Just had an interesting phone call.

[whizzwheels]

Just had a call from a friend who is decorating his house and has found honey runing down inside an elcetricity socket!
He saw the odd bees around the outside part of the house during the year and has had a swarm in the garden this year( he only moved into the house in the summer).
My question is assuming the bees are still in the roof/wall (it's a flat roofed extension on a bungalow) would you try and remove them now or wait until the spring?

I would like to try and remove them especialy as the roof will have to come off at some stage as it's rotten. The other option my friend want to do is spray wasp killer on them which I want to avoid at all costs.

Andrew

 

[Silly Bee]

Don't quote me, but I think its against the law, to knowingly kill bees.

 

[whizzwheels]

I thought the same myself as I seemed to remember reading something simular recently. Hence why I want(need) to get them out.

 

[spikespearman]

I would try to get them now, your friend might decide to press ahead, and an effort to save them is better than none at all...I reckon.

 

[BKF Admin]

Bees in the uk are not protected because they are not a native species.

Many councils do say they are because it saves them the work of removing them for homeowners.

 

[JamesB]

Years ago my dad attended a womans house with honey pouring down the chimney (been going on for years) As he was in the building trade, to successfully get them out (from he he says) was a major job,
He couldnt save the Bee's even trying everything he could,
Comb dripping with honey was heaved out by the barrow load - he salvaged what he could be-wise (putting them into a swarm collection box etc) but they eventually either died out or flew off somewhere else,
-
Basically worse case scenario the bee's maybe deeply embedded in the stucture which could mean massive works to access them & repair.
Whence as far as the owner is concerned (and possibly the mortgage provide/insurance co') as little building interferance would be desirable = use of chemicals etc to kill the coloney and/or seal them in.

 

[Russel]

If your mate does kill the bees then there's a fair chance that the unguarded honey may attact other "pests" i.e. wasps, hornets, mice ,rats et al and be worse off than he is now. Better to wait for the roof job, you remove bees and roofers clean out the rmaining comb etc.

 

[Silly Bee]

You could try and get them out without to much risk.

Make a box with a hole in opposite sides,put in some foundation, preferably used with a bit of honey in.

Fix the box over the entrance hole (line up holes in box) so the bees travel through, and hope some if not all take up residence, then move them en bloc.

 

[Leigh]

Silly bee - unfortunately that really wouldn't work. Bees would merely pass through - they want to be with the queen and brood.

"trapping out" seems to be a popular way to go....I haven't tried it, but it is possible to get the majority of bees, but rarely (if at all) the queen. It works because the bees can't get back into the main nest.

Food for thought: http://www.beesource.com/point-of-v...ndamentals-finesse-of-structural-bee-removal/

This wouldn't be worth doing at this time of year (not enough time to get a good colony going), and still doesn't get past the fact that there is comb stuck in the building somewhere.

It would be best to wait until they start to dismantle the roof, then cut the nest out, hopefully in early spring.

Good luck with it Whizzwheels!

 

[hedgerow pete]

try silly bee's idea but with a one way valve spring type and this will force the bees to the newer box, IN THEORY, personal i would site a new bee hive above there entrance area and then i would try to force them out in the spring when they are weekest

 

[thurrock bees]

dont move them till spring, they have a better chance of surviving, plus it gives you time to get ready and think about it. It may need move than one beek.

 

[Heather]

Surely they stand a better chance if you leave them alone to winter through- then try and move in the Spring - if the householder will wait.
Sorry didnt see post above... but agree. Plan ahead dont rush in....