honeybees rarely sting, so if you stay calm you'll be just fine.