Bees in Crawl Space of House

Two Bees · July 01, 2008, 12:25:32 PM

Anyone ever have any luck with removing a colony from a crawl space?

I thought removing them from an attic would be tough! But laying on your back and having to watch out for other critters?

Like snakes and spiders and lizards..................oh, my!

Jim134 · July 01, 2008, 06:47:40 PM

Hope you have good time.Not my idea of a good time!!!!!

BEE HAPPYJim 134 :-D

asprince · July 01, 2008, 09:49:56 PM

From the archives........

http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,2562.0.html

http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,9485.0.html

Good luck! Steve

JP · July 01, 2008, 11:50:29 PM

Quote from: Two Bees on July 01, 2008, 12:25:32 PM
Anyone ever have any luck with removing a colony from a crawl space?

I thought removing them from an attic would be tough! But laying on your back and having to watch out for other critters?

Like snakes and spiders and lizards..................oh, my!

I don't mind laying on my back to remove a colony unless I'm really cramped in. Word of caution be careful with high wattage lights that give off a lot of heat, bees get very mad and sting the light then die, its just aweful!

Oh and to answer your question I've removed them from the underside of house trailers and porches and crawl spaces on my back.

...JP

Two Bees · July 02, 2008, 08:42:49 AM

Thanks for the info!

I'm going to take a look at the house this weekend and get an ideas as to where the bees are located under the house. I've never done a cutout or swarm catch, so I don't know if I'll be able to help these people get the bees out from under their house. I'm not really thrilled about going under a house anywho. Got my fill of that adventure helping my Dad do plumbing jobs!

JP · July 02, 2008, 12:21:29 PM

Quote from: Two Bees on July 02, 2008, 08:42:49 AM
Thanks for the info!

I'm going to take a look at the house this weekend and get an ideas as to where the bees are located under the house. I've never done a cutout or swarm catch, so I don't know if I'll be able to help these people get the bees out from under their house. I'm not really thrilled about going under a house anywho. Got my fill of that adventure helping my Dad do plumbing jobs!

Is it a house or house trailer? If its a house and its relatively high off the ground, don't rule out the possibility that they are appearing to be under the house, they could be in a wall and some are just bearding underneath or there is a gap where they have made additional comb.

My point is just make sure where they are before the attempt, of course I haven't seen the set up, so it may be very clear that they're in between floor joists, anyway...

And don't forget the most important thing in a cut-out is a bucket of water to wipe the honey off the tools.

...JP

johnnybigfish · July 02, 2008, 03:00:19 PM

Go ahead and crawl around down there....maybe you can peek through the floor cracks and see something interesting :evil:

your friend,
john

derrick1p1 · July 02, 2008, 03:54:50 PM

John, you're too much.

Two Bees, not that you won't have enough going on under there, but take some pics for us. :lol:
I too have many memories of crawling under the house with my dad to repair frozen pipes. Hopefully, I won't have to do this in my house, since it doesn't get cold enough to really worry about that here in Atlanta.

Good luck,
Derrick

Two Bees · July 02, 2008, 04:04:55 PM

Thanks for the tips, JP!

I will have a better idea as to what I am looking at after this weekend. But you're right, they may actually be in a wall and the residents (people) only think that they are in the crawl space.

I will let you know what I find out!

JP · July 02, 2008, 08:43:22 PM

Quote from: Two Bees on July 02, 2008, 04:04:55 PM
Thanks for the tips, JP!

I will have a better idea as to what I am looking at after this weekend. But you're right, they may actually be in a wall and the residents (people) only think that they are in the crawl space.

I will let you know what I find out!

I wish I had a dollar for the times that people tell me where the bees are, only to find they are in the wall not the ceiling or the soffit not the wall etc...

...JP

SgtMaj · July 03, 2008, 07:58:26 AM

When I worked for a PBX installer, I once got into a yellowjacket nest in an absolutely nasty crawlspace at a really old courthouse. I think I was actually crawling at mach 1.2 getting out of there.

Two Bees · July 03, 2008, 08:41:32 AM

SgtMgr, you can bet that I'm going to make sure they are honey bees before I even think of going under that house! You can tell that I'm really not very enthusiastic about this adventure!

