Subject: Re: Bees under Siding

From: [email-masked] (David J Trickett)
Date: 5 May 1995 03:43:15 GMT

Leslie D. Cuff ([email-masked]) wrote:
: As I mentioned, I've got bees living in my house. I happen to like bees
: (though my wife is a little less enthusiastic) so I'd like to keep them
: alive. However, I've got to replace the siding on the house. So, I've
: got to either lure them out, or prepare to be swarmed when I start to 
: rip the siding off (I assume).

: What is the best thing to do?

: Can I tease them out into a hive (perhaps by putting a hive-like thingy
: over the entrance hole?)

You could put a bee-escape (essentially a one-way contraption) on the 
entrance with duct tape.  You'd need to set-up another hive as close as 
possible to the old hive entrance.  What happens is the bees leave the 
original hive, and upon returning from foraging discover they can't get back 
in, and eventually give-up trying and enter the second hive.  The 
original hive dwindles until there are only (as someone else recently 
wrote) "hungry brood" and a queen.  Eventually they die.  The advantage 
is that you save some/most of the bees.  Disadvantages are obvious.  The 
other option is that you do a careful removal.  Yes, some bees will get 
killed in the process, but if you take your time and the site is 
relatively accessible, you can save much of the brood and bees. YOu may 
also get the queen if you are lucky.  

Are you a beekeeper?

Dave

---

From: [email-masked] (Leslie D. Cuff)
Date: Thu, 4 May 1995 13:36:09 GMT

As I mentioned, I've got bees living in my house. I happen to like bees
(though my wife is a little less enthusiastic) so I'd like to keep them
alive. However, I've got to replace the siding on the house. So, I've
got to either lure them out, or prepare to be swarmed when I start to 
rip the siding off (I assume).

What is the best thing to do?

Can I tease them out into a hive (perhaps by putting a hive-like thingy
over the entrance hole?)

Help, Please

Les Cuff
Newfoundland, Canada
Surrounded by Artic ICe and Magnificent Icebergs.

---

From: Gordon Scott <[email-masked]>
Date: 13 May 1995 23:27:23 +0100

> Can I tease them out into a hive (perhaps by putting a hive-like thingy

My view -- first find a local beekeeper and chat it  over;  Please  *do*
consider  beekeeping  --  it's  a great hobby, but do get help with this
before you start.  Probably you *will* have to  remove  the  siding  and
physically  remove  the  colony.  This is ok if you know what to expect,
but could be distressing otherwise -- I'm not too much into baptisms  of
fire,  especially  where  a  basically friendly insect friend of mine is
concerned.  It's unlikely that you'll  lure  out  the  queen,  you  will
almost  certainly  have  to  get  her  the 'hard' way -- inverted commas
because the hard bit it the carpenrtry!

Good luck, hope to see you again soon on the list,
-- 
Gordon Scott	[email-masked]		100332,3310 on CompuServe
Newsletter	[email-masked]	ditto
		Beekeeper, Kendo Sandan, sometime sailor.
		Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG22 5HP, UK