Sometimes you have to earn your keep.... :D
I've hit a couple similar. Makes you appreciate the easy ones.
I guess my worst was 5 separate hives side by side between each set of studs. Had to pull the whole chimney down and remove 2/3 of the wall.
Luckily, they were going to tear down the house anyway. The worst thing was not knowing they were there, so only smoking the one we were working, the others ate us alive. An estimated 800 to 1000 stings in 5 or 6 days.