Question from BEEMAN about Bee Robber and Bee Go

[BEEMAN]

Has anyone ever used Bee Robber or Bee Go on a rag to try to get bees to leave a tree or wall? It seems if it is used to get bees out of a honey super it should work to get them to vacate a tree or wall? Seems like it would help in a cone trap-out situation. Also, can't find any information on the ingredients in these. Is it harmful to the bees or honey? I would appreciate any experiences using these to vacate bees.

[iddee]

This was taken from the beequick website.

http://www.bee-quick.com/butyric.html

Butyric Anhydride is sold under a number of different names.  To us it smells worse than an elephant's outhouse, and even a tiny drop on your hand means that you will be sleeping in the garage tonight. It wont wash off! Expect even the dog to avoid you for a few days until the smell goes away.

More seriously, their label is chock-full of dire warnings, and all the bee catalogs charge an extra $16.00 to ship it as "Hazardous Materials".

Why?  Because it IS hazardous material!  If it is not safe for humans, how can it be safe near your honey or bees?

Think we are kidding?  Here is the Material Safety Data Sheet for the chemical, courtesy of Cornell University.

http://www.bee-quick.com/butyric.html

  If you scroll through, you will find phrases like:

    * "INHALATION MAY BE FATAL"
    * "USE ONLY IN A CHEMICAL FUME HOOD"
    * "EXTREMELY DESTRUCTIVE TO TISSUE OF MUCOUS MEMBRANES, UPPER RESPIRATORY TRACT, EYES AND SKIN."
    * "COMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL. KEEP AWAY FROM HEAT AND OPEN FLAME."

Funny, we were not aware that a "chemical fume hood" was standard-issue beekeeping equipment.

The appropriate US Department of Transportation Haz-Mat Guide is here, listing the reasons why UPS, the EPA, Fed-X, and the US Postal Service would prefer that you buy Bee-Quick.

What About The Cherry-Scented Butyric?

Do you think the cherry smell helped? Spill some on your clothes, and you will soon be burning them.  Before you buy any, ask the person selling it to get a bottle, and read the warnings on the label to you.  Our bet is that they will refuse to do so on the grounds that even a factory-sealed bottle smells bad.

[Michael Bush]

My guess is it would drive the bees out of a tree.  If you use it in someone's house, you might get sued...  beequick would be a much better bet, if you can get any...