Colony of honeybees take over Montgomery County school; 3 classrooms closed

LANSDALE, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- A colony of honeybees has taken over class at North Penn High School in Lansdale.

"When pressured, they can and will sting. So in a classroom is not the place for honeybees," says beekeeper Craig MacCorkle.

Up on the rooftop of a warehouse in Philadelphia's Tacony neighborhood, there's an apiary belonging to Liberty Bell Beekeepers. A spot is waiting for the colony of honeybees that have been buzzing at North Penn High.

Three classrooms have been shut off to students as a precaution after school started this week.

Thousands of bees entered through a small hole in the school's facade and set up shop.

"Right now, that's an active and thriving colony that's behind that brick," said MacCorkle, "Most of their life revolves around building their colony, storing their resources and of course, making more bees."

In a school board meeting, administrators provided an update.

"They're anticipating there could be up to 40-60 thousand bees in that cavity, so it's going to be interesting," said Tom Schneider, the director of facilities & operations for the North Penn School District.

MacCorkle has been hired to bring a specialized vacuum and safely and humanely get them out.

"We physically remove the bees with the collection vacuum that safely gathers them so we can transport them transport them to their new location," he said.

On Friday, he'll don his beekeeper's suit and get inside. He'll then use a heat sensor to find the colony and extract the honeybees.

"They are a long-term infestation. Once they enter a space, they don't move out unless they are forced out," said MacCorkle.

The hive will be removed while the school is closed for days for the Labor Day weekend break.

Thankfully, MacCorkle says honeybees are more docile compared to a wasp or hornet, with less aggression towards humans.