SgtMaj · July 03, 2008, 08:58:45 AM

I can tell, and... you'll have the benefit of a bee-suit. I just had on pants and a longsleeve shirt when I got into that yellowjacket nest. What was REALLY not good was that I had crawled right over it on my way in, then turned around to see the angry off little buggers getting thicker and thicker, and they were blocking my way out. I was just lucky it was still early in the morning, I can only imagine how active they would have been if it had been a couple hours later in the day when things warmed up.

Two Bees · July 03, 2008, 09:09:38 AM

Yep, I have a full suit, boots, gloves, smoker, and of course.............a roll of duct tape to close up any opening that an angry bee or wasp can get into. Perhaps I should consider adding a flame thrower, M-79, or at least a small sidearm! The sidearm is for me!

JP · July 03, 2008, 10:50:47 AM

Quote from: SgtMaj on July 03, 2008, 08:58:45 AM
I can tell, and... you'll have the benefit of a bee-suit. I just had on pants and a longsleeve shirt when I got into that yellowjacket nest. What was REALLY not good was that I had crawled right over it on my way in, then turned around to see the pee'd off little buggers getting thicker and thicker, and they were blocking my way out. I was just lucky it was still early in the morning, I can only imagine how active they would have been if it had been a couple hours later in the day when things warmed up.

I would've had to claw my way out on the other end of that crawlspace!!! You deserve a medal of some sort for having to go back through them to get back out!!!

I did an inspection one evening in a crawlspace for an act of sale and on my way out, midway back, I shined my light on a large rat that proceded to RUN towards me!!

Do you think I huffed it on the way back out? In record time?

When I exited the crawlspace I was a little out of breath and the lady asked me what was wrong, I told her she had a rat underneath the house that was chasing after me!!

She says, get this, "I know he's got an attitude don't he?" I say WHAT!!!??? You know this rat?

She said "everyday he grabs a fig from the tree on the other side of the fence and sits on my side of the fence watching us while he eats, he has no fear!"

That was about 16yrs ago, remember it like it was yesterday.

...JP

Keith13 · July 03, 2008, 01:04:17 PM

Quote from: JP on July 03, 2008, 10:50:47 AM
Quote from: SgtMaj on July 03, 2008, 08:58:45 AM
I can tell, and... you'll have the benefit of a bee-suit. I just had on pants and a longsleeve shirt when I got into that yellowjacket nest. What was REALLY not good was that I had crawled right over it on my way in, then turned around to see the pee'd off little buggers getting thicker and thicker, and they were blocking my way out. I was just lucky it was still early in the morning, I can only imagine how active they would have been if it had been a couple hours later in the day when things warmed up.

I would've had to claw my way out on the other end of that crawlspace!!! You deserve a medal of some sort for having to go back through them to get back out!!!

I did an inspection one evening in a crawlspace for an act of sale and on my way out, midway back, I shined my light on a large rat that proceded to RUN towards me!!

Do you think I huffed it on the way back out? In record time?

When I exited the crawlspace I was a little out of breath and the lady asked me what was wrong, I told her she had a rat underneath the house that was chasing after me!!

She says, get this, "I know he's got an attitude don't he?" I say WHAT!!!??? You know this rat?

She said "everyday he grabs a fig from the tree on the other side of the fence and sits on my side of the fence watching us while he eats, he has no fear!"

That was about 16yrs ago, remember it like it was yesterday.

...JP

It always makes me a bit nervous when an animal does not understand its place in the food chain

Keith

SgtMaj · July 03, 2008, 09:46:12 PM

At least those little yellow bastards (my name for yellow jackets) can't do any real harm. Sure they can bite and sting, but after a day, it's like it never happened. A rat on the other hand, well if it bites you, you might have to get stitches, and all kinds of shots, and then hopefully it isn't a carrier of some super deadly no cure for it disease like the haunta virus. No, I believe I'd rather cross paths with those little yellow bastards again than to come face to face with that rat.

JP · July 04, 2008, 11:06:28 AM

Quote from: SgtMaj on July 03, 2008, 09:46:12 PM
At least those little yellow bastards (my name for yellow jackets) can't do any real harm. Sure they can bite and sting, but after a day, it's like it never happened. A rat on the other hand, well if it bites you, you might have to get stitches, and all kinds of shots, and then hopefully it isn't a carrier of some super deadly no cure for it disease like the haunta virus. No, I believe I'd rather cross paths with those little yellow bastards again than to come face to face with that rat.

You can have the yellow bastards any day of the week, I'll take my chances with the rats!!

...JP