Author Topic: Bees! (Read 6543 times)

Jamisjockey · « **on:** April 06, 2011, 04:12:41 PM »

Looks like we've got a nest or swarm settling into the front of our house.

I need ideas that don't involve me getting the hell stung out of me, detcord, or fire. Looks like they are using a hole in the front of the house for access.

makattak · « **Reply #1 on:** April 06, 2011, 04:25:20 PM »

makattak · « **Reply #2 on:** April 06, 2011, 04:25:45 PM »

I have nothing useful to add, but your title asked for illustrations.

MechAg94 · « **Reply #3 on:** April 06, 2011, 04:26:43 PM »

Wasp spray works on them, but there are usually too many to kill with one can. A lot of foaming sprays will plug up the hole and keep killing those than touch the surface. I would fill the hole with foam and skedaddle.

Walmart sells stuff called Camp Fogger than also kills wasps and bees and stuff. It is more of a fogging spray that can blanket an area. If you can get it in the hole, it might do more damage. A bug bomb near the hole might also do a good job.

If you are calm and don't move much, you can get upwind and spray the area where they are entering. I've done it with bees a couple times at work.

Other than that, call an exterminator.

cassandra and sara's daddy · « **Reply #4 on:** April 06, 2011, 04:39:41 PM »

call a beekeeper to remove swarm

Scout26 · « **Reply #5 on:** April 06, 2011, 04:41:39 PM »

He's in Texas, maybe they're "Africanized" Killer Bees.

Go poke it with a stick and report back.

Jamisjockey · « **Reply #6 on:** April 06, 2011, 05:13:11 PM »

One can of spray done. Got chased off by one or two of the buggers. Not a true swarm but a good dozen or two were in and out of the hole when I was watching them. After it cools off here in a bit I'll go back out there and check the damage.

Nick1911 · « **Reply #7 on:** April 06, 2011, 05:16:53 PM »

Wait until dusk.

Get some dirt on a shovel. Get a half gallon of gasoline in a wide mouth container.

Dump gasoline in hole, immediately cover with dirt.

GTFO of the area, just in case.

Jamisjockey · « **Reply #8 on:** April 06, 2011, 05:17:41 PM »

Quote from: Nick1911 on April 06, 2011, 05:16:53 PM

Wait until dusk.

Get some dirt on a shovel. Get a half gallon of gasoline in a wide mouth container.

Dump gasoline in hole, immediately cover with dirt.

GTFO of the area, just in case.

Its on the brickwork on the house. Dude they're IN THE WALLS!

Nick1911 · « **Reply #9 on:** April 06, 2011, 05:20:12 PM »

Quote from: JamisJockey on April 06, 2011, 05:17:41 PM

Its on the brickwork on the house. Dude they're IN THE WALLS!

Oh. Well, that's new.

charby · « **Reply #10 on:** April 06, 2011, 05:28:51 PM »

Quote from: cassandra and sara's daddy on April 06, 2011, 04:39:41 PM

call a beekeeper to remove swarm

If I lived closer I'd take them bees off your hands.

zxcvbob · « **Reply #11 on:** April 06, 2011, 05:48:45 PM »

See if there are any local beekeepers that will take them off your hands. It's not that hard to trap them, and once the queen comes out and moves into the hive box, the workers should scavenge all the honey (you don't want 100 pounds of honey in your walls)

Loved the oprah gif

Stetson · « **Reply #12 on:** April 06, 2011, 06:37:27 PM »

They may be migrating. When I lived outside of Dallas we had a swarm settle in the tree out front. I tried to get beekeepers to come get them. They weren't interested but a day later they showed signs they were leaving, and that evening all but 3 were gone. They never came back.

Not sure since it is in your house though...

Jamisjockey · « **Reply #13 on:** April 06, 2011, 08:02:36 PM »

I don't think they were a fan of the wasp spray. Not a bee in sight now. Dumped the other can into the hole to be sure.
Did have one get trapped in the garge with me. After some hand to hand, I danced on his corpse.

vaskidmark · « **Reply #14 on:** April 06, 2011, 10:31:58 PM »

Quote from: JamisJockey on April 06, 2011, 08:02:36 PM

I don't think they were a fan of the wasp spray. Not a bee in sight now. Dumped the other can into the hole to be sure.
Did have one get trapped in the garge with me. After some hand to hand, I danced on his corpse.

