Removing
Honey Bees From Inside A Wall ( Part of the information below is courtesy of Ohio State University,
Department of Entomolgy Authored by William F Lyon and James E. Tew)
An
established honey bee colony will sometimes divide itself, and
one or more swarms will leave the hive. The new swarm may cluster
for a while on a tree limb or bush near the old hive while scout
bees search for a suitable place to establish a new home. Usually
scout bees find a hollow tree, but occasionally they will choose
the wall voids of a home. Unfortunately, bees may nest in the
wall or attic some distance from where they enter the wall.Carbaryl
(Sevin) 5 percent Dust is an insecticide registered to exterminate
bees from dwellings. If it is not applied properly, persistent
efforts may be needed to finally accomplish the job. Sevin dusted
into the bee entrance may not reach the nest, which may be some
distance from the entrance. Foraging bees passing through the
dusted area will be killed, but the queen and house bees that
stay home to take care of brood and tend to the nest may continue
to live for some time. When house bees (young bees that remain
in the hive) mature to take on field work chores, the colony
may recover, unless the insecticide treatment is reapplied.
Quicker and surer results will be received if the nest itself
is treated.The nest can be located sometimes by tapping the wall with
a hammer and listening for an answering buzz from the bees. Once you
know the general area of the hive, you can put a water glass on the wall
and put your ear to the open end of the glass, and then slowly slide the
glass around listening to the buzz behind the wall to locate the precise
area occupied by the bee hive.] When the nest is located, a hole may be
bored, preferably through the outside wall, so insecticide can be
applied onto the nest.
This is a section of an inside wall beneath a window showing the sheetrock removed and you can see the combs that the honey bees have built.
Photo by Robert
Doupe
Robert did this job himself after making sure he had located where the hive was behind the wall and killed all the bees following the cautions on this page !
Established
swarms are comprised of more bees, more comb, and more honey.
Established colonies are best killed in late winter or early
spring when their population is smallest. Treatment is effective
when done in the very early spring, such as February or March,
when stored honey is at its lowest level and the bee population
is lowest and weakest. New swarms are more easily killed soon
after they enter the building. The best time of day to apply
the insecticide is late afternoon when all the bees are at home.
The bees will be less cross on nice days than when the weather
is overcast or rainy. Do not plug the hole immediately after
dusting the nest because this may force the agitated bees into
the living quarters of the home. Bees will find or make unused
or new exits, sometimes indoors.
When the need is to remove bees,wasps and yellow jackets,contracting pest exterminators is the only way you can guarantee the task.
After
the bees are killed, if the hive is inside a structural wall or ceiling remove the nest if at all possible, without
causing excessive structural damage. Destroy the comb and honey,
especially if they were treated with insecticide. Spraying
the bees with raid or another pesticide is just plain dumb.
What If you do kill them with spray and do not remove the dead
bees and the hive? Now you have a wall full of decomposing bees
and wax and honey that is soaked in poison.
If
the nest is not removed, the wax cells may melt or be riddled
by wax moths and leak honey. Excess honey may seep through
interior walls and ceilings, leaving permanent stains.
Wax
combs near the inside walls of a chimney are fire hazards. The comb and its contents may melt when exposed to hot summer
temperatures without bees to keep it cool, especially in walls
facing the south.
After
a dead colony has been removed and the structural damage caused
in removing the colony has been repaired, clean the area thoroughly
with soap and hot water. Paint and carefully plug all outside entrances
through which the other possible bee swarms might enter. Odors
left by the killed colony can linger for a long time and attract
other swarming bees.
Pest
control companies may be contacted to destroy the bees if needed.
Although killing adult bees is usually fairly easy, removal
of the comb and honey can be very difficult. It might be useful
to have a beekeeper and carpenter or beekeeper with carpenter
abilities present to assist. Bees from other colonies can also
be a nuisance around the home as long as honey remains to be
robbed from the killed colony. Scavenging insects, such as carpet
beetles, wax moths, ants, or flies, are also attracted to killed
bee colonies.
Even
if you are not sensitive to stings and are experienced in extermination
work, it is best to be protected from distracting stings when
exterminating bees. You may be in precarious positions, such
as on a ladder or on a roof, with stinging bees present. At
least wear a beekeeper's veil and leather gloves.
A
bee smoker is valuable to help calm the bees and lessen their
tendency to sting.
Trapping Method
Honey
bees can be removed effectively by trapping; however, the process
takes four to six weeks. While it solves the problem of opening
up the wall and removing the comb and honey, it may not be appropriate
if family members are allergic to bee stings.
To
trap, place a wire mesh cone (18-inches long with 3/8-inch opening
at the apex) over the nest entrance hole. Place a hive containing
a queen and a few workers as close as possible to the "trap."
The bees can leave the building, but they cannot get back in
and will settle in the decoy hive. In three to four weeks, spray
the old nest with a nonresidual insecticide, such as resmethrin,
to kill the queen and any remaining workers. Then remove the
trap and allow the bees in the decoy hive to go back in the
building to retrieve their honey. Two weeks later, remove the
hive and close up the nest entrance. Destroy the honey if the
colony has been poisoned with an insecticide. Trapping is usually
not practical and results may be unsatisfactory. Few beekeepers
are interested in trapping. Established swarms (those with comb)
cannot be collected easily like the free-hanging temporary swarms
and are usually not economical for a beekeeper to remove.
"We are a company that specializes in Live Structural Bee Removal, and we are based in the South and South West part of the U.S. We actually go into a structure, remove the bees alive if possible, remove the honeycomb, and repair the structure. We have always preferred live removals, but in the wake of CCD we are trying to elevate the whole industry by requiring our company to do a minimum percentage of live removals."