Bee's in Chimney

[nantmoel]

I have had two phones calls asking me to remove bees from chimney's, I have never done this and refused. There is no way I was climbing up onto the roof. Has anyone driven the bees out of a chimney using smoke (smoke bomb type pellets)? Or any other advice would be gratefully received.

 

[Hachi]

Many moons ago we had bee's in a chimney and I tried everything to get them to move on. Sadly to no avail.

 

[Brian Bush]

I have had two phones calls asking me to remove bees from chimney's, I have never done this and refused. There is no way I was climbing up onto the roof. Has anyone driven the bees out of a chimney using smoke (smoke bomb type pellets)? Or any other advice would be gratefully received.

Very sensible nanmotel. The BBKA does not insure us for removing bees from a property. You need a pest controller to destroy I am afraid.

If the want them removed but no killed they will have to get scaffolding erected and you would probably have to remove pots and bricks. Been there, done that, no tee-shirt and not successful!!!!

 

[Itchy]

Very sensible nanmotel. The BBKA does not insure us for removing bees from a property. You need a pest controller to destroy I am afraid.

If the want them removed but no killed they will have to get scaffolding erected and you would probably have to remove pots and bricks. Been there, done that, no tee-shirt and not successful!!!!

Or a pest controller who knows how to extract them alive.
Smoking them out won't work.

 

[Anduril]

I have had two phones calls asking me to remove bees from chimney's, I have never done this and refused. There is no way I was climbing up onto the roof. Has anyone driven the bees out of a chimney using smoke (smoke bomb type pellets)? Or any other advice would be gratefully received.

I have probably had the same phone calls and gave them the details of pest controllers.

 

[MuswellMetro]

i have seen the aftermath of someone lighting a fire in the hearth to drive the Bees out.....don't every do it unless you have two fire engines standing by...it went up like a rocket, wax and honey melted and the chimney caught fire but not the usual thick smoke pouring out of the top, this was like a flaming roaring inferno and the wax, honey and soot burnt

 

[Itchy]

Resigning colonies to the pest controllers is probably not the right move. Some pest controllers now remove colonies alive and re hive them.
Ones I know of are in
Cardiff and surrounds
Mansfield and surrounds
Surrey/Hants/West Sussex (me)

Just because a colony is in a chimney doesn't mean destruction is a given. Actually, destruction is the more expensive option if carried out legally.

 

[BeeJayBee]

I've managed to get newly arrived colonies to leave woodburner flues and chimneys by using a big smoker stuffed with damp grass. It takes quite a long time to get enough smoke going upwards to make them move. Two or three smokers might be better, even though to begin with quite a lot of the smoke ends up in the room because the flue is usually blocked by bees.

I don't know if something like Bee Quick might work, but the repellent might dissipate before it reaches the bees.

If the bees have been there long enough to build comb it'll be an expensive job because somebody will have to go onto the roof and it's likely to mean scaffolding etc..

MM's description is quite terrifying.

 

[Anduril]

Resigning colonies to the pest controllers is probably not the right move. Some pest controllers now remove colonies alive and re hive them.
Ones I know of are in
Cardiff and surrounds
Mansfield and surrounds
Surrey/Hants/West Sussex (me)

Just because a colony is in a chimney doesn't mean destruction is a given. Actually, destruction is the more expensive option if carried out legally.

I always advise phone callers to contact pest control in these circumstances, informing them that some pest controllers will not touch bees. Then I give them the details of pest controllers who are beekeepers, just in case they can be saved. This is definitely the right move.

 

[abm]

I've just taken a 2 yr old colony from a stack, i'll upload the video soon.
These are now on my garden getting over the eviction notice slowly, queen saved, caged and re inserted into new home.

Scaffold in the only way i work.

 

[nantmoel]

I've just taken a 2 yr old colony from a stack, i'll upload the video soon.
These are now on my garden getting over the eviction notice slowly, queen saved, caged and re inserted into new home.

Scaffold in the only way i work.

All the people I have been to expect you to do any work free of charge! I'm sure if I mentioned scaffolding etc. they would have a heart attack. I have already this week been called out to 3 bumble bee nests!! Even after I direct callers to our website which clearly show the difference, not one has ever offered to pay my travelling!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

All the people I have been to expect you to do any work free of charge! I'm sure if I mentioned scaffolding etc. they would have a heart attack. I have already this week been called out to 3 bumble bee nests!! Even after I direct callers to our website which clearly show the difference, not one has ever offered to pay my travelling!

Just tell them there's a £20.00 or £40.00 callout fee paid up front - refundable if it is a swarm of bees.

 

[Anduril]

All the people I have been to expect you to do any work free of charge! I'm sure if I mentioned scaffolding etc. they would have a heart attack. I have already this week been called out to 3 bumble bee nests!! Even after I direct callers to our website which clearly show the difference, not one has ever offered to pay my travelling!

Ask them to describe what they see, also if they have a smart phone they could take a picture of it and send it to you, before you jump in the car on a wasted journey.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Just tell them there's a £20.00 or £40.00 callout fee paid up front - refundable if it is a swarm of bees.

You're on my wavelength there JBM

 

[nantmoel]

Ask them to describe what they see, also if they have a smart phone they could take a picture of it and send it to you, before you jump in the car on a wasted journey.

I do ALL that - and I still get a wasted journey, however this morning I had a nice phone call of a lovely chap who knew his honey bees to say there was a swarm on a tree in next doors garden.

 

[La Chassagne]

I saw a video the other day (can't seem to find the link anymore) about how they used -basically- upturned funnels (made out of very fine meshed wire fence material), put on every entrance/exit point so that the bees can go out, but cannot easily go in anymore. A baithive was placed in the near vicinity, to try to convince them to move into there. This might take as long as a couple of days, up to a couple of months, and does not always work.

 

[BeeJayBee]

What you're describing is often referred to as a 'trap out'.

The foraging bees are able to leave but are prevented from returning to the parent colony, which eventually dwindles and/or starves to death. I don't think it's a nice way of dealing with any sort of livestock that's ended up in the wrong place, and it does nothing to clear up the old nest which will probably attract a new swarm.

 

[Itchy]

Professionally done, a trap out works well.

 

[newbeeinbromley]

Professionally done, a trap out works well.

+1 - I've had good success with trap out,

Got a cut out to do next week too, directly above front door in ceiling!


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[GoEnviro]

Nantmoel I'm busy relocating tree bumble bees, carrying out trap outs from voids and cutouts from soffits and chimneys here in South Wales and the Devon and Dorset areas.
So if you need someone to refer that kind of work to give us a call - swarmcatcher.co.uk.
Should mention we've been doing it for some time now and are fully insured to do so,
Not saying I know it all but I have a pretty good idea, just as both Itchy and ABM do - just wish I could get scaffolding at the same price as ABM, and as cooperative a chimney sweep as Itchy.
Each of us are beekeepers as well as professional pest controllers and charge for our service,
Personally I don't go out to offer a professional assessment without being paid to do so be it for bumble bees, honey bees, wasps, rats, squirrels or otherwise, otherwise I would end up running around handing out advice all summer and have no time to earn an income. Usually we offset the charge against work we have been authorised to carry out.

Currently researching about swarm eviction of new swarms (less than a week) in cavities, if anyone can offer thoughts on trapout methods and possibility of catching complete swarms I would be very interested

Think someone has knocked trapouts on here? They should not - they aren't straightforward by any means but carried out correctly they are a great solution to an otherwise very difficult problem