Bees turn filing cabinet into hive

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PFLUGERVILLE, Texas, Aug. 8 (UPI) -- A swarm of bees that had turned an old filing cabinet in a Texas warehouse into a hive were deprived of their queen and honeycomb Wednesday.

Keith Huddle of Keith's Bee Service estimated about 125,000 bees were in the cabinet in Pflugerville, the Austin American-Statesman reported. There were 120 pounds of honeycomb in the cabinet as well.

Huddle said he was told the bees moved in more than a year ago. But he was only summoned Wednesday after four people were stung, including one who suffered a serious allergic reaction after having been stung more than 100 times.

The hive consisted of Africanized bees, popularly known as killer bees, Huddle said.

Huddle removed the queen and the honeycomb, the bees' source of food. He said the bees left behind will die in a few days and with no queen to protect will probably not sting anyone before they do.