On Sun, 23 May 2004 14:52:01 +0100, SusieThompson
wrote:

I am putting up this topic on behalf of good friends of ours. They have
had a colony of honey bees in their roof for a long time and have not
been able to get rid of it, even with the help of our local bee keeper.
This morning a new, larger, noisier colony has moved in, making the
problem even worse. The bees are coming into the house, down the chimney
indoors and worrying their next door neighbour.

Honey bees are protected, aren't they? So is there any kind or natural
way of persuading them to move out and stay out? Our friends are
talking about having to demolish both chimney and stack, and maybe even
some of the roof or end wall of their house to both get rid of them and
prevent them coming back. Our friends have just about had enough so any
constructive help or advice will be more than welcome. TIA.

I'm a bit surprised that there are any 'wild' colonies of honey bees
left. AIUI, the varroa mite has wiped out virtually all of them. I'm
also surprised that you say a new colony has moved in, as bees
normally defend their colonies against intruders, with vigor. However,
as you say a beekeeper has already had a look at them, I assume they
are actually honey bees, and not wasps or bumbles for example. Perhaps
the old colony died out, leaving some comb with honey still in it that
attracted a new swarm.

It's been a while since I kept bees, but there is a way of shifting an
established colony from an awkward and undesirable site. I can't
remember all the details, but it involves putting a small (nucleus)
hive on a stand very close (within inches) to the point where the bees
enter the roof i.e. on the outside of the house (this is not always
easy, as you can imagine). You may have to put a few combs of larvae
into the said hive, I can't remember. You then thoroughly seal one end
a short length of plastic plumbing pipe (say two or three feet) over
the hole in the roof or wherever, that they're using as their
principal entrance. If there are any secondary entrances, seal these
up completely so that the bees are forced to use the pipe. Slowly,
over a period of several weeks, the bees will transfer out of the roof
and into the new hive, which can then be taken away.

It works like this. Bees learn and know the position of the entrance
to their colony to within a few inches. When they leave the hive to
forage for nectar, they will fly up the pipe that's sealed over the
entrance and leave from the open end, not realising that this is now a
couple of feet from the original colony entrance. But when they
return, they will come back to the base of the pipe, now sealed over
the old entrance. But if it's been sealed properly, they can't get
back in, and will cluster around the base of the pipe in ever-
increasing numbers as more and more bees return. Eventually, they make
their way into the new hive that's been positioned right next to the
old entrance, and set up home there, especially if there are unsealed
brood (i.e. immature grubs) present, as they are instinctively
compelled to feed and nurture the grubs. Gradually all the flying bees
are siphoned away from the old colony into the new hive. If the pipe
is moved around from time to time, to allow for the fact that new,
first-time fliers learn the exit point from the tube, there are
eventually no supplies coming into the old colony, they cannot raise
any more young bees, and the colony dies out.

I'm sure there are some bits I've forgotten, but a good beekeeper with
access to the right books or the combined knowledge of a local
beekeepers' association, should be able to do it. It all depends on
whether you can get access to the exit point in the roof, and whether
you can set up a small hive there.

BTW, I don't think honey bees are protected.


--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net