# How to kill bees in a tree..........I know, it sucks.



## BeeGhost (May 7, 2011)

A friend sent an e-mail to my work account last week to see if I wanted to remove a wild hive in a pepper tree. I didnt read the e-mail until this Tuesday. I contacted him and he informed me that he had already sprayed the hive twice with wasp killer

I decided to stop by to check it out anyhow and give some bee advice incase he encounters it again. Anyhow, I looked into the large hole about 2' off the ground in the trunk of the tree and seen a lot of bee activity, along with lead larva and bees outside the hive on the ground.

Its to bad, these bees were really mello for being sprayed twice already. Anyhow, he is allergic to bees (lucky he didnt get hammered when he sprayed) and afraid for his neighbors, and I cant do a trap out or a cut out due to the location which is about 4 feet from a well traveled sidewalk, not to mention I dont want to hive pesticide infected comb or bees.

So my thoughts are to use #8 wire to close the entrance at night and just spray them down really good with insecticide, or douse the entrance with sevin dust, with the wire on of course. I really hate to do this, but either way the bees are not welcome in their home, and in helping him he will be able to provide me with connections to other wild swarms he encounters in his business, pesticide free of course!

Any thoughts will be welcome.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Make up a lot of soapy water and spray it in until things are pretty well inundated. Some other bees will rob them out and if you use pesticides those bees will die as well. The other choices would be sulfur fumes, or seal it up pretty well except for enough room to run a water hose in and fill it with water.


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## Funnyfarm (Jul 25, 2010)

Hate to see them go... but if it has to be done just fill the hole with spray foam


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## Monkadelic (Feb 5, 2010)

Funnyfarm, I have to disagree. Bees down here will quickly eat through spray foam. They are very resourceful when they need to be, I have even seen them chew through wood putty on a few trap-outs I have assisted on.

Beeghost, sorry to hear that you have to do this, but it sounds like you don't have a choice. Good luck.


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## Funnyfarm (Jul 25, 2010)

Hmm? not seen it happen up here but suppose anything is possible... I wasn't just suggesting spray foaming the opening. i was suggesting pumping the whole can up in there.


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## Monkadelic (Feb 5, 2010)

Ew, that is an awful visual, LOL! 

Yeah, it might work up there, not sure. I'm not the most experienced, either, just sharing some of what I have learned. I know that there was a removal done down the street from me, and instead of insulating the homeowner filled the hole with spray foam. He had bees in the same spot the next summer, the new colony just chewed the foam up. Bees never cease to amaze me.


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