Possibly a bee infestation

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Kill or relocate?

  • Kill them all!!!!!

  • Save them all!!!!!

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T

Tsaico

Platinum Member
Oct 21, 2000
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I noticed the other day at my folks place, bees were coming in and out of crack in the wall of a shed that is rarely used. I didn't really think much of it. Dial forward many months, (almost a year) and it was time to clear falling leaves and brush that builds up in the field. I first noticed a reasonably loud buzzing noise in the shed, as well as a strong sweet smell. No bees inside the shed, but you can hear them though the walls and floor boards. A

As far as I can tell, they are in the walls and floor boards of the shed. All the talk about the bee colony collapses, my question is, do we poison them or try to relocate this bee colony? I am guessing costs will be similar, since most likely I will have a big mess of honey to clean up, as well as having to tear apart the wall and floor to get to the bees to poison them or pull the queen out.

Update: Bee keeper is coming out for a little cheaper then the exterminators would have. decided to save them all. Bee keepers would also take the combs and as much honey as they can. The exterminators were going to just spray poison and leave the whole mess for me to clean up "two days later".
 
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highland145

highland145

Lifer
Oct 12, 2009
43,973
6,340
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Leave them if they're not hurting anything. Or call a local keeper in exchange for some honey, maybe.
 
lxskllr

lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
60,934
11,264
126
highland145 said:
Leave them if they're not hurting anything. Or call a local keeper in exchange for some honey, maybe.
Click to expand...

^^^

Honey bees are very docile, and won't hurt anything. I've spent hours 15' from a hive, and they didn't care about me. It''s fascinating to watch. Better than TV, though that isn't the best endorsement :^D
 
S

spidey07

No Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
65,469
5
76
I'd say if they're not bothering anything let them bee. But the colony can get to be quite huge.
 
FoBoT

FoBoT

No Lifer
Apr 30, 2001
63,084
15
81
fobot.com
african bees?
if not, unless this happens (picture) , no worries
bees.jpg
 
highland145

highland145

Lifer
Oct 12, 2009
43,973
6,340
136
lxskllr said:
^^^

Honey bees are very docile, and won't hurt anything. I've spent hours 15' from a hive, and they didn't care about me. It''s fascinating to watch. Better than TV, though that isn't the best endorsement :^D
Click to expand...
Years ago, went to a guys house where a hive(not honey bees) was built on a window. It was like it had been cut in half. Amazing. Clemson Extension paid for their new window when the hive was vacated so the could have it.
 
Texashiker

Texashiker

Lifer
Dec 18, 2010
18,811
198
106
Free honey.

You know how much honey sells for? Kill the bees and you will be throwing money away.
 
AyashiKaibutsu

AyashiKaibutsu

Diamond Member
Jan 24, 2004
9,306
4
81
I personally wouldn't be comfortable with leaving them. Do something to unexpectedly piss them off and you're in for a bad time. I wouldn't have let them get so entrenched to begin with though and wouldn't live at a place where it would likely happen so my opinion is probably not too relevant.
 
CrackRabbit

CrackRabbit

Lifer
Mar 30, 2001
16,642
62
91
I hate bees.

With that said I am fairly certain that there are free services that will come and relocate the hive for you.
 
DrPizza

DrPizza

Administrator Elite Member Goat Whisperer
Mar 5, 2001
49,601
167
111
www.slatebrookfarm.com
AyashiKaibutsu said:
I personally wouldn't be comfortable with leaving them. Do something to unexpectedly piss them off and you're in for a bad time. I wouldn't have let them get so entrenched to begin with though and wouldn't live at a place where it would likely happen so my opinion is probably not too relevant.
Click to expand...

Spoken out of true ignorance.


Honey bees are docile. As long as you're not in an Africanized bee area, you could probably just leave them alone. Alternatively, call a bee keeper - put an ad in Craigslist for a beekeeper & they'll be more than happy to take the bees off your hands for you.

As for "unexpectedly pissing them off" - how? The worst I've ever gotten was stung once by a bee. I've stood 3 feet or closer to this http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/drpizza/IMG_2191.JPG and haven't been stung. I did get stung once while mowing on a riding mower & I stopped the mower right in the flight path by the opening.
 
T

Tsaico

Platinum Member
Oct 21, 2000
2,669
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Since my 70+ year old parents are the ones who have to deal with it, I would rather not leave them there. When I was poking around, the bees didn't seem to bothered and didn't attack me, but still. My folks aren't the fastest couple around and the walk back to the main house is a long way.

In any case, i found a bee farmer who will cut out the needed boards, take the combs, queen, and any honey already there between $199-$300, depending on size of hive. I found two exterminators who will cut open spray death into the hive and then I have to clean up the dead bugs and poisoned honey myself, one for $250, the other for $300.

