Walton County firefighters relocate tenants from old barn

An old barn that is on the property of Walton County Fire Rescue’s Station No. 2 in Between has been home to more than one of God’s special creatures. A litter or two of feral kittens were born there and called it home for a while. In that case, firefighters adopted the kittens, had them spayed or neutered through a rescue organization, and were able to find some of them homes. Others, like feline battalion chief Flops featured in the latest issue of Walton Living Magazine, moved up to the big house and became permanent firehouse cats.

But the latest inhabitants, a swarm of honey bees, were not quite as welcome.

Earlier this month, fire crews got out the heavy equipment and helped move them to a new home. The honey bees had taken up residence in the old barn once the cats were out, so firefighters helped Bold Springs Apiary gather them up and relocate the swarm.

“We had some tools for that,” said Battalion Chief Craig League in sharing photos of how handy the bucket truck was in doing so. “We peacefully removed a swarm of honey bees from a tree at the fire station.”

League said Bold Springs Apiary removed the queen and most of the hive one day and the firefighters, with the help of the bucket truck, helped gather up the “stragglers” in the tree the following day.

League said he wasn’t sure how many honey bees there were, but he would guess about 15,000 or so.

“There was a lot of honey in the barn,” he said.

So I guess the “vacant” sign is back out at the old firehouse barn – at least for now. Who knows who, or what, will move in next.