When the leaders of First United Methodist Church in Cary decided to clear a lot to make room for a larger parking lot, they realized one of the walnut trees to be removed was home to a feral colony of honey bees.

They had heard about the plight of honey bees, their shortage and the difficulty that beekeepers are having in keeping their own bees alive.

Due to the threat posed by two parasitic mites that arrived two decades ago and other pests since, not to mention adverse weather and the rapid urbanization of our state, honey bees face numerous threats to their survival. Church leaders decided to call beekeepers to save the honey bees.

Danny Jaynes, president of the Wake Bee Chapter of the N.C. State Beekeepers Association, took the trunk with the bees back to his farm in southern Wake County for their safe keeping. Church member Bryan Webber cut down the tree July 14 but saved the portion with the bees.

A researcher from N.C. State University plans to take samples from the colony to study their genetic makeup, hoping to learn why they’ve been able to survive in the wild.