People Do The Sweetest Thing For Bees Who Move Into Their Town

"Water for the bees" 💙

At first, it might just seem like an odd brown blob on the side of a building in Portici, a town just outside of Naples, Italy.

But on closer inspection, one can observe that it's actually a little home to hundreds of wild individuals.

Beehive treated hospitably by Neapolitans
Identità Insorgenti

And just above the blob?: A handwritten message letting all the human beings passing by know not to disturb it.

"They are bees, not wasps," the sign explains in Italian. "A special agency has been called for their rescue." 

And perhaps the sign's most important message: "Do not hurt them!" 

Beehive treated with kindness outside of Naples, Italy
Identità Insorgenti

Believe it or not, there are wildlife experts who can actually help move whole hives of bees to safer spots — and there is probably a better location for this swarm than the front of an electronics shop. 

In recent years, it's become even more important to protect bees all over the world. Pesticides have wreaked havoc on wild bee global populations even though bees are incredibly important for the environment — and also for our food: About a third of the food we eat couldn't be grown without pollinators like bees. 

Beehive treated with kindness in Southern Italy
Identità Insorgenti

So while this family of bees awaits their relocation to a wilder new home, the citizens have taken it upon themselves to protect them and take care of them while they share their city street.

Hospitality is especially valued in the region, and since it's been so hot in Naples recently, another sign soon appeared near the swarm. It was positioned in front of a fresh glass of water: "Water for the bees," it explained. "Do not remove."

This note also contained a request for fellow citizens, asking that the glass be refilled whenever it was finished.