Can this swarm be saved

[Levitt53]

I've only had bees for a year but i've become known locally as someone who knows about bees and lots of people have been asking me for advice.

I've just been to look at some in a local residential educational place owned by the council who have feral colony of bees in the roof about 4 floors up. These have been there for about five years and they are happy to leave these. They get the odd swarm but one has settled in a hole in the building 2 floors up but between two windows. They usually get birds nesting in this hole. Obviously they can't leave them here. I'm 99% certain they are honey bees due to their size and the number of them.

I can't see any way that this swarm can be saved. They are thinking they could just block it with foam as they would rather not use chemicals. They have a school group staying at the moment so have to be mindful of them and it's clear to me that they have to deal with them.

I don't have much experience but can anyone think if a way to save them and mire importantly does anyone want to try. It's Burwell, near Cambridge and Newmarket.

Edit. Just to add that there is a balcony below so it is fairly accessible.

 

[Softley]

There's a area on the BBKA website that will give you the contact details of your closest swarm collector, who may be able to take a look at them.

Do you think they've found a large enough cavity to nest in, or might they just be resting whilst the scout bees find a new home?

 

[Levitt53]

No they were going in and out. The guy reckons there is a cavity so i think they've settled there. It was not a swarm hanging on the outside.

 

[mjt68]

I think Angularity is that side of the city?

 

[Levitt53]

I don't think there is anyway they can be got at so it would be a case of having to tempt them out. Would a bait box and a smoker perhaps do the job. It's not something I can do but if it can be done in theory then we can perhaps buy them a couple of days to find someone.

 

[Anduril]

Job for a pest controller, the bees cannot be tempted out, there are sympathetic bee pest controllers who can assess if they can be saved. One thing some beekeepers have done is called a trapout. You bleed off the bees, but this starves the queen and bees left inside. Then block up the hole. My advice is walk away.

 

[theeggman]

Sorry you are a hiding to nothing. Walk away and let the powers that be take the s**t, you've done your best BUT.

 

[Olivia9801]

Job for a pest controller, the bees cannot be tempted out, there are sympathetic bee pest controllers who can assess if they can be saved. One thing some beekeepers have done is called a trapout. You bleed off the bees, but this starves the queen and bees left inside. Then block up the hole. My advice is walk away.

I have read that bees can't tolerate the smell of vinegar. Has anyone ever tried this as a means to get bees out?

 

[Levitt53]

Ok no problem. I think they are going to deal with them tonight. I lent him my beesuit!! I just didn't want them to suffer from my lack of experience.

I'll talk to them next week about setting up some bait hives next year as the feral colony look like stayers. The guy I spoke to said they would be interested in having some hives in the future so I might have found myself an out apiary just around the corner from my house.