Honey bees in roof space anyone want them?

[Chrisbeequinn]

Hi all, I have honey bees in my roof space, right at the top of a three story house. I know this as there is honey dripping down into my loft! We had pest control and they said it was a swarm. They were wrong, that was months ago!

So firstly is it dangerous to have a bees nest in the space?
Secondly would anyone be interested in collecting them (I understand this is possible by harvesting the queen).

Also I am in Cornwall, right next to Fistral beach in Newquay, so a negative I may be miles away, positive you get Fistral beach honey .

Also some planks would need to be removed at the least to access them., If anyone is interested let me know and I can post pics.

Also if no one is interested I guess I would have to take the sad step of having the nest destroyed, any recommendations?

 

[Ian123]

Would also suggest you google any associations in your area and email. There is a possibility that they may not make it through winter and if that’s the case you need to ensure any holes/access is sealed. Cut outs in tight confined spaces are difficult, destruction by a pest controller also requires the complete removal and off site destruction of comb/honey so expensive and you still get a hole in roof

 

[Chrisbeequinn]

Would also suggest you google any associations in your area and email. There is a possibility that they may not make it through winter and if that’s the case you need to ensure any holes/access is sealed. Cut outs in tight confined spaces are difficult, destruction by a pest controller also requires the complete removal and off site destruction of comb/honey so expensive and you still get a hole in roof

Thanks for your advice. So it may be an idea to wait till next year, see if they emerge, and if not seal, but if they do act?

 

[Ian123]

Yes there is a reasonable chance that they will croak during winter but if that’s the case then you will need to be on the ball early and get any access to cavity sealed. With old comb there it’s a prime spot for attracting another swarm and you can expect those from early April onwards. If they make it through you may find a local beek very pleased of some bees in early spring unfortunately the normal happy volenteer may not be the most experienced. I find unless you can expose whole area of the nest the chances of success reduce. In regard to your ceiling a coat of oil based undercoat on stained area before decorating with emulsion should prevent your stain bleeding through

 

[Chrisbeequinn]

Thanks, really appreciate your advice.

 

[enrico]

Chris, I wouldn't wait until spring. There is no reason the colony will die out over winter.
Please get in touch with a local bee keeper or the local area of the beekeeping association. They may be able to help.
It is a big job to cut out bees from a loft area. It is messy. It is no good just killing the bees, the whole nest needs removing.
Sorry I can't help by doing it myself
E

 

[Ian123]

Chris, I wouldn't wait until spring. There is no reason the colony will die out over winter.
E

Theres many reasons a colony will die over winter last year in the south west colony losses of nearly 16% average reported. These where hives managed by beeks, treated for varroa and other diseases, protected from predation by rodents(common in roof spaces). Protected from late season wasp attacks with only 1 accesS point for bees to defend ,fed during the autumn and a beekeeper on hand to feed late winter early spring should feed run low,Queens monitored and replaced if needed early or late season and weak colonies united .Insulated dry hives. I could go on i would suggest you could easily double perhaps treble that loss rate for feral bees. Given then the op would only have to plug a few holes its worth taking a chance. Also should the colony survive it would be a far easier job come spring, a well established colony now will have plenty of stores and the worst thing when doing a cut out is bloody honey!!!!!
Chris should you use a pest controller then they are required by law to remove the whole lot as a poisoned colony is a risk to other hives in the area and bees love a free lunch resulting in other poisoned hives. Combs then have to be sent off for destruction. As enrico says try the local associations and if your lucky they may have a jobbing beek builder with the correct tools that cause min damage. I maintain your best option is they snuff it during winter

 

[MartinL]

Theres many reasons a colony will die over winter last year in the south west colony losses of nearly 16% . . . . . .

That's an 84% survival rate for those left outside, not tucked up at the top of a centrally heated house!

Chris should you use a pest controller then they are required by law to remove the whole lot . . . . . . .

I maintain your best option is they snuff it during winter

If you trust the odds?

 

[psafloyd]

Hi all, I have honey bees in my roof space, right at the top of a three story house. I know this as there is honey dripping down into my loft! We had pest control and they said it was a swarm. They were wrong, that was months ago!



So firstly is it dangerous to have a bees nest in the space?

Secondly would anyone be interested in collecting them (I understand this is possible by harvesting the queen).



Also I am in Cornwall, right next to Fistral beach in Newquay, so a negative I may be miles away, positive you get Fistral beach honey .



