There was a beehive inside TDECU stadium that had to be exterminated. | Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons via user Firos AK

There was a large beehive inside TDECU stadium in early September — the hive attached to multiple beams underneath seating areas where the concession stands are housed.

The hive was initially discovered by maintenance crews the week of Aug. 26, UH Spokesman Chris Stipes said. The bees were gone before the first home game of the season, but not in the way anyone originally wanted.

“During the attempt to remove and relocate the colony, the bees became very aggressive and posed a danger to the workers performing the task as well as an imminent public health threat,” Stipes said in an email. “Unfortunately, they had to be exterminated.”

The original plan was to remove and relocate the bees via a pest control company experienced in doing so.

“A pest control company was brought in to assess and remediate the situation,” Stipes said. “Their first priority was to remove and relocate the bees, which was challenging given the height and placement of the colony.”

The bees were located approximately 80 feet above ground near the Gate Four entrance.

While many students were not aware of the bees in the stadium, when they learned about them they said they wished the crew could have removed them instead of exterminating them.

“I’m upset because there’s actually a non-profit organization that will send out bee handlers and they will safely remove the hive,” said business junior Mauricio Sampogna.

A main reason some students are concerned about bees is due to some species of bees being threatened, endangered or critically endangered.

“So, it’s the conflict of man versus nature,” Sampogna said, “should we remove the bees when we’re in their environment, or should bees be removed out of our imposed environment.”

Others, while they may have felt bad for the bees, understood the step that was taken to protect the crew and students, mainly because they know the threat bees can be.

“I personally don’t like bees,” said accounting junior Nur Yusrin Yusr. “I’m just scared of them. It’s just a fear.”

While beehives are not common in the stadium, they are not unheard of, and this one will not be the last the University sees.

“These things happen, but it is not a common occurrence and the situations vary,” Stipes said. “The University operates very much like a small city and our maintenance crews address a wide range of issues on any given day.”

In the end, no students were put at risk during the football game.

“Our top priority is always the safety of our students and campus community,” Stipes said.

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“Beehive exterminated inside TDECU Stadium” was originally posted on The Daily Cougar