Was you ever bit by a dead bee? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSgqrrWyF0Y http://www.filmsite.org/toha3.html

She was only 20. Bogey should have been strung up by his thumbs. I should have been strung up by my thumbs, too.

stay safe.

zahc · « **Reply #15 on:** April 06, 2011, 11:50:16 PM »

It's kind of sad to kill them. Wild bees are rare and becoming rarer. A transient swarm of bees will only hang around for a couple days at the most and then move off to some hollow tree or wherever their scout bees have found for a home. Now, if said home is inside of your walls, I can see the problem, but if you have a ball of bees in your tree or something it's better to let them bee.

I've been thinking about starting a hive of my own just for old time's sake but they tend to multiply so you really need to have space for multiple hives unless you just want to kill them off to keep them down.

Jamisjockey · « **Reply #16 on:** April 07, 2011, 12:01:15 AM »

Quote from: zahc on April 06, 2011, 11:50:16 PM

It's kind of sad to kill them. Wild bees are rare and becoming rarer. A transient swarm of bees will only hang around for a couple days at the most and then move off to some hollow tree or wherever their scout bees have found for a home. Now, if said home is inside of your walls, I can see the problem, but if you have a ball of bees in your tree or something it's better to let them bee.

I've been thinking about starting a hive of my own just for old time's sake but they tend to multiply so you really need to have space for multiple hives unless you just want to kill them off to keep them down.

The problem is that they were a mere 3 or 4 feet from my front door. And all the little kids in my neighborhood end up in our front yard, we've become kind of the focal point for all the playing that goes on.
They had to die.

BobR · « **Reply #17 on:** April 07, 2011, 12:01:35 AM »

Well, since you have decided that death to the bees was the move to take, go get some powdered sevin and place in in the hole in your brickwork by using an empty soda bottle. If there are any left they will take it to the hive and kill off the rest of the interlopers.

bob

vaskidmark · « **Reply #18 on:** April 07, 2011, 05:43:54 AM »

JUst remember that once you have killed off all the bees you are still going to need to rip open the wall and clean out whatever start of a hive they constructed there. It ought to be fun dealing with your homeowner's insurance agent on that. Please keep us up to date on how that goes.

stay safe.

Jamisjockey · « **Reply #19 on:** April 07, 2011, 08:06:06 AM »

Quote from: vaskidmark on April 07, 2011, 05:43:54 AM

JUst remember that once you have killed off all the bees you are still going to need to rip open the wall and clean out whatever start of a hive they constructed there. It ought to be fun dealing with your homeowner's insurance agent on that. Please keep us up to date on how that goes.

stay safe.

Its a rental.

charby · « **Reply #20 on:** April 07, 2011, 09:54:56 AM »

Quote from: zahc on April 06, 2011, 11:50:16 PM

I've been thinking about starting a hive of my own just for old time's sake but they tend to multiply so you really need to have space for multiple hives unless you just want to kill them off to keep them down.

Do it and become friends with local beekeepers, they will take your swarm when your hive decides to split.

I was painting hive bodies last night to get ready for some new bees next week.

vaskidmark · « **Reply #21 on:** April 07, 2011, 10:50:37 AM »

Quote from: JamisJockey on April 07, 2011, 08:06:06 AM

Its a rental.

You, sir, are close to a hero in my mind.

Please be careful in there - who knows what you might trip over.

stay safe.

Balog · « **Reply #22 on:** April 07, 2011, 10:55:23 AM »

I really need to buy some bees and get started on that.

MechAg94 · « **Reply #23 on:** April 07, 2011, 11:32:19 AM »

I work down in Freeport, TX. In the last 4 years, we have had bee swarms come into the plant 3 different times. We had to spray them twice, but once, they settled into an open ended pipe support up a little high. We left them alone and they went away after a few weeks.

One time they built a next in the skirt of a filter vessel. The opening on the skirt was only a little bigger than the piping coming out of it so you couldn't see anything except a whole bunch of bees going in and out.

The plant is near the Brazos River and there isn't much on the other side but cattle and farmers.

charby · « **Reply #24 on:** April 07, 2011, 01:01:13 PM »

Quote from: Balog on April 07, 2011, 10:55:23 AM

I really need to buy some bees and get started on that.

You may want to buy a hive 1st, then the bees.

Get a free catalog from Dadant and sons. http://www.dadant.com/

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Author Topic: Bees! (Read 6543 times)