# Bees in the Soffit



## B52EW (Jun 3, 2013)

Unfortunately, the comb is probably attached to the underside of the roof and not the soffit itself. Therefore, you will need to cut out the comb piece by piece and attach it to frames. Don't know how viable that will be during winter (normally removing the comb with honey is a mess to attach to frames, I usually discard the honey combs...but then you leave them with out resources for the winter.)


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## Efgosser (Jan 5, 2016)

Can I take it apart piece by piece and put bees, comb, honey all in bottom of a hive or that thick cardboard box so the bees have their food for winter, then transfer them to the hive?


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## Efgosser (Jan 5, 2016)

Do bees build across or up

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## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

you can move them anyway you want, a move in Washington in feb is surely a death sentence. I personally won't move one until the nights are consistently warmer than 50 deg.


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## kaizen (Mar 20, 2015)

agreed. you want to kill them go pull them apart now. you want to get a free hive start learning how to trap out the hive but not till spring.


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## fieldsofnaturalhoney (Feb 29, 2012)

They typically build across and down. It all depends on what space is available inside the cavity. If you really don't want to harm them let them bee until early Spring. It is most likely a death sentence to relocate them now, as stated. If you already have hive parts, why the cardboard box? If it is a must get done before February, charge a "nice fee" and use the money to buy gear and bees for the Spring, but I would not count on the bees surviving, especially if this is your first removal.


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## DanielD (Jul 21, 2012)

It really wouldn't be worth the time if all I ended up with were the bees, but if I really had to remove them and save them, I would build a plastic tent around the area and heat it to, I am guessing, 50 degrees or so, unless there would be a 50+ day coming up. Then I would do a cut out into a hive box, and when finished, have a darkened place to keep them at around 45 degrees while they are screened inside the hive. Just under 50 degrees I am thinking they won't need to fly, yet they would have a warmer environment to possibly survive till spring. Keep them fed too. The honey comb would be messy and hard to hold in, to attempt tying it into frames as is. This is all just a guess and I don't really know if it would work. Again, it wouldn't be worth the time to do it either. But if you have all kinds of time, or someone is paying you, see what happens.


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## gone2seed (Sep 18, 2011)

Some of the posters are ignoring,or missed,the fact that they must be moved before the end of February. Since that is the case,pick a day above 50 degrees and do the cut out.If the bees die,they die.At least this way they have a chance. It would be a big help if you can get a local beekeeper to help you with this.They can be saved but it will take a lot of attention. Don't be discouraged if you lose these. Even an experienced beekeeper would have a hard time saving this one.


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## B52EW (Jun 3, 2013)

This what a hive above a soffit looks like. 








each comb would need to be cut out individually, attached to a frame then, and placed in a box. hard to due in winter (very low probability of survival.)

But, I like the suggestion of getting a fee to remove them and using those funds to start beekeeping.

In the Spring or Summer, I like doing soffit removals...easy to remove, no crawling, bending etc...


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## Tenbears (May 15, 2012)

gone2seed said:


> Some of the posters are ignoring,or missed,the fact that they must be moved before the end of February. Since that is the case,pick a day above 50 degrees and do the cut out.If the bees die,they die.At least this way they have a chance. It would be a big help if you can get a local beekeeper to help you with this.They can be saved but it will take a lot of attention. Don't be discouraged if you lose these. Even an experienced beekeeper would have a hard time saving this one.


 And you seem to be missing the point that the poster is in Hoodsport Wa. Their 10 day forecast is calling for daytime highs in the 40 and lows in the 30s there is no way these bees are going to survive being cut out this time of year in that environment. None! He will not be saving the bees. It is an exercise in futility. No matter how badly the OP may want the bees, He/She needs to grow a pair and tell the property owner to kill his own bees! Because that is what they will be doing!


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## Efgosser (Jan 5, 2016)

Ok I have read all your post, It was not confusing at all with all the different opinions. you all agree than the move will kill them. yes it is cold here. I could put them in a heated room till spring and keep them feed. the mess is no problem, I can put a tarp or pan down below for the mess, In the end I will be buying the house when the current owners find another to move to. I will try to talk them into keeping them till spring, then removing them the correct way. In my opinion the bees life is non negotiable, bees are getting harder to find honey is getting way to expensive and they need to be saved. Thank you all for your help.


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## Bee Arthur (Mar 21, 2015)

The Olympia Beekeepers Association has a contact for swarms. You may want to call and see if any of their members can help you with either advice or with actually moving the hive once you get some warmer weather. Their contact info is at http://www.olympiabeekeepers.org/swarms/. Usually a beekeeper's payment for moving bees is the hive itself; since you want to keep the bees, I'd expect to pay someone if they do come out and help you. I'll also say that most beekeepers don't want to mess with hive removals this time of year for the reasons already mentioned.


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## gone2seed (Sep 18, 2011)

Tenbears said:


> And you seem to be missing the point that the poster is in Hoodsport Wa. Their 10 day forecast is calling for daytime highs in the 40 and lows in the 30s there is no way these bees are going to survive being cut out this time of year in that environment. None! He will not be saving the bees. It is an exercise in futility. No matter how badly the OP may want the bees, He/She needs to grow a pair and tell the property owner to kill his own bees! Because that is what they will be doing!


