# Killer bees...literally.



## Buffy in Dallas (May 10, 2002)

I have two hives. I suited up this morning to go check the Purple hive that I haven't been into for a couple of months. Keep in mind that I walk past these hives every day. Within 5 feet of them. But when I opened up that hive this morning it was Bee Hive Armageddon!:runforhills: I was attacked by hundreds of bees. After a couple of minutes I gave up and shut the hive. I got stung 4 times right through my suit and gloves. I've never had that happen before. 

I walked all the way around the house to the front door in a cloud of bees. I got the water hose and sprayed a mist around me hoping they would think it was raining and go home which most did. I ended up having to hose the rest off my and squash a few so I could sneak in the front door without them following. 

The same exact thing happened a couple of weeks ago when I opened the Green hive. I can't have them behaving like this. :hair I have neighbors within 25 ft of my hives. 

I know we have africanized bees in Dallas. I know each hive has raised their own queen several times over. Would they let me walk past the hive everyday if they were africanized? Can a have be partly africanized? 

I just went to the back yard to gather eggs. I put it off till evening to give the bees time to calm down. I found one of my favorite ducks dead. She was only a year old. :sob: She was black and liked to hang out behind the bee hives. Hmm... coincidence? I think not. I think the bees killed her. I have to have my son go out there and bring her inside so I can look for stingers as I didn't have my reading glasses on when I went out. 

If I find stingers, those bees just signed their own death warrant. 

So, how would you kill 2 hives of bees while making sure the honey and wax are not contaminated?


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Buy two queens, smoke the hive heavy wait a bit then og in and kill the queen and install the cages with the new boughten queens. The hive should straighten out in a short while.

If you really want to kill the whole shooting match a hose end sprayer full of dish soap and wash the whole insides dow to kill the bees then rince.

 Al


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## deaconjim (Oct 31, 2005)

You might also go to the hive at night and install an entrance reducer with the smallest opening utilized. Fill a shop vac about 1/3 full of soapy water and afix it to the opening so that anything coming through the reducer is pulled into the vac. This will take some time, and probably won't get 100% of them, but it will reduce the numbers to the point that you can manully vacuum the remaining bees with the top open. The honey will be fine once you're through.


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## homemaid (Apr 26, 2011)

Buffy in Dallas said:


> I have two hives. I suited up this morning to go check the Purple hive that I haven't been into for a couple of months. Keep in mind that I walk past these hives every day. Within 5 feet of them. But when I opened up that hive this morning it was Bee Hive Armageddon!:runforhills: I was attacked by hundreds of bees. After a couple of minutes I gave up and shut the hive. I got stung 4 times right through my suit and gloves. I've never had that happen before.
> 
> I walked all the way around the house to the front door in a cloud of bees. I got the water hose and sprayed a mist around me hoping they would think it was raining and go home which most did. I ended up having to hose the rest off my and squash a few so I could sneak in the front door without them following.
> 
> ...



Any updates? What did you find??


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## Buffy in Dallas (May 10, 2002)

I went out today to get the eggs and let the dogs out to pee. I found bees chasing my chickens around the yard and another dead duck covered in bees. :grit:
I had to put my bee suit on and herd the chickens to the far side of the yard, away from the hives. (the yard is split in half by a fence) 

Tonight there will be wholesale slaughter in the back yard. I don't have time to re-queen. I can't afford my next door neighbor or one of her 8 kids getting attacked. I'm going to buy dry ice in a few minutes.


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## Laura Zone 5 (Jan 13, 2010)

I am so sorry you are losing your hives, but gassing them is the best thing to do.
Be safe.


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## copperkid3 (Mar 18, 2005)

I understand and share your concern. However, in an effort to save the strength
and size of those existing colonies, would it be at all possible to cleat the hives 
and screen the entrances for then transporting them out of the urban environment
that they are presently in, and move them to a more remote rural location, until you
can secure a couple of gentler queens to tone down their aggressive tendancies?
Could be done in less than a week and the colonies would likely be 'changed'
in a month or two. Win-win, except for the ducks . . . (sorry).


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## Buffy in Dallas (May 10, 2002)

Ok, the dry ice didn't work. I put the dry ice on the hive, threw a tarp over it and secured the bottom of the tarp by piling dirt up on the edges. Came back the next morning and they were alive and kicking. Hmm. 

I would try to smoke them but I don't own a smoker. I called the closest beekeeper but they want $400.00 to exterminate them (I don't have that) and I won't be able to keep the honey or wax because they will use pesticides. 

I'm pulling my hair out trying to figure what to do! 

Help!!! Ideas???

(copperkid3- These are top bar hives. I would need a truck to move them and I don't have one. Also there are so many bees that they can't all fit in the hive at night and thousands hang on the outside. That makes it real hard to just cover the entrances.)


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## Doug Hodges (Jul 22, 2013)

I bet someone would help you out in exchange for some honey and maybe some bees. (its sounds like you need to reduce your population drastically) I would post on facebook for the help on one of the local farm related sites.


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## copperkid3 (Mar 18, 2005)

I made the assumption that they were Langstroth hives . . . hmmmmm

You do have a problem then and if you can't incorporate either posters

#2 or 3's suggestions, then ths only thing that I would offer as a possibility,

would be to take a large roll of thick mill plastic (4 or better mill) and completely

cover each hive to such an extent that no bees can escape. This procedure should

be done so as to get all of them together so there are few around looking for trouble

(think neighbors, mailman, ducks, chickens, etc.) Probably best at dusk or nighttime.

Have plenty of artificial lighting so you can see to do the job properly and station someone

near the lights with a good shop vac, to suck up, any of those bees that are attracted to the lignts.

Make sure that EVERYONE IS DRESSED APPROPRIATELY for this tactical maneuver.

(Request that your immediate neighbors stay inside and watch safely from behind their windows!)

Cover each hive with enough plastic sheeting to completely encapsulate them and that they

will NOT be able to get out by crawling through a fold or crack. Tape any tears or rips with a

good quality duct tape. Let the Texas sun do the rest.

In a few days or less, (dependingon the success - or failure of this mission) 

check to see if there are any survivors . . . is so, take the vacuum to them.

Salvage the honey and wax asap, before the fire ants, ect. find it. 

Wish I was closer to actually help in person. Best I can come up with on such short notice.

Sorry . . .


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## Buffy in Dallas (May 10, 2002)

Yea, problem solved! I talked to a nice man at the collin county beekeepers assoc. and he suggested using starter fluid. I took copperkids advice and put the plastic over the hives then sprayed the starter fluid into the hive. The hive got very loud, then very quiet. Now I just have to kill off the strays that managed to escape and start the clean up. 

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions!


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## Rustaholic (Dec 1, 2007)

Buffy in Dallas said:


> Yea, problem solved! I talked to a nice man at the collin county beekeepers assoc. and he suggested using starter fluid. I took copperkids advice and put the plastic over the hives then sprayed the starter fluid into the hive. The hive got very loud, then very quiet. Now I just have to kill off the strays that managed to escape and start the clean up.
> 
> Thanks to everyone for the suggestions!


Don't you think that starter fluid spoiled the honey?


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## Buffy in Dallas (May 10, 2002)

The starter fluid is basically ether. It's a liquid that evaporates to a gas. The beekeeper guy said it should be OK. I tasted the honey and it was tasted fine. My biggest problem now is cleaning up the hives and storing the honey and wax without exhausting myself.


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## MichaelZ (May 21, 2013)

This whole killer bee thing is frightening! Thanks for making me not mind the 6 months of winter we get up here in N. WI as much as before reading this thread!


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