Wasp or bee?

[mikmikmikmik]

Hi,
Go easy 9n me. First post.
If this is a bee then which Ghostbusters do I call to save the hive up my chimney.
If it's a wasp, who do I call?
I love in Northern Ireland.
About 8 of these came out the bottom of my electric fire at my unused fireplace.
The chimney is open at the top but with a pot vent on it.
The chimney at the bottom had paper stuffed up it but that must not have been enough so I stuffed a couple of towels up.it to seal it better. No more of these have come out so far.
Thanks.

 

[Ian123]

Yes it’s a honey bee, I’d have a look at the chimney on a good warm day to see if you can spot any area they may be using as and entrance and it may just be the pot at the top.There’s a likely hood there’s a colony in residence.

 

[enrico]

Yes it’s a honey bee, I’d have a look at the chimney on a good warm day to see if you can spot any area they may be using as and entrance and it may just be the pot at the top.There’s a likely hood there’s a colony in residence.

First of all check the top and sides of your chimney to see if you can see bees entering and leaving the same place constantly. If that is the case they are already installed inside and you need to get someone to see how easy they will be to get out. This may need scaffolding and will certainly need a bee extraction expert.
If there is just the odd one flying round the top if the chimney they MIGHT just be scouts looking for a home. In which case you could light a COOL SMOKEY fire to discourage them from making a home in there. This is said with caution as if they are living in the chimney and there will be wax which burns furiously.
If you use the fire make sure you get rid of the bees and any wax before you use it again. If you do not use the fire then get it properly sealed at room level and the bees can live there for as long as they need.
I don't live in Ireland but there are people who remove bees from chimneys. It will not be cheap.
Good luck

 

[Aneebe]

First of all check the top and sides of your chimney to see if you can see bees entering and leaving the same place constantly. If that is the case they are already installed inside and you need to get someone to see how easy they will be to get out. This may need scaffolding and will certainly need a bee extraction expert.
If there is just the odd one flying round the top if the chimney they MIGHT just be scouts looking for a home. In which case you could light a COOL SMOKEY fire to discourage them from making a home in there. This is said with caution as if they are living in the chimney and there will be wax which burns furiously.
If you use the fire make sure you get rid of the bees and any wax before you use it again. If you do not use the fire then get it properly sealed at room level and the bees can live there for as long as they need.
I don't live in Ireland but there are people who remove bees from chimneys. It will not be cheap.
Good luck

Ah what a coincidence lol. I've just given basically the same advice a few days back to a fellow Norn Ironer who posted on the Next Door App here. I did advise to proceed with caution due to the fire risk if attempting a cool smoking. It does sound likely to be a specialist job but phew finding someone in such a small place as this with the right skills may not be easy. I've yet to hear of any and I did ask our chimney sweep. Interestingly I'm noticing a bit of a trend this year in DIY beekeeping locally here (along the lines of hey how hard can it be I don't need a course/ mentor, I'll work it out). I appreciate some may well do. However when you see current price undercutting of cloudy no doubt syrupy honey to say the least it's galling accompanied by much giggling and boasting of how many swarms left their hives. It's a pity they didn't make the link between this and the inconvenience and considerable cost of people who end up with bees down himneys and in walls.... I'm off to simmer down!

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Hi,
Go easy 9n me. First post.
If this is a bee then which Ghostbusters do I call to save the hive up my chimney.
If it's a wasp, who do I call?
I love in Northern Ireland.
About 8 of these came out the bottom of my electric fire at my unused fireplace.
The chimney is open at the top but with a pot vent on it.
The chimney at the bottom had paper stuffed up it but that must not have been enough so I stuffed a couple of towels up.it to seal it better. No more of these have come out so far.
Thanks.

There are lots of variations of chimney caps. Some are suitable for use with working fires below but most are not. This just one unsuitable one which risks flue products leakage into the room but is a style commonly used for airing disused flues. Google Image Result for https://heatcraft-anglia.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/20200309_111609-scaled.jpg
It will not stop bees unless used in conjunction with a bee proof mesh.
Chimney sweeps and fire fitters use smoke pellets to give a safe indication of flue performance. The smoke they produce smells strongly but is said to be non toxic. Lighting one in the fireplace "might" show if the flue is open and "might" repulse bees. If there's an established colony in there I fear it's going to take a beekeeper/builder to remove them and beeproof the chimney.