So your solution is to not even try. Great thinking.


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## Tenbears (May 15, 2012)

gone2seed said:


> So your solution is to not even try. Great thinking.


If you had a loaded gun and many experts told you that any attempts to remove the bullet what so ever would result in a massive explosion Killing everything within 200 feet would you try just to say you tried to help? Sometimes you need to just man Up and do what is right. Now that's great thinking!


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## B52EW (Jun 3, 2013)

Efgosser said:


> Ok I have read all your post, It was not confusing at all with all the different opinions. you all agree than the move will kill them. yes it is cold here. I could put them in a heated room till spring and keep them feed. the mess is no problem, I can put a tarp or pan down below for the mess, In the end I will be buying the house when the current owners find another to move to. I will try to talk them into keeping them till spring, then removing them the correct way. In my opinion the bees life is non negotiable, bees are getting harder to find honey is getting way to expensive and they need to be saved. Thank you all for your help.


Definitely the best option is to wait...Good Luck


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## gone2seed (Sep 18, 2011)

Tenbears said:


> If you had a loaded gun and many experts told you that any attempts to remove the bullet what so ever would result in a massive explosion Killing everything within 200 feet would you try just to say you tried to help? Sometimes you need to just man Up and do what is right. Now that's great thinking!


Wow.I really don't know what to make of this.Saving a few bees or blowing up everyone within 200 feet.Obviously you have a problem.Seek help.


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## larryh (Jul 28, 2014)

Only way he can save the bees is to talk the owner into waiting a month or so. 
I bet the deadline is arbitrary.


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## Tenbears (May 15, 2012)

gone2seed said:


> Wow.I really don't know what to make of this.Saving a few bees or blowing up everyone within 200 feet.Obviously you have a problem.Seek help.


LOOK! Everyone with any degree of experience seem to agree that attempting a cut out at this time of year in the OP's latitude would be certain death for the bees. Even you assert that failure would be imminent. "They can be saved but it will take a lot of attention. Don't be discouraged if you lose these. Even an experienced beekeeper would have a hard time saving this one. " I have cut out literally thousands of hive, and I realize with all my experience this would be a futile Attempt. Even if they were transferred to a southern location ware they could fly the ordeal would expose the bees to stress that would ultimately facilitate their demise.
You are such an expert why do you not just fly to Washington and show the gent how to do it. I would if I believed I could help!

At least if he poses the facts to the property owner and lets him know he does not want to take part in an exercise that would certainly lead to the bees demise. The bees have a chance. 

It is plain that the lives of these bees has little importance to you as is evident in your last post. So what does trying to kill them prove?

NOW, before you suggest someone else get help or make an assumption that they need it. You should make sure that you at least know that a space is required between the end on a sentence and the beginning of a new one. And that Wow is not a sentence. The mere fact that you changed everything to everyone tells me not only would you try to remove that bullet, but you would not even have the courtesy to do so when there are no other people around! 
Put That in your Pipe and smoke it!


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## gone2seed (Sep 18, 2011)

Tenbears said:


> LOOK! Everyone with any degree of experience seem to agree that attempting a cut out at this time of year in the OP's latitude would be certain death for the bees. Even you assert that failure would be imminent. "They can be saved but it will take a lot of attention. Don't be discouraged if you lose these. Even an experienced beekeeper would have a hard time saving this one. " I have cut out literally thousands of hive, and I realize with all my experience this would be a futile Attempt. Even if they were transferred to a southern location ware they could fly the ordeal would expose the bees to stress that would ultimately facilitate their demise.
> You are such an expert why do you not just fly to Washington and show the gent how to do it. I would if I believed I could help!
> 
> At least if he poses the facts to the property owner and lets him know he does not want to take part in an exercise that would certainly lead to the bees demise. The bees have a chance.
> ...


This goes to show that my assertion was spot on. You have a problem. I try to have as little to do with people of your mindset as possible so this is it for me. If there is a twit filter her consider yourself filtered. Oh,and for your benefit,and since it seems important to you, I was careful to put a space between the ending period and first letter of the next sentence.


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## I'llbeedan (Mar 31, 2013)

gone2seed said:


> Oh,and for your benefit,and since it seems important to you, I was careful to put a space between the ending period and first letter of the next sentence.


Aah You forgot to put a space between Oh,and & benefit,and. Alzheimer's? ROFLMAO!


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## whiskers (Aug 28, 2011)

In #12 the original poster says he is going to buy the house. If the bees are important to you, make their continued existence a condition of sale. Bet no harm comes to them.
Bill


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## Riverderwent (May 23, 2013)

Efgosser said:


> Can I take apart the area they are in and gently put the whole thing in a chest freezer box until they start to move to the hive on their own?


No. You will need to do a cutout. The bees will very likely die if you try to do that before early spring. If the owner can wait until then, it is likely to be a relatively easy cutout from what you have described. If he can't wait until then, he will need to kill the bees. Killing the bees without removing the comb may cause honey to eventually flow out and cause problems. It may also attract pests and at some point another colony of bees. I wish you good fortune and hope this works out well for you, the owner, and the bees.


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