I suppose the electric company could just borrow a bee keeper's suit and then replace the fixture wearing the suit. My M-250R out back has a super-browned-out refractor in it now. Hopefully it doesn't break and hopefully I don't end up with this. At first I had though the refractor melted or something.
Yeah the lamp must be not working, but maybe still some warmth from the ballast making the nest cozy. They feel right at home literally with the "buzz" of the ballast at night.
I get this from time to time at work but usually on the door not the lens. I just unload a can of bee spray on the nest and go about business as usual.
Or, to save the fixture, remove the pole and transport it to a large boiling vat of water and dunk the cobrahead in the water. Them bees will be dead and the nest will decompose in the boiling water after a few hours. TBH though I'd say it's not worth it unless this was 50 years in the future when these 60s GEs are as rare as a medium pressure mercury lamp. Then it would probably worth it at all cost.
That should be burned!