As of press time Sunday, a power outage on Welch Avenue caused by bees remained unresolved.

According to Lt. Greg Lewis of the Bradford City Fire Department, a tree branch had broken off and landed on power lines in front of 43 Welch Ave.

The tree branch, rotted from the beehives and honeycombs inside, pulled on the poles, causing a power outage for the a few residents on Welch Avenue.

“It was bad enough with the power line damage and the outage, but the bees gave us another serious problem,” Lewis said. “The bees are protected, so we had to contact the state so they could get the right people to take care of these bees without harming them,” he said.

A tree service that was brought in was unable to help due the the bees. Work was still halted on Sunday evening as the local crew waited for the arrival of employees from the state agency, he explained.

Crews were still unable to fix the power lines and return power to the homes on Welch Avenue at press time. The street has been barricaded and taped off until the issue has been resolved.