Holy defensive bees, Batman! Never had this kind of experience, it was a bit of a shock. I didn't take many pictures, because once I got the hive open, I couldn't get the camera out easily.
They stung me through my suit, mostly on the arm reaching into the hive, but also on my back and chest when they could. I moved 40' away to take a break and drink some water (it hit 95 here yesterday, and this side of the house got full sun), and they were so mad they were stinging everyone they could find. Anyone outside was game. I figured walking away would be enough, so when I got a bit away, I took off my suit, and they went crazy, got hit a couple times on my face, a bunch on my scalp, neck...threw my suit back on and never took it off again. Drank through the screen. I figure I got stung about 100 times, all told.
Outside of the house:
Zoom on the entrance:
Exposing the hive:
The bulk of the hive was behind these bricks. The mortar was totally crumbling, so I could remove them by hand. The bees were too hot to keep taking pictures after that, so this is the end of the show.
Things I learned:
1. Get a bee vac, pronto. Being able to suck up tons of bees removes them from the equation.
2. Charge more for removals 30' off the ground, even if the client provides a bucket.
3. Wear or bring a sweatshirt for under the suit, regardless of outside temp, for use if the bees turn out to be hot.
4. Don't take off the suit if the bees are hot.
I have another cutout scheduled for Wednesday, so...