On 4/8/04 17:54, in article ,
"Devoto" wrote:

I hope this is the right group for this question - I've got a colony of
bees nesting somewhere under the floor in my house (they're using an
airbrick as an entrance). I don't want to call in pest controllers, because
they're not doing any harm to me and my wife (although my slightly dumb
cats have both been stung), but I'd rather they didn't come back next year,
as it's right next to our seating area and our back door.

If a bee colony has a good place to be it won't see any reason to move. As
you describe it, it has secure premises, warmth and plenty of home made
food, which it will eat throughout the winter to sustain itself. The queen
will continue to lay and the workers to feed their successors etc. IOW, it
has all the conditions that apiarists try to produce for their colonies -
though the honey we humans take off is the home made food.
From what you say of the location, it seems unlikely that a local apiarist
can rescue the colony for you, so I think you have two options - live with
it, or kill it off. Before doing that, you might like to try your local bee
keeping society because I most certainly wouldn't count on such a cosy
colony leaving or dying off.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)