# A problem with bees



## Redkite (Jun 10, 2013)

Has anyone had a colony of bees in their wall cavity, and if so, what is the best course of action?

I've been hearing sounds from my bedroom wall for about 3 weeks, getting louder and more frequent, which at first I was worried might be rodents of some kind, but now I'm sure they're bees.  It's keeping me awake all night, which is the main nuisance at the moment, but I don't want us to get stung or to have damage to the house.  I'd prefer to avoid having them killed though!

They are getting in high up under the roof where I can see a small gap from the outside.  I'm not sure what type they are, but they are likely to be small bumblebees, as there are several of these around in the front garden.  So, if they're not honeybees, presumably beekeepers wouldn't be interested in trying to extract them?

I've a feeling this is going to really cost me 

Any advice welcome!


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## Pumper_Sue (Jun 10, 2013)

Hi Red,
         find a local bee keeper who can and will remove them safely for you


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## Caroline (Jun 10, 2013)

I'd call for a bee keeper too. Know what you mean about not wanting to harm them as they do such a good job in pollination and stuff. If you call in pest control, and they are not an endagered species they will be killed. I think groups like the RSPAC or the RSPB might be able to help find a bee keeper.


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## newbs (Jun 10, 2013)

My friend had a similar problem and it is definitely a job for professionals to do.  They didn't kill them, got them out somehow and removed the home so that my friend could then stop up the hole to stop them from coming back.  Good luck!


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## cherrypie (Jun 10, 2013)

This from the British Beekeeper's Association.

How to identify the swarm
http://www.bbka.org.uk/help/do_you_have_a_swarm.php

How to find a local Swarm Collector.
http://www.bbka.org.uk/help/find_a_swarm_coordinator.php


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## Copepod (Jun 10, 2013)

First try your local bee keepers association swarm collection service, remembering that they are volunteers, who can only come in their own free time. If your bees are not honey bees, they may not be willing to help, but they will be able to identify species, and suggest how to proceed if they can't take them. If you call pest control, whether a proivate company or council / housing association (depending on who owns house), then bees will be killed, so that should be a last line of action.


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## Redkite (Jun 10, 2013)

Thanks, I'll see who I can find!  I'm pretty sure they are small bumblebees, not honeybees, so beekeepers are unlikely to want them.  But their advice would still be handy


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## Vicsetter (Jun 10, 2013)

You could try bevs thread for advice on noise insulation of bedrooms


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## Copepod (Jun 10, 2013)

Bumblee Conservation Trust has ID guides to UK species on its website - see www.bumblebeeconservation.org/about-bees/identification/ 

Over 250 species to consider, so good luck


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## Pumper_Sue (Jun 10, 2013)

Redkite said:


> Thanks, I'll see who I can find!  I'm pretty sure they are small bumblebees, not honeybees, so beekeepers are unlikely to want them.  But their advice would still be handy



Even if they don't want them, one of them will I'm sure remove them for you as they have all the right equipment to do so safely.


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## Redkite (Jun 10, 2013)

Vicsetter said:


> You could try bevs thread for advice on noise insulation of bedrooms



It might come to that if I decide to let these squatters stay put   But I'm not fitting anything to the wall that involves making holes....


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## Redkite (Jun 10, 2013)

Copepod said:


> Bumblee Conservation Trust has ID guides to UK species on its website - see www.bumblebeeconservation.org/about-bees/identification/
> 
> Over 250 species to consider, so good luck



Only 24 of them are bumblebees but my son and I still can't agree!  I think I've spotted orange bottoms.....


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## Redkite (Jun 10, 2013)

Thanks Sue, that would definitely be preferable to having them destroyed.  I've been given the address (but not phone no.) of someone local who keeps bees and sells honey at the door, so I'm going to knock at theirs when I get chance later this week!


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## shambles (Jun 10, 2013)

We had bees living in our disused chimney for some time when we first moved in. They were honey ones though so we had a lot of willing people to try and collect, but they couldn't reach the queen anyway so basically, we kept them in the house for years quite happily and rang each bee keeper when they swarmed so they could come get themselves a new hive.

I wouldn't worry about being stung - bees aren't aggressive by nature so you should be fine so long as don't antagonise them! We used to have the odd one fall down the chimney but we just used to catch them and put them back outside  The noise however is a different matter  - ours were luckily not in the bedroom chimney but the ones on the back of the house where we didn't sleep, but they do make a lot of noise 

I am sure some of the beekeepers will help you out (or they will eventually leave  Ours are gone now, having kept us company for 4 years. I miss them!


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## Redkite (Jun 10, 2013)

Thanks, that's really good to hear that you can live peacefully alongside them!  Maybe earplugs will be good enough if I can't get anyone to move them - mine are in a really inaccessible spot so I don't quite know how the queen could be reached.  It's just that when lying in bed at night listening to their noises, the barrier between them and me feels very thin!!!


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## shambles (Jun 10, 2013)

Awwh I don't know what kind of bee they are, but if you take the mason bee for an example the males can't even sting 

I know it can be disconcerting, but hopefully someone can get them out for you x I would also ring the pest control at the council and just get them to explain what they would do for bees as it may be that they might just smoke them out if it's possible too?


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## HOBIE (Jun 10, 2013)

Look after them please.  Not keen on wasps but like bees & spiders. Good luck sorting


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## MCH (Jun 10, 2013)

We had bumble bees under our shed a couple of years ago and the chap from the council said that if we didn't bother them they wouldn't bother us which as they were under the shed was not a problem for us.

The more useful thing he also said was that they would go at the end of the season which they did - mind you it's a long time to go without sleep 

Good luck with the bee-keeper option.


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## delb t (Jun 11, 2013)

We had bees last year in the vents attached to the wall - did try to get OH To take photos stood on a ladder so I could match them up from internet photos - this was a pretty hilarious task I seem to recall. anyway the upshot was we left them be[scuse the pun] and then fitted some fly vents-from wilkes I think - during the winter . In your case if it was affecting sleep-I would ask for some bee keeper knowledge- good luck! and B careful


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## Redkite (Jun 11, 2013)

I'm going to give it a few days to see whether I can sleep with ear plugs etc.!  The bees are very sweet, I've been watching them emerging from their entrance (standing behind a closed window!), they crawl out and each one chooses a different compass heading to fly off on.  They are soft and fluffy looking little bumblebees, and I'm beginning to think it would be nice (and less hassle) to let them stay for duration of the summer, if I can find a solution to the sleep deprivation


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## fencesitter (Jun 11, 2013)

We had honey bees move in to a hole in our cavity wall last year. I rang a local bee keeper who came round to have a look and said it would be very difficult to get them out without removing some of the wall! He also said that if they decided to make a lot of honey in their new nest we could have a sticky and expensive problem to sort out, with honey seeping through into the house. I was so happy when the bees decided of their own accord to move out - maybe they heard our conversation! Apparently it's not unusual to have tens of thousands of bees in a swarm  Glad yours seem to be the bumble type ... do they make honey I wonder?


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## Redkite (Jun 12, 2013)

Apparently bumblebees do make honey, but only enough for their daily needs, not vast quantities like the honeybees do 

I had a reasonable night's sleep last night, despite waking a couple of times to the humming and buzzing from the wall!  I think they can stay


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## Caroline (Jun 12, 2013)

Not everyone realises all bees make honey and only the honey bee makes a surplus. Bees are fascinating creatures and I have been known to spend hours watching them on flowers in the garden

Glad you had a better nights sleep.


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