Massive honey bee colony discovered in rotting tree

A tree removal crew discovered a massive honey bee colony in a rotting tree in Everett. (Steve Mansbridge/CTV News)

Barrie, Ont. — A tree removal company discovered a massive honey bee colony in a dead tree in the Village of Everett.

Cory Watson, owner and operator of Cory's Tree Service, said they were shocked to find the bees when they started cutting through the tree.

"All of a sudden, they just started swarming, and we had just taken about six inches off the top of the old honeycomb, and that's when we realized what we had actually hit," Watson said.

The hive is believed to have 60,000 to 100,000 honey bees.

Rob Dermott, Woodbyrne Bees, offered to rehome them.

"I'm going to provide them with a bit of shelter. I'm going to bank things up around that log and give them a fighting chance to make it through until spring," he said.

Honey bees aren't native to North America. They were brought from Europe in the early 1600s to help pollinate crops.

Dermott, a local beekeeper, said the honey bees are "critical for our survival."

"There are not many crops out there, not many food stores that aren't dependent on pollinating insects," Dermott added.

The colony occupied five to six feet of the silver maple tree where they were found.