Bee nest

[Roybaz]

A bee colony has moved into a wall cavity of my house with only a 3 inch by 1 inch access. Does anybody have any advise as to how I can retrieve the bees? Is leaving them there an option? I have a spare hive so getting them would be good. Thanks. Roy

 

[Gilberdyke John]

A bee colony has moved into a wall cavity of my house with only a 3 inch by 1 inch access. Does anybody have any advise as to how I can retrieve the bees? Is leaving them there an option? I have a spare hive so getting them would be good. Thanks. Roy

Lump hammer, bolster elbow grease. Or you could use a sds drill with a chisel bit.

 

[Margaret Elisabeth]

Have a look at Chris Slade's bee blog. he seems to be forever retrieving and hiving bees from inside old buildings in one way or another. If you contact him he may be able to give a bit of advice through a chat.

 

[pargyle]

A bee colony has moved into a wall cavity of my house with only a 3 inch by 1 inch access. Does anybody have any advise as to how I can retrieve the bees? Is leaving them there an option? I have a spare hive so getting them would be good. Thanks. Roy

They are more likely to be bumble bees than honey bees ... what do they look like ?

If they are bumbles just leave them alone they will be gone in autumn, then seal up the hole so you don't get some back next year.

Removing honey bees from cavities (if they are honeybees !) VERY difficult and you would be lucky to get a beekeeper to tackle it. If they are honey bees and want them gone you may have to kill them ... pest controller sooner rather than later as they will build comb quickly.

For my money they are probably bumbles.

 

[pargyle]

Oops ...

 

[Mellifera397]

Oops ...

Yeah. With two hives I expect he knows the difference

M

 

[pargyle]

Yeah. With two hives I expect he knows the difference

M

I Hope so ... but there again ? Depends on where the hole is and what his eyesight is like !! I need binoculars at 20 feet !

Cavity walls are not the favourite place for honey bees unless it's a cumbrian stone built house with four foot thick walls - and in Walton on Thames that type of property is unlikely. Cavity walls since houses were regularly built from mass produced bricks tend to have only a 3" cavity max. We'll see ... Hope it is bumbles for the OP's sake. Heck of a job otherwise ...

 

[Roybaz]

Definitely not bumble bees. I have a nest of those on the other side of the house!!!! Have had my bee suit on and caught one and its a honeybee. Wounded whether setting up a baited nuc box next to hive would entice them to move?????
Thanks for your comments.
Roy

 

[Chris Luck]

Perhaps this helps?

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?p=348272#post348272

Chris

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Yeah. With two hives I expect he knows the difference

M

Ah, but only two hives so.....................

 

[pargyle]

Ah, but only two hives so.....................

Below the Finnish Radar Security Cordon ...

Glad that they are honey bees ...where OP goes from here - best of luck !!

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Just an idea and I don't know whether this is a standard practice, but building HM a nice extension with comb might draw her out. i.e., depending on logistics, how about cutting a hole in the back of the hive and mounting it in front of the hole (may require brackets etc.) As when and if she checks out the new digs, lower 3 feet. I'd be worried how fast they'd build in there in the meantime though, TBH and might just wipe them out, sadly.

 

[Chris Luck]

Just an idea and I don't know whether this is a standard practice, but building HM a nice extension with comb might draw her out. i.e., depending on logistics, how about cutting a hole in the back of the hive and mounting it in front of the hole (may require brackets etc.) As when and if she checks out the new digs, lower 3 feet. I'd be worried how fast they'd build in there in the meantime though, TBH and might just wipe them out, sadly.

Spot on, or more or less. It can be done using constructions that gradually encourage the colony to move out of the inner sanctum until the core colony is in a box that can be removed. It requires a lot of time as in months and a continual introduction of new "chambers" that also keep moving the entrance farther from the original cavity and down at the same time.

Great fun if you have the time and the colony is situated where it doesn't need to be removed in a hurry.

Chris

 

[pargyle]

Sadly, I think you are going to have to kill them. You may be able to capture the flying bees and the workers using a box with a non return funnel or bee escape over the hole. If you drilled another hole through to the cavity and then either used smoke or a bee repellant to drive them out of the cavity and into your box. You are probably unlikely to get all of them and very lucky to get the queen. At least if you have the bulk of the workers you could unite them with one of your other hives as long as they are more than 3 miles away.

The USA are world experts at getting bees out of cavities and they have lots of ideas for traps to collect the bees as they come out. Google 'Bees Trap Out'.

The problem with a cavity in a house wall is that there are probably other holes or the top of the cavity will be open so there's other exits often available. Any bees and the queen left behind and you will have a continuing problem so whatever's left you have to get them killed and seal up the hole ASAP - you really don't want a cavity full of comb.

Try this link for starters:

http://www.permies.com/t/15647/bees/honey-bee-trap