Hello & Honey Bees help

[Kurt]

Hello Everyone

First of all I don't keep bees but I'm looking for a little bit of advice.

I have a swarm of what I think are honey bees in my roof /chimney stack.

I've attached a couple of pictures, could someone please let me know if these are honey bees and if so would anyone have any advice on who could remove them without harming the hive.

They keep getting into the house.

Any help would be very much appreciated.

Thank you in advance for any help

 

[ericbeaumont]

getting into the house

Find the points of entry and seal them. A swarm that sets up in a chimney explores the space but will eventually settle and use the top; seal the bottom with a chimney balloon.

When did they arrive?
Do you use the fireplace?
Is a log burner liner fitted to the chimney?

 

[Sutty]

Yes they are honey bees.
How long ago did they arrive?
It can be a big job to remove them, if they are getting into the house by dropping down the chimney then blocking that up and living with them is an option.
You don't say where you are but it may be worth getting in touch with your local beekeeping association to see if anyone will take it on.

 

[Kurt]

Hi, thank you for the responses.

The bees have been there for a number of years and don't seem to cause an issue for the most part. There's been a couple of occasions over the years that a swarm has covered a portion of the gable end but typically they disperse quickly.

As I said they haven't caused too much of an issue and I've never really known what to do. I did try a couple of years ago to get help but it was during COVID and could never seem to get a response.

I once got some ceiling lights replaced and there was about 10-20 in light fitting which had died.

I do have fireplace which is a log burner. I believe a liner was fitted when it was installed.

I live in the North East of England. Would anyone know of any business or organisation locally that could help?

Thank you for your help

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

looks like you have an established colony up there, there are companies that can help, but it's a 'cut out' job requiring dismantling part of the chimney thus a requirement for scaffolding as working at heights. It will cost a bit.

 

[ericbeaumont]

I do have fireplace which is a log burner. I believe a liner was fitted when it was installed

The nest will be have set up in the chimney void or between the chimney and the liner, if the gap between the chimney breast and liner was not filled correctly (with vermiculite, I believe).

You ought not to light fires that use this chimney as the risk of melting wax combs doesn't bear thinking about. Your house insurance may cover removal but the subsequent increase in premiums might be alarming. On the other hand, if the company knew that the nest had been there years, they might deem that a significant risk and reassess your policy.

This Swarmcatcher chimney info. will help, but beware, the cost of removal and rebuilding will be impressive: £5-10k, depending on access and building work.

 

[enrico]

Hi, thank you for the responses.

The bees have been there for a number of years and don't seem to cause an issue for the most part. There's been a couple of occasions over the years that a swarm has covered a portion of the gable end but typically they disperse quickly.

As I said they haven't caused too much of an issue and I've never really known what to do. I did try a couple of years ago to get help but it was during COVID and could never seem to get a response.

I once got some ceiling lights replaced and there was about 10-20 in light fitting which had died.

I do have fireplace which is a log burner. I believe a liner was fitted when it was installed.

I live in the North East of England. Would anyone know of any business or organisation locally that could help?

Thank you for your help

Be very careful if they are in the chimney with the wood burner liner. The liner still gets very hot and heat and wax do not mix. The last thing you need is it reaching flash point and starting to burn. Wax burns ferociously.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Hello Everyone

First of all I don't keep bees but I'm looking for a little bit of advice.

I have a swarm of what I think are honey bees in my roof /chimney stack.

I've attached a couple of pictures, could someone please let me know if these are honey bees and if so would anyone have any advice on who could remove them without harming the hive.

They keep getting into the house.

Any help would be very much appreciated.

Thank you in advance for any help

I'm looking at this on a tablet so image quality isn't clear enough to be sure. A scale to show size would be helpful but I wouldn't rule out one of the species of miner bees. Can you tell from accessible positions if they're all using the flue as entry point or if they are using multiple small holes in the mortar joints? A local beekeeper might help more with identification.

 

[enrico]

I'm looking at this on a tablet so image quality isn't clear enough to be sure. A scale to show size would be helpful but I wouldn't rule out one of the species of miner bees. Can you tell from accessible positions if they're all using the flue as entry point or if they are using multiple small holes in the mortar joints? A local beekeeper might help more with identification.

Looks like a honey bee on my PC

 

[Deaston]

I had a similar experience last summer with bees making their way into my attic. It's essential to handle them carefully to avoid harming the hive.

There are professionals who specialize in humane bee removal, often referred to as beekeepers or pest control services with a focus on bees. They can safely relocate the hive without harming the bees.

In the meantime, I found this helpful guide on how to keep bees away from your home: https://www.mklibrary.com/how-to-keep-bees-away/. It has some great tips that might be useful for preventing them from coming inside.

 

[ericbeaumont]

great tips that might be useful for preventing them from coming inside

What we need are great tips to prevent electronic time-wasters coming inside this forum.

 

[Erichalfbee]

What we need are great tips to prevent electronic time-wasters coming inside this forum.

I think I just let one in. If the spam filter doesn’t get them and the IP looks ok we just have to wait to see what they do