Also some planks would need to be removed at the least to access them., If anyone is interested let me know and I can post pics.



Also if no one is interested I guess I would have to take the sad step of having the nest destroyed, any recommendations?

Destroying the nest will not stop another colony accessing the space next year if you don't block up the access points.

It will also still leave a decent amount of wax behind, which is flammable.

Few beekeepers will have the insurance cover or building skills to do this, but you may be lucky.


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[psafloyd]

Chris should you use a pest controller then they are required by law to remove the whole lot as a poisoned colony is a risk to other hives in the area and bees love a free lunch resulting in other poisoned hives. Combs then have to be sent off for destruction.

Is that right? I know of stories where that wasn't the case and have heard of stories where the quote did not include that.



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[Anduril]

Chris, I wouldn't wait until spring. There is no reason the colony will die out over winter.
Please get in touch with a local bee keeper or the local area of the beekeeping association. They may be able to help.
It is a big job to cut out bees from a loft area. It is messy. It is no good just killing the bees, the whole nest needs removing.
Sorry I can't help by doing it myself
E

Some pest controllers are also beekeepers and others have arrangements with a beekeeper and pass on the colony they collect. Don't wait any longer if honey is dripping into your loft.

 

[itsbruce]

Hi all, I have honey bees in my roof space, right at the top of a three story house. I know this as there is honey dripping down into my loft! We had pest control and they said it was a swarm. They were wrong, that was months ago!

So firstly is it dangerous to have a bees nest in the space?
Secondly would anyone be interested in collecting them (I understand this is possible by harvesting the queen).

Your local association really is the best place to start. Many beekeepers are reluctant to take on swarms, not knowing the provenance of the bees and concerned at the risk of introducing disease into their apiary. But some people have isolation areas where they are prepared to put swarms or problem colonies, giving an opportunity to deal with health or behaviour issues. I know the last couple times a swarm has been reported in my area, that's where they've ended up. Your local association may be able to put you in touch with somebody.

That said, I'm in a big city where the association feels the pressure to stop feral bees being a problem. There's not the same pressure down where you are.

 

[wessexmario]

If you go to the bottom of this webpage, there is a map with the locations and phone numbers of UK honey bee swarm collectors.
Just click on the map marker nearest your location.
Not all swarm collectors will do a cutout/removal, but most should know someone locally who will.

www. bbka. org. uk/swarm

(remove the spaces from the URL above - the forum software won't let us post the URL of the British Beekeeping Association website!)

 

[Olivia9801]

There’s a lot of issues to removing a colony located in an attic. For the beekeeper as opposed to a “pest controller” there is the insurance issue. This is quite important considering the risk of accidental damage to the property in trying to remove a colony from an attic. Then there’s the risk of injury accelerated by this taking place in a loft.

Surely it would be best to consider removing such a colony in mid to late January when bee colonies are known to be at their smallest in terms of numbers?

I know it’s great to save a colony whenever possible, but there are circumstances when due to the their location, preservation of the colony has to become the lower priority over removing them to save them?

There maybe a bee keeper who is willing to do this, but the mess from the honey and the risks (as mentioned) in carrying this out makes this more suitable for a pest controller as this is beyond the expected remits of a swarm collector particularly if you are one that is listed on the BBKA web site?

 

[Hachi]

Hi all, I have honey bees in my roof space, right at the top of a three story house. I know this as there is honey dripping down into my loft! We had pest control and they said it was a swarm. They were wrong, that was months ago!

The Pest controller wasn't wrong, it sounds like it was a swarm that has moved in and are happy with their new home.

So firstly is it dangerous to have a bees nest in the space? bees will live there quite happily
Secondly would anyone be interested in collecting them (I understand this is possible by harvesting the queen). In the bee world you're asking for someone to do a cut out. Beekeepers are not insured to complete these tasks, that isnt to say someone wont do it, but it might be difficult to find someone willing to do it.

Also I am in Cornwall, right next to Fistral beach in Newquay, so a negative I may be miles away, positive you get Fistral beach honey .

Also some planks would need to be removed at the least to access them., If anyone is interested let me know and I can post pics. post some pictures we're all making some assumptions right now

Also if no one is interested I guess I would have to take the sad step of having the nest destroyed, any recommendations?

Again, the more challenging the task the greater the risks usually. A pestle is unlikely to be insured to remove the fabric of the
building. if the colony can be accessible from the outside you might need to fund additional equipment to allow someone to access the entrance.