As the subject heading here announces, I’m interested in getting rid of bees. They’re in one section of the brick wall that surrouds my porch. They’ve crawled in through the cracks in the mortar and are in the hollow section of the wall. I’d hate to put poison in there. Does anyone know of alternative ways to get rid of bees.
thanks
Replies
what KIND of bees..yellow jackets, honey bees, wasps, hornets, mud daubers? it depends on what ya got.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations.
mud daubers
Daubers are usually only annoying when you disturb their nests. Ok, that does not cure the "willies" that shape can induce, but, generally they are benign.
http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/iiin/bmuddaub.html
Although, for scary-looking, few things beat a cicada wasp. Legs big enough to wrap around a big bug, all hanging down--not a good combo. The males defend territory by flying at threats, but have no stinger.
http://wasp.cicadayear.com/
Red-faced wasp, now, there's some aggression. Tough enough to colonize paper wasp nests, too.
http://www.forestryimages.org/browse/detail.cfm?imgnum=0001018
http://www.fortunecity.com/victorian/margaret/203/id25.htm
(Kerr County is about 225 miles to my WSW)Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
Oh yeah, I seen em all..used to be an exterminator..
got zinged a few times last week from the damn red paper wasps on this roof job..
I can peacefully co-exist with mud daubers..my house is full of them
now, ground nesting yellow jackets..REALLY suck. As do bald faced hornets..them hornets will kill ya
When I was a bug man, we got a call for a bee's nest in a guys barn..partner and I show up, (the guy was at work) and look around..don't see any nest. Then I was looking at the framing, and it was rafters on 4' centers..I said to my partner, "why ya think they insulated that 4' x4' area near the ridge?"
That's when we realized it was a baldface hornets nest!!!..we called the guy at work and explained it may cost a little more than what we quoted on the first call...he said go for it. Donned our "bee suits" and cranked up the outdoor sprayer..basically a pressurewasher that shoots chems outta a 55 gallon drum in the truck. Loaded up a good mix of sevin ( we had chlordane in there from a termite job too, thats how long ago it was) and began to shoot up at the nest..man it was like a horror movie..we bolted out and hid in the truck till the swarm succumbed enough to reel up the hose..and split. LOL..lucky we didn't die.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations.
Bees set up temparory housing where ever they go. Mobility is an asset to survival and they never go back to destroyed nests. I saw some making a nest in a cicada hole by my bus stop, darn those bees. Be gone then!
don't have to use poison, any petroleum product will work in very limited application
use wd-40 or a penetrating oil in an aerosol can with a straw dispenser on end for neat application i keep a can of the 20' spray cans of wasp killer... this time of year they inhabit puntures in the frame rails of dumpsters
wait til night, all in nest, less active spray entry ways
only concern is neat application to avoid stains on brick maybe someone has more organic, water based material to use
leave a shop vac running for a couple of hours with the hose propped next to the hole. you'll get 'em all. then spray the bee killer into the hose.
and BTW, dont open the canister for a couple of days
>> and BTW, dont open the canister for a couple of days
I read about a guy who vacuumed up a bunch of wasps, then got concerned about what would happen when he turned the vac off, so he sprayed a bunch of insecticide up the hose. I don't remember if the explosion killed him or just maimed him, but whichever it was, it was worse than a few wasp stings would have been.
If you remotely suspect that they are honey bees, find a beekeeper and they'll be happy to come and try to relocate the queen for you. Bees do a wonderfull thing when they aren't so close to humans. Contact your local extension agent to help you find a beekeeper.
Getting rid of the bees is just part one of your problem. Assuming you're referring to honey bees just killing or removing the current ones won't solve your problem as other bees will show up to get the honey that's left. Once they are gone make sure you seal up every crack and crevice or they'll be back.
thanks a bunch.
the use of the power vac minus the insecticide is the first path i'll take. yet another use, it seems to me, of the shop vac.
I'm interested in getting rid of bees. They're in one section of the brick wall that surrouds my porch
Honey bees will follow their queen, move the queen, the hive follows. Hive lives or dies around the queen, too.
Have to wonder if they are carpenter bees.
Check locally for bee keepers (the County Ag agent can tell you).
If there is the least chance that they are africanized, get a pro. The africanized bees are aggressive (reports of chasing people 1/2 mile), and they do not like high-pitched noises (like vacs).
If they are bumble bee's gas in a thumb pump oil can becomes great anti-bee ack ack fire. And of course it will also will shoot down in their hole and destroy them. However, make sure you don't let one of the roving scouts slip through your air cover, or you could end up looking like you went 10 rounds with Joltin Joe.