I will be saving the bees because it is cheaper for me. As for collecting any honey myself, it actually is a little disturbing to hear how loud that buzzing is, and I don't think I could get myself to actually collect any of it.
 
T

Tsaico

Platinum Member
Oct 21, 2000
2,669
0
0
DrPizza said:
Spoken out of true ignorance.


Honey bees are docile. As long as you're not in an Africanized bee area, you could probably just leave them alone. Alternatively, call a bee keeper - put an ad in Craigslist for a beekeeper & they'll be more than happy to take the bees off your hands for you.

As for "unexpectedly pissing them off" - how? The worst I've ever gotten was stung once by a bee. I've stood 3 feet or closer to this http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/drpizza/IMG_2191.JPG and haven't been stung. I did get stung once while mowing on a riding mower & I stopped the mower right in the flight path by the opening.
Click to expand...

Oh good lord, I don't think I could handle that. I don't feel threatened, but it creeps me out to see so many bugs in one place, ants, spiders, earwigs, bees... I want to start smashing them, and bees fight back...
 
AyashiKaibutsu

AyashiKaibutsu

Diamond Member
Jan 24, 2004
9,306
4
81
DrPizza said:
Spoken out of true ignorance.


Honey bees are docile. As long as you're not in an Africanized bee area, you could probably just leave them alone. Alternatively, call a bee keeper - put an ad in Craigslist for a beekeeper & they'll be more than happy to take the bees off your hands for you.

As for "unexpectedly pissing them off" - how? The worst I've ever gotten was stung once by a bee. I've stood 3 feet or closer to this http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/drpizza/IMG_2191.JPG and haven't been stung. I did get stung once while mowing on a riding mower & I stopped the mower right in the flight path by the opening.
Click to expand...

Really? call me ignorant and then verify my worries at the end. Good job. Someone stupid tries to do something to the shed and activates the whole hive and you've got big trouble. I didn't say outright kill them. I just said I'm not comfortable living next to a giant nest of bees infesting a building not explicitly meant for bees.
 
H

hdfxst

Senior member
May 13, 2009
851
3
81
a bee keeper will be glad to remove them for free.the only time honey bees are a little aggressive is early spring and late fall.I've opened the lid and checked the hive without a suit on,weed whacked around the hives and not been stung.if the bees don't want you around they fly into you and just bounce off you,thats when you stay away from the hive.bees are important and we need them
 
DrPizza

DrPizza

Administrator Elite Member Goat Whisperer
Mar 5, 2001
49,601
167
111
www.slatebrookfarm.com
AyashiKaibutsu said:
Really? call me ignorant and then verify my worries at the end. Good job. Someone stupid tries to do something to the shed and activates the whole hive and you've got big trouble. I didn't say outright kill them. I just said I'm not comfortable living next to a giant nest of bees infesting a building not explicitly meant for bees.
Click to expand...
1000's upon 1000's of bees, and I probably went over one with the mowing deck. You're *not* going to "activate the whole hive" - that's nonsense.
 
Jeff7

Jeff7

Lifer
Jan 4, 2001
41,596
20
81
DrPizza said:
1000's upon 1000's of bees, and I probably went over one with the mowing deck. You're *not* going to "activate the whole hive" - that's nonsense.
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Some of us have only had experience with stinging insects that take great pleasure in inflicting pain upon unsuspecting or fleeing victims.

Or rather, that's the most memorable experience. :eek:

I'm sure you're familiar with them already, but I'll put them here anyway. :)
Wasps, hornets, and bald-faced hornets (Yes, another hornet. Bald-faced hornets deserve their own mention - they're seriously just assholes.)
- Wasps: Nest underneath deck steps, get pissed off when you walk on the step, and fly right up your shorts and sting your ass. And yes, they will sting multiple times.
- Hornets: Nest underground and ambush you before you were even aware that there was a nest nearby. Following the ambush, the nest is killed off with a simple glass bowl. Or they'd find themselves drowning in a tasty beverage, only to find that life could suddenly get even worse - but they'd still gleefully sting Death right in the lips.
- Bald-faced hornets: Build huge nests in bushes, and attack anything that considers walking near the nest. Then the reinforcements start pouring out of the nest...


Honey bees: I never actually saw a nest of them. I only ever saw individual workers while they were out foraging in the fields of clover and dandelion flowers in the yard. That's probably when they're most docile too. They didn't ever try to attack if disturbed, and would just fly off to eat and gather pollen somewhere else.
Bumblebees were a bit more aggressive, but they'd just make visitor paranoid by buzzing circles around you until you'd leave.
 
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