# advice: remove or keep bees/ Placentia, CA



## schao (Jun 28, 2005)

Hi! my name is Stephanie Chao and I live in Placentia, CA - residential urban area. I would like to get your advice and help about the bee situation I got now.

Over this past Sunday, suddenly around 2 pm I notice a HUGE swarm of bees near my front door. upon investigation, I see that they gather around the patio/ eave overhang next to the wall of the garage, and that there must be a crack or hole in my garage wall because I see and hear bees buzzing in the garage. (i did not agitate the bees in any way and left the garage door open so they can leave.) I was glad to see that by 7 pm or rather by 8:30 pm (complete sundown) the bees have "disappeared". (according to the bee removal companies, the bees must have slept inside the wall....) I did not do a complete inspection, but I didn't see anything resembling a nest/hive at about 8 pm... this morning, at 6:30 am there were already again bees gather at the same area, and looks like increasing number.... I would like to save the $200-$300 the bee removal companies quoted me...so any advice?

Please call me at my cell 562/307-7793 or just email me back at [email protected].
THANK YOU! I've read 6 books on beekeeping and numerous internet websites since Sun. and wondered if I can keep the bees -- become a beekeeper myself... I called the local assoc - Orange County BeeKeeping Assoc. and they want me to ID where exactly the bees are...if in struct. wall, i would need professional help to remove them....


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## Judy in IN (Nov 28, 2003)

Stephanie, 

You can keep the bees. It sounds like they haven't been there long. What exactly do you need to know?


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## skruzich (Jul 23, 2003)

Unless you get the queen out of there, your not going to remove them without killing them. And that isn't going to be 200-300 dollars. IF you can get the queen and move her away to another location, your in luck. IF you have to kill them, then you also will have the cost of cleaning out the hive that they are building. IF you don't clean them out, you will end up with rotting carcasses in the wall and that isn't a good thing.

Depending on your wall, it is most likely going to end up starting at 300 for the extermination on up to several thousand to open the wall, remove the hive and fix the wall back.


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## schao (Jun 28, 2005)

thanks for replying, any advice greatly appreciated!
any ideas on how to get the queen out? I was told to build a mesh-screen funnel so that the bees can only come out, not go in, but how do i entice bees out? especially the queen? 
at night, do these honey bees still buzz? after sundown, it is quiet. i tried to listen hard, even put my ear on the wall, but don't hear any buzzing... how can i tell if the bees are living inside the wall or not at night? 
thank you!


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## foxtrapper (Dec 23, 2003)

The funnel won't get the queen out. To get her, you've got to open up the wall(s) and physically remove her. It isn't easy and isn't a sure thing by any means. If it's a simple structure and a simple demolition job, you've got a fair chance at getting her. But if it isn't, odds are, you'll miss.

You need to have your bee equipment, especially hive body, frames and a suit to do the job. It's sticky, messy, hot, and not fun. 

I've found the best time to go scooping bees up is at dusk. Scoop them up and dump them into the hive body. They will keep coming right out. Keep on scooping bees. If you finally get the queen and dump her in there, the bees will stop climbing out. At least, that's the theory. It generally works.

By all means, you can learn to keep bees. But there is no harder way to start than by getting a hive out of a wall.


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## WayneH (Apr 29, 2005)

I would call a local beekeeper. I've taken bees out of houses for $20.00. There is no reason that it should be expensive, unless there is extensive repair work that needs to be done afterwards. It may be cheaper to have a beekeeper to come in and remove the bees, then have a third party repair the damage.

If you have a beekeeper remove them, tell him that you're interested in beekeeping. For an additional cost, he may remove the bees and set them up in a hive for you. I'd do it, but it would cost more for the removal. The reason I charge less for the removal is because the free swarm saves me money in the long run.


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