Was standing in my garage just now when I noticed a bunch of girls hanging out with me. This was cool, I thought, since I had lost my hive this winter and am waiting for a NUC. So these must have been from another beek nearby. Then I realised that they were flying into the joist onto which the garage door is bolted and which supports the second floor of my house. I watched a while longer, and right enough, there is a colony in there somewhere. I have no idea what to do. I can't cut this joist as I'd have to remove the door and jeopardise the bedroom up above. It's been suggested that we might just have to spray them, which I am so, so totally against.
Any ideas how I can deal with this?
I'm wondering too, if this might be a swarm from my old hive, cos when I checked what had been a healthy hive after it warmed up here, the ball of dead had far fewer numbers than they went into the winter with.....
take some pictures and post them. there are a couple of people who are masters at the cutout. they may be able to give you specific advice if they can see what you are seeing. take as many pictures from as many angles, inside and out, then ask JP, iddee, understudy, baily, and the others who post a lot in the removal section to take a look for you.
Something I'm going to try the next time the opportunity presents itself is using an funnel escape to force the bees into leaving on their own and setting up house in a new hive just outside the escape. I found this after searching last year for a method to remove bees from just such a difficult situation. It does take time though.
Basically you fashion a funnel escape over their entrance (make sure they have no other entrances/exits) and have a hive body just outside the escape for them to relocate to. After about a month, you can remove the escape and the bees will rob their old honey stores and move them to their new home. That is the theory, anyway, and a couple of b(ee)loggers I read had success with it. I have a pdf file from the University of Florida extension service website that details it. If you search there you might find it. I can't remember the other sites I read about it on but a detailed search might give you some hits with pics (especially about how to make the funnel escape.)
I can't wait to try it and if you do please let me know about the results.
Here is what I have from the UFla. ext. website, Josbee. Hope this helps.
A slower method of honey bee removal which kills fewer of the insects can be used in certain situations. It is based on the principle that bees which leave a building can be prevented from reentering. However, the bees will cluster in a large mass around their previous exit where they are encouraged to enter another colony. Experienced beekeepers do the job best; they are used to bees flying around and to being stung occasionally. The following steps are recommended:
From a beekeeper, obtain a one-story hive containing one frame of unsealed brood covered with bees, one frame of honey, and adequate frames of drawn comb or foundation to fill the hive.
Fold a piece of window screen to make a cone wide enough at the bottom to completely cover the bees' entrance to the building. This cone is then reduced to about 3/8 inch in diameter. Bend the cone's smaller opening upward.
Plug all other holes where bees may enter the building. This is the key to any removal process. All other bee exitsmust be sealed!
Protect yourself with at least a bee veil and long sleeves (bee gloves are optional) and use a smoker to confuse the bees. Fasten the large end of the screen cone tightly over the entrance.
Position the one-story hive as near the cone entrance as possible. It can be positioned on brackets nailed to the building. Place the frames with brood and honey in the center of the hive; place frames of drawn comb or foundation at the sides. The hive entrance should be reduced to about a 1-inch opening to protect the colony from being robbed by stronger colonies that may be in the area. Bees emerging from the screen cone will not be able to find their way back into the building. Instead, they enter the hive. As bees leave the building and move into the hive, the old colony will grow weak.
About 4 weeks later, remove the cone. Bees from the new hive will now be able to enter the building (their previous nest) and transfer the honey to the new hive. The queen in the building is lost along with a few other bees and perhaps some brood. However, with all the honey removed, there is little possibility of major odor or honey leakage problems. After the bees have moved completely and the honey has been transferred, close all hoses and cracks to prevent bees from reentering.
Quote from: josbees on April 25, 2009, 05:15:47 PM
Was standing in my garage just now when I noticed a bunch of girls hanging out with me. This was cool, I thought, since I had lost my hive this winter and am waiting for a NUC. So these must have been from another beek nearby. Then I realised that they were flying into the joist onto which the garage door is bolted and which supports the second floor of my house. I watched a while longer, and right enough, there is a colony in there somewhere. I have no idea what to do. I can't cut this joist as I'd have to remove the door and jeopardise the bedroom up above. It's been suggested that we might just have to spray them, which I am so, so totally against.
Any ideas how I can deal with this?
I'm wondering too, if this might be a swarm from my old hive, cos when I checked what had been a healthy hive after it warmed up here, the ball of dead had far fewer numbers than they went into the winter with.....
So how did it go?
Sincerely,
Brendhan