How can you get honey bees out of a house wall without harming them?
September 8th, 2008 | by beekeeper |
Dennis C asked:
I am rehabbing an old house and have discovered there is a well-established hive of honey bees in a wall. Local beekeepers don’t want any part of trying to get them out. I would rather not call an exterminator to do the job, as I would rather not harm the bees. I would also rather not get stung removing them.
I’m pretty sure they are honeybees, as I can smell the honey. Its looking like extermination is the only option. The wall is to be removed, but tearing it out sounds difficult with the bees still there.
beekeeping supplies
I am rehabbing an old house and have discovered there is a well-established hive of honey bees in a wall. Local beekeepers don’t want any part of trying to get them out. I would rather not call an exterminator to do the job, as I would rather not harm the bees. I would also rather not get stung removing them.
I’m pretty sure they are honeybees, as I can smell the honey. Its looking like extermination is the only option. The wall is to be removed, but tearing it out sounds difficult with the bees still there.
beekeeping supplies
5 Responses to “How can you get honey bees out of a house wall without harming them?”
By Christy P on Sep 11, 2008 | Reply
not funny bees are bad this year i guess what til cooler weather im mean not bein smart but they are alfull
By Tule Junqui on Sep 14, 2008 | Reply
Lots of luck. You will have to open up the wall, remove all the comb, and if you don’t want to harm them, transfer all the comb to another place, sheet by sheet . Bees will not leave as long as there is a queen and brood. Even if exterminated, the smell of honey and wax will continue to attract new swarms for years. You will not necessarily get stung removing them, but given that you are not knowledgeable in how to do it, it’s highly likely. You then also have a lot of carpentry work to restore the holes in the wall.
By ~*martigani~*jessica~* on Sep 17, 2008 | Reply
I would call a professional to do the job don’t risk it
By Jennifer S on Sep 18, 2008 | Reply
I have been keeping honeybees for 15 years and it is nearly impossible to move an established hive without killing all the bees. Are you sure they are honeybees? Can you post a picture of the hive entrance (where the bees come in and out)? Not to ask silly questions, but you would be amazed with how many people misidentify honeybees. If they are not honeybees, then it won’t be hard to get them out. (I would say that other types of bees are mainly pests, and don’t really pollinate anything.) If they are honeybees, please don’t try to remove the colony without proper protective equipment, because you will be stung severely.
By beekybuzzard on Sep 18, 2008 | Reply
I don’t know where you are but if you were close, in NC or SC, i would love to get them. Go to beemaster.com and beesource.com and put a post on their sites. Beekeepers from all over the country and around the world are always on there and you should have many offers to come get them. With the wall being torn out anyway this would be an ideal capture. Good luck and thanks for not wanting to immediatly kill them before checking around.