Honeybees under headstone

[sharonh]

Ok, was down at my grandad & grandmothers grave today giving it abit of a clean over, as Blessings of graves next month. Very old graveyard, not in use now really. Anyway headstone sits on a hearth. Back of headstone where the hearth is concreted to the ground, there is a 1 inch hole. There are honey bees going in and out. Thought was seeing things first but watch for longer & there even bringing in pollen.
Can't imagine a big cavity under there for them, but wonder is there any way I could get them out,or entice them out, to maybe even get them into a nuc.
Has anyone any ideas?


Love Beekeeping <3

 

[VEG]

why not leave them to it.

 

[sharonh]

why not leave them to it.

Only thing is, the Blessings of the graves are end of may. They might not like anyone standing so close when they are in and out. They would have built up by then. I would like to stand by my granddads grave to get it blessed without being stung,& whoever owns the grave right behind it,will be facing the entrance hole. .
Would like to help them & wouldn't like if anyone tried to kill them.But as you know some people wouldn't know the difference between a wasp and a bee.
Will be down there again tomorrow, so will take a photo.


Love Beekeeping <3

 

[Hivemaker.]

Can't imagine a big cavity under there for them, but wonder is there any way I could get them out,or entice them out, to maybe even get them into a nuc.
Has anyone any ideas?

Use a jack hammer to break up the concrete and gain access to the bees for removal, or perhaps use a mini digger to lift off the headstone.

 

[sharonh]

Use a jack hammer to break up the concrete and gain access to the bees for removal, or perhaps use a mini digger to lift off the headstone.

Wouldn't go to that extreme hivemaker, not going to damage the grave & headstone.
It was late this evening when I was down there. I will go down earlier tomorrow to see how active it is,& see if more than one
entrance.



Love Beekeeping <3

 

[leonotron]

Just ask the priest ahead of time to bless the bees and they won't sting anyone.

 

[ratcatcher]

are you 100% sure they are honey bees, I've attended quite a few swarms this last month, where the homeowner has swore blind they are honey bees, only to find bumble bees or masonry bees

 

[Swarm]

OP has seen them.

 

[oliver90owner]

OP may not recognise the difference between honey bees and deathwatch bees. More likely bumbles if only a small space. Might even go so far as to say dead certain. I thought Hivemaker was on the right track. Probable sub-species of ringers - was the hole left for a piece of string? Often used to happen. Anyway, if there are bees down there they likely have bronchial disorders, coughing and similar.

 

[Floyd]

Why not block up the entrance and then go back and see if they have any other way out the following morning.

Then block them in the previous evening to the blessing.

 

[MartinL]

There are honey bees going in and out. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Can't imagine a big cavity under there for them, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
Has anyone any ideas?

If you think about it there's probably more than one "big cavity" in an old graveyard!
Especially where the 1st occupant was 6 foot down with up to two more on top. Digging them out is probably going to draw a crowd, (unless you did it after dark).

I wouldn't bother to attempt a "trap-out", it would leave the queen and non flyers behind and six to eight weeks later you are back to where you started.

I'd just leave them to get on with it. You (or the vicar) could block the entrance up the night before any ceremonies and unplug it afterwards.

 

[Swarm]

Wasn't there a post recently about honey bees in a drain? Quite a few doubted that as well. I'd be inclined to block them in until the service is over and then open up and leave them to it.

 

[drstitson]

if it's more of a tomb than backfilled grave there could well be quite a void below the surface.

 

[psafloyd]

Would you fancy graveyard honey? Even if it was dead nice?

 

[jackstraw]

It sounds to me that you need a two pronged attack
To avoid any unwanted interruptions during the blessing service I would temporarily block them from dusk the night before until after the service finishes. Ideally sponge or wire wool to block up the hole so some air can get in
Once you have the service out of the way if you want to remove them then trapping them out must be the way to go

 

[ratcatcher]

Would you fancy graveyard honey? Even if it was dead nice?

it would probably have a bit of body to it though

 

[Itchy]

it would probably have a bit of body to it though

Oh good God!