# Can I get them to move ?



## ndpygora (Oct 21, 2014)

We have honey bees that have taken over a section of eve on my house. They have been there for a couple of years now and need to move as I need to work on the house! I'm surrounded by farm fields. Every year beekeepers put hives close by. I've talked with them, they've given me ways to try and kill them off but that hasn't seemed to work either. Help !!
Can I build them a hive and lure them to that ? They are not aggressive but there are a lot of them!


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## Michael W. Smith (Jun 2, 2002)

No, you cannot lure them out.

You need to contact a beekeeper that will agree to do a removal.  The majority of beekeepers are more than happy to catch a swarm - but you have a colony living there.

The beekeeper will have to open up the eves, and remove the bees and the comb. Repair would be up to you. And don't be surprised if the beekeeper charges you - it's a hot job, working at heights, with stinging insects. He may end up with a colony when all is said and done.

You do NOT want to kill them. Chances are, the main colony is too far back from the entrance to kill them anyway, and even if you would succeed, you will then have dead bees, comb, and honey in the eves of your house that will draw other pests. And chances are, a new swarm of bees would move in again anyway.

Sorry, you need to find a beekeeper willing to remove them, and once that is done, you need to fill the area with insulation and once repaired, plug any kind of access a new colony could get in by.


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## COWS (Dec 23, 2012)

First, check in the attic and see if there are a lot of bees in there. If the bees have colonized inside the attic you do have problems. You may have to exterminate the bees, but then you have the honey and wax to get rid of.

If you can locate where they are going in and out, the problem is easier. First get a frame of brood, put a hive body or box rigged to hold the frame, locate it close to the entrance the bees are using. Make a funnel out of screen wire with the small end being 3/8 inch in diameter. Fasten the big end over the entrance. Be sure everything is closed down except the 3/8 hole. The bees will come out but not be able to find the 3/8 hole to get back in. They will go into the frame of brood and start raising a queen. When you have most of the colony in the box, remove it, place it 2 or more miles away, fill with frames and foundation so that you have a new colony. Spray the rest of the bees. Remove honey and wax,do not keep either because it is contaminated with poison.

Alternative to spraying, depending on the situation of the house: Smoke bees, put on bee suit, tear out eave enough to remove bees and queen, take some brood and place it in a frame in another box, now(maybe) you have another hive. Close up new hive, move at night(I should have told you to move other hive at night), set up that hive 2 miles away also. Spray any remaining bees.

All this is difficult. Good luck.

COWS


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## 1shotwade (Jul 9, 2013)

I've seen a lot of houses go thru the process of getting rid of bees. Every one has only been a temporary situation.It is next to impossible to remove every last sent of beeswax/honey and within a year or two you can expect to have them right back again even if you do get rid of them this time.
I know of one person that tried for years and finally gave up. He used a sheet of plexiglass and cut part of the wall out in his living room and made an "observation hive". Personally I have removed bees from three houses only to get a return call within a year. I won't bother with it any more. It's just too much work for the outcome.
Good luck.

Wade


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

I have had good luck with a tear out removal to get bees out of buildings and never had a return when the home owner followed instructions. I always spray the area down good with vanilla and tell the home owner to caulk all holes and cracks. I also charge a service call to look at the job then will quote a price to do the job service call is rolled into that charge. 

The beekeepers placing hives near by are probably migtory bee keepers who normally just move bees in the area for pollination of a crop. *You need to find a local bee keeper. Check with the local animal control office, fire dept., police dept., USDA office and even the county extension office to find one.*

 Al


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## Iddee (Sep 25, 2005)

Cows, I have been doing removals since 1976. Some years 50 to 75 hives. I have done an enormous number of trapouts. Your post is lacking so many details that it is actually worse advice than none at all. You gave just enough info to ensure a troublesome, non-workable removal or trapout. You need to give full details, if you know them, or just wait for someone else to do so.


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## ndpygora (Oct 21, 2014)

Thank you all for responding ! I knew I came to the right place. The extension service gave me the names of the bee keepers that had hives in my area but none came by as they said they would. They were from out of the area. The house is 101 yrs old and the section of eve is more decorative with old wood shingle. We are in ND surrounded by wheat and canola fields. A lot of hives are brought in every year. Would I be better off to remove the eve altogether for a period of time? Last year I thought they were gone until mid to late summer they were back with a vengeance. They're not aggressive as I can mow right under them, but we have a daycare and that's where the kids play.


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## Iddee (Sep 25, 2005)

If they are not flying the first 60 degree, sunny day this spring, they died out. Open the cavity, clear the old comb, and pack full of insulation or other material. They will not come back if there is not a large enough cavity for them to build comb. If they are flying, make another call to the local beekeepers.


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## COWS (Dec 23, 2012)

I've tried bee removal since the early 1970s also. I warned the OP that it would be a difficult project. There hasn't been much occasion to do any for a good may years because of the reduction in bee population. On one occasion i saw a swarm leave my hives . I followed it to my neighbors house where the bees went into the wall in the upper part of the house. The neighbors were not excited because they had had bees in the walls, off and on, for many years. Years later I wound up buying the house and tore it down. The bees were gone, but in the walls were a colony of Japanese Hornets. Maybe they were attracted to the old beeswax also, don't know.

Now is the time for the op to try to get rid of the colony because bee numbers are down due to winter.

COWS


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

If you are in North Dakota don't expect any one till about May as it is to cold to be fooling with them now they would die.

There is a story on a removal I did last summer. Read it and you will get an Idea of some of the troubles you can run into.


http://forum.tractorfarmandfamily.com/showthread.php?t=15764


 Al


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