A neighbour knocks

[wessexmario]

Just had a neighbour knock on my door, concerned about a "swarm of a couple of dozen bees" going into his house, and scaring the wife.

When I explained a swarm is usually a bit bigger than that, he said he was sure they were honey bees, and he was able to convince me that he did indeed know, so I went to have a look.

When we got there, there were a few bees buzzing around the back wall near the eaves, so I investigated the loft. Up in the mostly empty loft, nothing, no movement, no noise, and a clear view to the eaves.
Downstairs again to the bathroom, which was in the process of being renovated, and the wife points out "3 more bees!". we let them out of the window, and another enters the hole that's just been enlarged for the new bath waste pipe.

Came to the conclusion that the hole in the wall outside was appearing to offer a suitable location to scouts who were then finding themselves in the larger than expected empty bathroom.

I advised them to temporarily stuff the hole in the wall with rags or plastic bags until the builders finished off the renovations properly, which should thwart that location from the swarm. Had a quick look around for the swarm but couldn't find it, with many tall garden fences and houses backing onto each other it wasn't an easy area to search.

 

[Cellectronic]

Quick , Put a swarm trap where the hole is !

 

[itma]

Quick , Put a swarm trap where the hole is !

Errr, "bait hive" ?

 

[Barbarian]

You don't have to get the ladder out. If you put a bait hive in the neighbour's garden there is a good chance the scouts will find it.

I hope one of your home hives is not getting ready to swarm.

You could be lucky. At the moment, all I've got is two Tree Bumble nests in my eaves.

 

[wessexmario]

You don't have to get the ladder out. If you put a bait hive in the neighbour's garden there is a good chance the scouts will find it.

already have one in my garden which is less than 100yds away, and the neighbour's other half wasn't receptive to having a box anywhere near her house to attract them!

 

[YorkshireBees]

already have one in my garden which is less than 100yds away, and the neighbour's other half wasn't receptive to having a box anywhere near her house to attract them!

I would have thought they would be VERY keen to have a bait hive in the garden when you explain that they would use that rather than possibly go into the wall cavity where it's almost impossible to remove them from!

I personally have had approx 3 swarm calls and 60+ calls about 'Honey bees' in bird boxes / gutter height that when I get them to describe the number / activity all turn out to be (99% chance) bumblebees!!
That's in the last 2-3 days!!

 

[Cellectronic]

Errr, "bait hive" ?

Yes, Thats what I meant, sorry .
I was partially asleep when I said that, Just about to retire for the day.

 

[Tomo]

Last year I was called to a house with something similar. Scout bees were getting into a ladies loft space through an old overflow pipe hole that had not been filled up. There were about 100-200 bees in the loft space but no sign of a swarm. I blocked the hole and taped up the loft hatch and unfortunately left the bees in the loft to perish. No other way, without making a career of it. Walking around a loft in full bee kit was rather warm, although I didn't take the smoker, as a visit from the fire brigade wouldn't have gone down too well!

 

[Mrs Webmuppet]

I had a neighbour approach me this evening whilst I was in the front garden....
Are you a beekeeper she said...er yes said I (nervously) you'd best come and have a look at this.....i followed her across the road and past a couple of houses and she pointed to a shopping trolley (the type much loved of ladies of advancing years) which was under a car port, sure enough in the trolley was a swarm.The bees took a considerable amount of persuasion that a hive was a far better home than the trolley.

Needless to say that's two swarms today...one moved into my nuc box in the garden too. My mentor needless to say thought the swarm in the shopping trolley to be very funny ...were they upwardly mobile bees?

I have no idea where the bees have come from.

 

[Mrs Shoot]

Had lots of bumble bee calls as well.

Although did have the local pest controller contract us about collecting "a nest of wasps about the size of a honey dew melon" as reported by the owner of the shed they decided to frequent. Was actually a swarm of honey bees, so we were asked if we wanted to collect them.