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Honey dripping down wall reveals bee colony living in home's attic

Posted at 9:30 AM, Jul 16, 2020
and last updated 2020-07-16 17:31:28-04

Thousands of unwanted house guests left their mark on a Pennsylvania home. After recent heavy rains, a family noticed dark lines coming down the wall, and realized it was honey from a hidden beehive.

Justin and Andrea Isabelltold CNN they originally thought the drips in their mudroom were water damage after recent rains from Tropical Storm Fay. They live in Perkasie, between Allentown and Philadelphia.

"We've never heard any buzzing or anything," Andrea told CNN. "When we saw the stream coming down the wall, we just kind of worked our way up."

In a tongue-in-cheek Facebook post, Justin called it a “PSA for homeowners”, showing off the drips and licking one.

"I have three boys and they were wondering if we could set a tap up so we could just pour honey on our yogurt and granola in the morning. I wish we could. I wish we could share it, but they need a better home where they're safe and happy and not living with us," Andrea told WPVI.

honey drips
Drips of honey are seen coming down the walls of a home in Pennsylvania.

The couple says they have seen a few bees in their time living at the home, but nothing to indicate what they found in the attic. The colony is estimated at 20,000 to 30,000 bees.

The family is still living in the home, Justin said the colony "hasn't impacted interior living at all. In fact, we still wouldn't know has (sic) a honey not run down the walls."

house with bees
A large colony of bees was found inside the attic of a home in Pennsylvania after honey dripped down the walls. Detail added by homeowner.

The couple says they want to save the colony and are working with beekeepers to determine next steps for the bees.