Thursday, May 22

Our Own Bee Season, Part Three


Twice before we have had bees get into our home and make a hive. They have always entered behind the downspout, at the point where the siding meets the brick. Apparently, the original caulking has shrunken and fallen out, allowing them access. The bee man says it only takes a 3/8 " space for them to enter. Both of the previous times, the bees made their hive in between the joists of our bedroom floor and the ceiling of the guest bedroom below. This time, we thought for certain that they would be in the same spot. But guess what? They are not - and they cannot be located yet. There is speculation that they are between the "weather board" and the brick, making it almost impossible to removed them by the usual means (taking up the floor or removing a section of the wall).

The bee man had to put up this wire mesh trap and hive. The theory is that the bees can get out of the house through the funnel, but they can't get back into it, therefore, they will go into the hive and deposit their honey. After all the bees have abandoned our house for the new hive, he will let them back in, and they will remove all the honey from our house and deposit it into the new hive - then he will remove the hive and take them far away from here.

What I am concerned about is what if they don't remove all the honey, or if they decide they want to stay in my house - what then? I am a pretty good hostess, you know, and they might just decide they like it here. That could require a section of the bricks to be removed, in order to find the hive and remaining wax and honey. Oh, the thought of that is mind-boggling (and not in a good way!)

Here is a photo taken slightly closer and below - closer still - as close as I dare to get to it! You can see the bees swarming on the mesh barrier, as well as those inside the funnel. I can assure you that the bees are as mad as hornets about that mesh!! Of course, their queen is still inside, and I suppose I'd be mad too.

This window is one in the guest bedroom. I need to open that window and remove all the ivy, but if you think I am going to do that while bees are swarming no more than 12' away, you are nuts! I could do it from outside, but it is a tight fit, since stairs come down off the deck only 3' from the window. By the time the bees leave here (and pray that they do!), the ivy will have overtaken the window and be growing on the brick above! The bee man says we will have to leave the mesh, funnel and hive in place for about 2 weeks, and by then we will probably be bee free.

If you know anything about this process that might help us, feel free to leave comments.

20 comments:

Evil Twin's Wife said...

Oh - ICK!!! I hate bees. I hate them! We have these big stupid carpenter bees outside our front door and the Evil Twin is scared that they are going to take up residence in our attic.

If I were you, I'd take bee spray and douse every flippin' surface around with it. And, do so while weilding a fly swat!

Star said...

We've had wasps nests in between the windows. Good luck with the removal.

Kerri said...

Goodness, I hope your bee man is successful with the removal. That sounds like a pretty unpleasant situation!
Good luck!

JeanMac said...

Gosh, what a problem.We've had a lot of hornet nests that had to be removed by the exterminator - built along our roll up awning.

whimsical brainpan said...

Wow! I know that has to be a nerve wracking problem. I wouldn't want to have to deal with it.

On the other hand I am happy to hear of a healthy bee colony given how badly colony collapse disorder has gotten.

I hope they are safely relocated to everyone's satisfaction.

Pat said...

It is supposed to bee lucky(sorry).
Just be thankful they are not like bats - an endangered species where if you have them in the attic you are not allowed to get rid of them. And I think they are preferable to wasps. Once in Ireland I was photographing a church - noticed a swarm and they swarmed me. MTL was useless but an American male tourist came and helped me get my outer clothes off and then the nuns treated me. I DO sympathise. Be careful!

Bud said...

Judy, This reminds me of the time a friend of mine was painting his house and was stung by a bee. He passed out and fell off of his ladder....it was a Saturday and a doctor just happened to be riding past his house on a bicycle when he fell...saved my friends life. Keep the Ivy.

AC said...

ARe they honey bees? I hope this works. So many bees have died that pollination of crops is in danger, so think of this as a rescue operation.

Anonymous said...

My sister has just told me she has bees in her house, not sure how they get rid of them here.

LOM

AC said...

duh, read and remember, Carole. OF COURSE they are honey bees, those are honey bee hives! I must have been distracted when I left those comments!

We still have wild bees, thank goodness, enough anyway. Sometimes we get those big long bees, not bumble but some other kind, in the roofs of outbuilding. They are a kind that do not make honey and I was thinking about those - they are the buzz your head kind, don't like that!

utenzi said...

I've had bees in my attic once, Judy, and I didn't like it at all. They bore through the acoustic tiles in an upstairs bedroom and came into the main house. Damn bees. Fortunately I noticed them right at the start and closed the room up for a week until they had all died. Damn bees.

Bear Naked said...

We have been fortunate that we don't have any bees but we do have wasps that like to build there homes either under the stairs of the deck or in our chimenia.
Easy for us to get rid of the chimenia home just light up a fire and smoke them out.
The under the stair homes I let hubby deal with while I safely watch from the inside of my home.

Dianne said...

Oh!!!!

I'm fascinated by bees but afraid of them at the same time.

The removal process sounds complex, crossing my fingers that it all comes together.

Why do you want to remove the ivy? Does it cause problems? I think it's lovely looking.

Unknown said...

Too bad about the ivy. It sure looks pretty in the photo.

barbie2be said...

yikes! just reading this post has me in a cold sweat. i am deathly allergic to stinging insects.

Melody said...

Hi! I forgot to visit last night via Michele but here I am!!

Bees. Yuck. They scare me. My parents often have hives of (seems like) millions of bees around. *shudder*

Good luck with removing them... (no advice here!)

Maria said...

I am terrified of bees and have been ever since I was five years old. Just reading your post sent chills down my spine.

Judy, you don't need this frustrating situation, but of course you are aware of that.

I wish you the best of luck and keep us posted on the outcome.

Jamie Dawn said...

This is the first I've heard of bees making a hive in someone's house. YIKES!!!!
I hope the plan works and that bricks don't have to be removed in order to remedy the problem. What a pain in the bohunkus!!!!!
Things are really buzzing around your place!

Shephard said...

Oh Judy. Yikes.
I sympathize. I really do.
~S

sage said...

Don't know anything about this process, but this sounds like a lot of work... I hope you at least get some honey out of this trouble.