Honey Bee Colony in a Wall for some years

[Blacknails]

Good afternoon all.
I am in need of some advice.
Last year i extracted some bees from a wall that had been their for four years using the trap out method. They were causing the owner and visitors to the property some grief. In my view they were very well behaved. I never got stung once but they were bumping me which i consider a warning that if you don't hurry up and leave stinging is the next option.

I didn't get the queen out. In the end the bees just stopped exiting the hole. The ones that made it through the wire mesh cone with a one way valve were all re-homed. I did get 8 frames of bees out.
I plugged the wall up last Sep and now want to remove the honey that is still in the wall. Clearly if i unplug the wall again a new swarm will move in, indeed maybe the bees will find another access point in the building to the honey. I feel i need to remove all the honey inside to prevent another colony either moving in or finding another access point in the building. I am considering placing a colony very close to the access hole before the swarming season.

I am thinking the colony will find and remove the honey in the wall? Once they have done this i can plug the hole up, and move the bees to another site. Accessing the colony by opening up either the ceiling or the brickwork is not an option as the building has asbestos. Ideally what the owner wants is the bees never to come back but as i have explained, if the honey is still in the cavity wall, i consider about 100lbs + could be in the space as its 5m by 2m by .2m any bees finding this during the swarming season will be an open invite to move in again and then we have gone full circle.

Any thoughts

Regards

Blacknails

 

[Ian123]

If the holes are already plugged then I’d leave well alone. It’s not the honey you want to remove it’s all the wax and realistically it’s impossible to get everything out even after scraping the surfaces they’ll be some left. Also likely that wax moth have already reduced what’s there to a mess. I’ve done more than my share of removals and don’t think I’ve ever seen 100lbs in any. Again it’ll be the wax and scent that attract future swarms not the honey. It appears you have few options but ensure all access is prevented and that’s often not easy! I’d suggest expanding foam into any voids/holes and cement on top of anything visible.

 

[Newbeeneil]

I agree with Ian, just leave it blocked up. TBH if you milked the bees off the chances are there is little honey left as they would have used it as stores to while the queen was still laying.

 

[Beesnaturally]

If its in a cavity wall its never going to do anything but fall/run harmlessly or set, unless bees, and/or ants find another way in. Waxmoth have likely turned all to gunk already. Make a hole near the bottom large enough for ants but too small for bees and the chances are they'll clear it out. It will still be interesting to bees for a long time, but apart from stopping entrances there's nothing you can do without chopping great chunks of brickwork out, and that's way over the top. If I were you I'd just forget about it. You've done your bit and if the people want more they should pay a builder to do it.

Remember. What the eye doesn't see the heart doesn't grieve over. Give them a nice reassuring story and if they are still bothered suggest a psychologist.