"Beehive Heros" story a little short on the facts

[susan rudnicki]

Beeks—I know this story “Beehive Heros” ran in the Argonaut, and folks have been sending the link to me. I just want to set the record straight about the hive in the sign in Mar Vista, a job from January, 2013, since it glosses over a LOT of the facts, as if that job were some easy thing. It was not.

Quote from the paper—

“John Atkinson and his wife Laura opened the restaurant last year at the site where his grandfather, Bill Atkinson, and Bill’s buddy Louie operated a butcher shop from 1954 to 1969.

While renovating the property, John Atkinson noticed a swarm of bees had gathered inside a large sign above the building.

“Rather than poison them, we got them out of the sign and cut off access for them to get back into the sign,” he recalled.”
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‘Taint really telling the story fully. John’s goal was to renovate the sign, and he could not replace the plastic panels with a hive in there. Temporary vinyl banners were stretched over the structure, but there was a full-on, 10 year old hive (according to the neighbors) living in that sign, 30 ft up off the pavement. Paul Taylor and I “got them out” , not John or anyone else. John was begging his investment team to be patient and save the bees so he could feature them as a unique addition to his restaurant.

We did a job that would have been probably $2000, utilizing 3 levels of Paul’s privately owned scaffolding, brought to the site from San Pedro, and set up by Paul. We had to get up to the very top of the sign to try to seal every possible crack they might use as a entrance (the original entrance was at the top, also) Paul stood on his tippy-toes to reach this high, but a week later, John reported the bees had found another way in. The goal was a trap-out, of course. So, we had to go back, and again, using a bucket lift brought to the site by John, and doing more sealing, we were finally able to direct all traffic through the bait box and de-populate the sign. Paul also constructed and set up the bait box and attached box shelf that was mounted on the sign display pole.

Later, Ruth Askren was hired to manage the hive and another hive that was brought to compliment it.

I just want the record set straight about who did the work and what a LOT of work it was—compensation was a few meals at the North End Cafe. Paul Taylor did 95% of the work. I was the initial contact through BackwardsBeekeepers referral network. John prevailed on me to take the job. I don’t do that kind of charity work now. Susan Rudnicki

[Max Morgan]

I get 2 or 3 calls a week from people who want me to do complicated removals for “free bees”. I’m more than happy to grab a nearby swarm or two for free but, doing complicated cutouts for free won’t pay for my gas and equipment or the $!000 I just spent to put a new clutch in my truck.

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