Mailing list for the Person County Beekeepers Association, Roxboro, NC

[Randall Austin <s.randall.austin AT gmail.com>]

Oh, I should have also commented on the other proposal, to seal them in by plugging the entrance. If you do that, it won't kill the bees. They'll just chew their way out somewhere else. So now the entrance to the hive may be in the middle of the living room ceiling instead of the exterior wall. Not a great idea.

Randall

On 4/8/2017 4:04 PM, Randall Austin wrote:

ccdd3487-89ea-1de7-d8cb-360251956e37 AT gmail.com" type="cite">

Mary Ann,

It is impossible to "suck them out". When using a bee vac, the comb and bees have to be exposed. Then we vacuum the bees off of the comb using a relatively low suction. High suction will propel the bees like little bullets down the hose and splatter them against the wall of the bee vac's capture chamber.

If it is a BRICK wall, the bees aren't inside the bricks. They just have a passageway through the crack in the brick to the wall or floor cavity. The nest may not be directly behind the crack; that could just be the initial point of entry. You can find where they are with a remote thermometer (about $40 at Home Depot) or by putting your ear to the wall/floor and tapping until you hear the characteristic buzz of a colony. If they have a nest inside the wall or floor, it really should be removed. It may not be cheap to do so. This isn't about the bees, it is about the structural integrity of the house. An empty nest (e.g. if the colony has been exterminated) will leak honey which can severely damage ceilings and floors.

If the nest is truly within the cavities of a CINDERBLOCK wall, then you can do a trap-out. This involves putting a wire cone over the entrance. The bees exit through the hole at the top of the cone and try to re-enter at the base of the cone. Put a queen-right nuc colony at the base of the cone to take in the workers from the old colony. After about a month there aren't any bees left in the old colony. This method is a whole lot of effort and isn't worth the trouble.

If all this is more than you want to take on, contact Chris Richmond in Hillsborough (919-932-1335). He does cut-outs all the time. Be prepared to pay between $400 and $1000. Given the work involved, this is pretty cheap.

Randall Austin

On 4/8/2017 2:55 PM, Mary Rich via Person_County_Beekeepers_Association wrote:

AF386B77-7906-490E-8F56-1A0D96F62F26 AT yahoo.com" type="cite">

Unfortunately the bees have found a hole in the mortar of the brick wall. There are three options. Try and suck them out, put out a swarm box see if they come to it or seal the hole which will kill them inside the wall. I don't like option 3. Any other ideas? 

Mary Ann Rich

On Apr 8, 2017, at 2:25 PM, Mary Rich <richmom76 AT yahoo.com> wrote:

I'll keep everyone informed. 

Mary Ann Rich

On Apr 8, 2017, at 2:22 PM, Mary Rich via Person_County_Beekeepers_Association <person_county_beekeepers_association AT lists.ibiblio.org> wrote:

I just called her. I will try to get them. Fingers crossed. 

Mary Ann Rich

On Apr 8, 2017, at 1:54 PM, Lynn Wilson <lynnswildhearth AT gmail.com> wrote:

Forwarded from a Durham friend:

Betsy Eubanks, Mistletoe Hills

Brown honey-bees swarmed over our house two days ago and are still here. Any beekeepers who can capture them (and wants them) are free to come by and get them. (Windover Drive) 919-620-7951 or 919-812-2042

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