# First Cutout



## bsquad (Jan 18, 2011)

I got a call from a homeowner who has honeybees in one of the columns of his front porch, and I'm not sure how to proceed, looking for advice from someone with more experience than me.

From the pictures he's sent, it looks like they are in either the wooden top or the masonry bottom of these columns. If they're in the wooden part, I think cutting away one of the sides and removing the comb will be easy, but if they're down in the masonry, I'm not sure what to do. Should I attempt to trap them out via the hole in picture 2? Does it look like I might be able to access the masonry from the top?

Any advice would be appreciated!

Thanks,
bsquad


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## jbeshearse (Oct 7, 2009)

judging from the expanding foam at the bottom, I would say they are in the column base. You will have to remove the top cap stones to get to them. Doesn't look to bad. But it will be a chore. The combs are probably attached to the bottom side of the cap stones.

But you can never be sure until you open it up. Brick and stone are the worst things to remove bees from. Good luck.


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## bsquad (Jan 18, 2011)

Thanks, any idea how to remove the cap stones? Can they just be tapped with a hammer and then re-glued in place?


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## jbeshearse (Oct 7, 2009)

That is hat I would try. Tap them from the bottom. Be prepared, you may break them though. You can chip the mortar out on the bottom, unless they are glued down. Either way, if they do not remove easily with tapping from the bottom, I would use a hammer and chisel in the joints between the cap stones and the side stones.


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## djei5 (Apr 24, 2011)

You would be a genius if you took a mason with you to give you a cost estimate on removal and repair.
The caps are Limestone and break fairly easy, the stone on the columns are man made and if you chip them you cant repair them, you have to replace them. The strength of the bases are most likely cinder block, which is going to be a nightmare to pull comb from.
IMO I would trap out.

Sorry for the edit, but if my columns were that nice and someone messed them up....:waiting:
Dont upset the owner, he could refer you later.


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## Roy Coates (May 27, 2012)

I would be concerned about them already being sprayed also due to the expanding foam. I would still get them and just watch them carefully and not mix any of the honey or comb with any other colony. I might try a masonry blade in my multi tool to free up the joint mortar to help reduce the risk of breaking a stone/brick


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## jbeshearse (Oct 7, 2009)

good advice djei5. I always give the homeowner the disclaimer that I will try a diligently as possible to not damage more of the building than necessary, but no guarantees on how much damage I will do and that I will not repair it either.

Also, ask the homeowner if he knows how the columns were constructed.


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## burns375 (Jul 15, 2013)

bsquad said:


> Thanks, any idea how to remove the cap stones? Can they just be tapped with a hammer and then re-glued in place?


A cold chisel can be used to fracture the mortar joints. The caps shouldn't be glued. The "stones" below are likely cladding on a wood or cinderblock structure and the bees are within the void between that and the post. The white part of the post is most likely slid over a 4x4 that extends down thru the stonework to the poored slab unless it feels like solid wood, then the post may rest ontop of the cap stones. It is possible they are in the post and may have acess to the soffet. 

Is there alot of activity. Funny how the homeowner tried spray foam.

Not fun, are they paying you? I would pass unless compensated.


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## burns375 (Jul 15, 2013)

jbeshearse said:


> Also, ask the homeowner if he knows how the columns were constructed.


And ask him his/her thought process when using spray foam? 

Although slow, bees will chew thru wood if neccessary. If I remember Ill take a pic of an entrance reducer i left on for too long.


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## Beregondo (Jun 21, 2011)

A masonry blade on a circular saw or angle grinder can be used to cut away the mortar to minimize the risk of breakage.

If the caps look like they're loose enough to come off with a minimum of tapping with a rubber mallet after the mortar's cut, I'd probably take a break and let the bees calm down before removing them.

The vibration for he blade on mortar/ stone is liable to stir the bees up a bit more than a circ saw or sawzall on wood does.

If you are both careful and fortunate, there's a pretty fair chance of being able to do it all through the top.


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## djei5 (Apr 24, 2011)

Bsquad, I've been building houses for thirty years. Trust me when I say that unless that home owner doesn't mind a pile of rubble and is willing
to pay someone else to fix it, you don't want to go there. Synthetic stone doesn't come off, you dont chisel it off, yo dont use a multitool to get it off. You break it off. And when you break it it looks like concrete. Your seeing bits of gravel and the core isnt the same color as the outside. And the pieces are multi sized, which means you will have to find one that fits exactly! There is an entrance at the bottom, seal all other holes and put a cone on it.
If you cut out, please post video!opcorn:opcorn:opcorn:


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

The wood is going to be cheaper to fix. Bang on the columns and listen with a thingy the doctors wear. Or drill a test hole with a hole saw. The plug can be put back in and fauxed over.


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## burns375 (Jul 15, 2013)

^^^ Concur with djei^^^^

If you do trap out as suggested, demolition should be done anyways as the honey, comb, pollen will invite roaches, flys, ants all kinds of nasty critters. Unless the homeowner doesn't mind.


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## bsquad (Jan 18, 2011)

Wow, thanks for all the tips. I'll make sure I make it clear to the homeowner. I've described what I hope to do (and will expand on it next time we talk) but the understanding is that he'll take care of the repair.

I'll look into a trapout a bit more, depending on what the homeowner wants, I may end up trying that instead.

Thanks again,
bsquad


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## rwlaw (May 4, 2009)

Unless there's a second story setting on those pillars, all that is a purty wrap for 4x4's. See if you can rock the base, if it has a little give you might be able to crib the porch in that area cut the wood wrap, loosen the post and move the bottom to access the hive. But the pic says that the yahoo has done everything in his power to kill off that hive, my first thought is you sprayed em, I don't want em!


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## northbee (Apr 16, 2009)

Hey Bsquad, 

I do bee removal work in the twin cities metro and would be willing to advise on the removal you are attempting. You can PM me or find my phone number on bees on the net under Yuuki Metreaud

If the base it built as I would have built it then it is a wooden box with masonry ties to attach the stone verneer onto. The finished column on top is hiding a structural member. It is probably the best idea as previously mentioned to remove the cap stones, the wood at the top of the box and then the comb and bees. 

Good luck and don't hesitate to call, Yuuki


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## bsquad (Jan 18, 2011)

Thanks, northbee, PM sent!


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