# Honey bees behind brick wall !! any ideas to get them out ???



## tnfinds

Hello everyone I am new here and have a neighbor that has honey bees that have made their home behind their brick wall !! The only way to get to them is to go inside the house and take a section of paneling down and get them out that way, which could cause damage if the paneling falls apart due to the age.Could I place a funnel trap with a box to try to catch them ??? they want these bees gone soon as possible !!! live or dead !!! if the bees get sprayed to die, wouldnt other nearby bees smell the honey and comb and set up residence again?? any suggestion from anyone would be grateful just hate to see them destroyed but can see the owners worries because they have very young children .Thanks and hope to hear some ideas !! I am calling fellow beekeepers in my area wednesday to seek their advice as well so I can give the owners every possible solution that is possible before they get sprayed.


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## Riverratbees

Paneling don't cost much if you remove it let the bees settle down and let the bee vac do it's job. Seal the entrance and 20min of your time new paneling and your out of there. Good luck


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## rtoney

I would remove the paneling then the bees also.


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## mike haney

"....sprayed to die, wouldnt other nearby bees smell the honey and comb and set up residence again??..."
also roaches and mice and assorted vermin. after they tear up the comb the unhatched larvae will start to rot and the spilled honey starts to spoil...


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## tnfinds

i just talked to the neighbor and they are suppose to decide on removing the bees. They are not to happy to have the paneling removed but I told them I would go slow and easy not to damage the wall but once the bees and comb was removed then I could seal up the bee opening and solve the bee problem for good. I have my fingers crossed hopefully I get get a hive full of bees !!!!


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## rtoney

To each his own but I do not do any repair, I let them know that I will take them out but that they must repair or hire someone to do it. Most of the time a cut out is worth more then just the bees and after you do one you will know to charge for the work next time.
Have fun with it.


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## robherc

I'm sorry to sound crass, but tell your neighbors to get a life! If they think the exterminator's going to "do the job" for less than $500, OR not going to rip up their wall, then you have some super-cheap, ultra-thoughtful exterminators there, or they're dreaming!
Realistically, were I to be called about that job (I do bee removals constantly down here...get about 4-6 calls/week), I'd tell them that I'd cut out a section of their paneling, remove the combs & MOST of the bees, and leave...and they could pay me as little as $150-200. If they don't like my terms, they'll call everyone in the phone book & get no better offers, I know this because several have called me back and very meekly asked me if my offer still stood. Then the ones that still think I'm too expensive try doing illegal things, like using pesticides on the bees themselves...a VERY few might actually accomplish the task this way (albeit by committing federal crimes in the process), and then there are those like the recent ones who decided to "do it themselves" and ended up spending several days in the hospital's ICU for their troubles. Long story short, they'll be reasonable now, or they'll learn that they should've later.


...Sorry to rant, but I tend to get agitated when I see newbeeks trying to "help out the neighbor" and getting badly used & taken advantage of


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## baldwinbees

homeowners LIE....offer them some of that delicious honey,since they weren't sprayed,&listen to the answers u get


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## Daniel Y

I have read twice this morning the comment about it being illegal to poison the bees. Does anyone have a link to the law? Proof it exists could be a powerful selling tool.

As for the bees and homeowners. I have dealt with homeowners and repairs to their home for years. First don't offer to save their paneling. it just makes the job a lot harder and slower for you. if you manage to do it fine but don't set yourself up to have to do it. For one thing the first time they see something crack they call a halt to the work.

If a customer spends to much time concerned about the cost or attempting to pinch pennies I start asking for payment up front. If they start questioning me before I even start I flat out tell them I am not interested and they need to keep looking until they find someone they trust. they always back down but I don't. They will be hanging over my shoulder every second questioning every move I make. Truth is they didn't know how to fix the problem in the first place or they would not have called me. now they think they are some sort of expert.
Make sure the husband and wife are on the same page. if not you have one person in agreement and one that will be the biggest thorn in your side all the way through the job. Sooner or later the one that hired you will just not be around to watch you take the abuse. I have walked off jobs demanding that a hounding spouse not be home when I work. I don't need them I have more work any time I want it than I can keep up with. I am not the one with a problem I am there to fix their problems and if they do not act in a way that indicates that is how they think of me. I walk away. Your time is better spent looking for other customers.


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## gmcharlie

Federal offense to kill bees?? wow, Raid will be very dissapointed to hear that! 

As for this cut out, paneling needs to go! if your smart, make sure the homeowners knows so bees will be zipping around in the house and you will need to clear them after your done with the main hive. Be sure to close off that room.


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## tnfinds

Hello everyone thanks for everyones input and ALL OF YOU are RIGHT !! People amaze me even when you try to be nice and help out a a neighbor oh I have bees but dont want anything tore up to get them out but guess what if they are not removed they are going to be worse in a few weeks everyday more bees hatching and more being laid.Thanks for eveyones help and wish these people would listen but it is their problem now !!!


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## robherc

gmcharlie said:


> Federal offense to kill bees?? wow, Raid will be very dissapointed to hear that!


Actually, Raid already knows it...it's printed on their labels:


Raid Wasp & Hornet Killer label said:


> It is a violation of Federal law to use this product in a manner inconsistent with its labeling. For Outdoor Use: To kill paper wasps, yellow jackets, mud daubers, bald-face hornets: For best results, ......


Not much room left for questions there...in no place on the labeling of any of their products does it mention that it's ok to use it on honey bees! If you ask one of their reps what product to use on honey bees, they'll usually either tell you that they're not legally allowed to recommend anything, as they have nothing that's labeled for them, or they'll sidestep the question, or tell you "I never told you this, 'cuz I could get into tons of trouble, but..."

Long story short, there's absolutely no pesticide product that I'm aware of that is licensed or labeled for use against honey bees by anyone who doesn't hold a special applicator's license, and with VERY good reason! It's not exactly like an un-trained individual is likely to manage to kill 120,000 bees with a spray can & not put themselves, or anyone else in grave danger in the process...let the professionals (us beekeepers, and the licensed pesticide applicators [exterminators]) do what we're trained & licensed to do; homeowners simply have no business messing with honey bee colonies.




tnfinds said:


> Thanks for eveyones help and wish these people would listen but it is their problem now !!!


I'm glad to hear that you didn't allow yourself to be placed in the middle of a bad situation here! Sorry to hear that you weren't able to get the new hive of bees, but avoiding the stress and drama, imho, is always the best option! ...and don't worry, there are PLENTY of other bees around


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