Figuring Out How Long They Were In That Wall

While the hive went through periods of crests and troughs, Glover watched as it continued to grow. He estimated, based on watching them build their new hive, that they had been inside the Germantown house walls for at least two years.

He gathered that they took their time colonizing that hive, which is why the sound was dull in the early days. But, as the nest grew in size, and more bees cultivated it, the noise grew louder. The fact that the honeycomb didn’t attach to the brick was likely because the bees kept it cool using their wings and creating that infernal noise.