Bee Hive Problem?

Question

I have a bee hive at ground level in my back yard. I've called a bee removal service and they said they are "up to their armpits in bees". My wife is highly allergic to beestings and I'd rather not find out my grandsons are too.

Is there an easy was to get rid of them? Either humanely or WMD style, I don't particularly care. I wouldn't mind garnering the orange blossom honeycombs if possible.

Answer 1

Contact a Bee Keeper and see if they want them. That way it's a win win situation.

:O)

Answer 2

You either smoke them out or you can try this old trick.

Get some clams & a catapult. Shoot some clams into the hives (it got to be pretty big). When the clams dies inside, the odor created will drive the bees away,,,

Edit:- U need to shoot a few more cans. Try abalone as well,,,heehee,,,

Answer 3

Papa,  just had that same problem. huge hive on the eaves of the roof. we called a bee removal service. turns out that they were africanized killer bees. there were 100's and 100's of them. they sprayed some sort of calming spray on them and it didn't calm them, just pissed them off. but then the used a puddy knife to scrape the hive off the eaves. most of the bees are gone now. but a few have hung around bc the dont realize that the hive and the queen are gone. this is really damgerous, as i am also alergic. be very careful.

Answer 4

Starting fluid works quite well my friend....ya know the kind for getting your carburator going. They won't come back. Promise.

Answer 5

It depends on the bees.

Honeybees need professional removal because they are protected (at least in PA). You can call a beekeeper/apiarist/honey vendor - they will come get them. I doubt you have honeybees, though. They can nest in the ground but my experience is they like hollow trees. I bet you have yellow jackets - they like to nest in the ground. Hornets and paper wasps nest in trees and shrubs. Bumblebees can nest in the ground, but they don't bother anyone.

Yellow jackets are mean - one of the few species that will attack people without provocation. They like the ground.

To get rid of them:

1. Yellow jacket spray. Not all bee sprays work on all bees - wasp and hornet spray won't kill all bees. If you can, find a foaming yellow jacket spray and spray them well after sunset. (They nest after dark, although there may be a sentry or two.)

If you cannot find a spray or the definitely are not yellow jackets, wait until well after sunset and soak the ground with gasoline or kerosene. No need to light them on fire.

<---country boy whose father was deathly allergic to bees.

Answer 6

I have had this problem too....Try this......

Just before sunset spray them with water from  the hose....this causes them to disperse and start looking for some where else to nest...keep doing this for a few nights and hope fully they will go elsewhere..... it must be done before sunset tho... and from a safe distance.....good luck

Answer 7

Poor oil over the nest. Car oil works very good. You can also use gas on hte nest. Either one of these will work. I had a yellow jack nest next to the house in the ground and that's what the ole man did. Of course you have to do an old indian nekked dance around the hive to send their spirits to The next plain. Thank mother earth for the honey? if it's truly bees, not those sudo ones. LMAO

Answer 8

before doing any of the aforementioned.... have you tried contacting an apiarist (bee keeper)? we have hives on our property which are kept up by an actual apiarist and i've learned a great deal about bees from him.. they are quite valuable and should be saved.... a beekeeper just might want them.

Answer 9

You have to stand outside half-nekked, and drink and pour Jack Daniels all over yourself, and then declare with utter drunken redneck poetic authoritay...

"Leave Me, Bee!"

(Best to keep the women folk "inside" on THIS one...)

Answer 10

Get a cardboard box, about medium size. Buy some sticky traps and place them inside.

Take the center of a few flowers, (pollen works best) and sprinkle on the sticky traps.

Cut a hole, about 3 inches around, just enough for those bees to come charging in.

Try pouring some honey on the sticky traps as well, to lure more bees.

Place the cardboard box close to the hive, about 5-10 feet away.

Wait. Pretty soon, many of the bees will be stuck in the box, and you can call someone to haul them away. Use extreme caution as many bees will still be alive and angry. Don't go near the box.

Use an insecticide to kill any residual bees and a queen if she didn't leave the hive.

Seal all access to the hive so future swarms don't find it and take up residence.

Answer 11

I'm sure you could find an up and coming entrepreneur in your neighborhood (kid) that would do it for $5, you could be the one to help teach him his first lesson...

Answer 12

At night, when they're all in the hive, smoke them out. Anything that will generate a fair bit of smoke will do the trick.

Answer 13

Apparently there is a huge shortage of bees and Haagen Daz and Burt's Bees have started campaigns to try and save the bees. Email them and ask them to send a representative over for your "donation".

Answer 14

Since it is a ground nest, it is typically yellow jackets or bumblebees.  Normally, these bees are great for the environment and the nests are transitory - meaning if you can wait it out for the summer, they will move on next year and make a new nest somewhere else.  But, since your wife is allergic, it is best to get rid of them before they make a dangerous situation. I've had luck doing a couple of things.

You can make a really soapy solution, with Dawn.  I bottle of Dawn for two buckets of hot water, and dump it on the hive at dusk, when the nest is least active.

If that doesn't work, then you'll need to go to Lowes or Home Depot and pick up a dust/foam pesticide.  You pump it into the nest and it takes them out.

Answer 15

Hi Paps,

OK, in Australia we would use a frag grenade in a situation like this, although I notice you want the honeycomb....and probably the house, I can understand that.....

So plan B would involve a high pressure water blaster, a NASA space suit, a french teddy, a Catherine Zeta Jones and a nice Cuban cigar.

Method:

Fit the Zeta to said NASA suit,..

(You may need someone who is skilled at getting an angry cat into a small box to accomplish this.)

..Start the water blaster, shove the suit and the blaster towards the hive, close the door securely, retire to the gentleman's lounge and wait.

The aforementioned extra equipment is for the celebratory celebrations afterward.

(Ps. Remove the NASA thingie first)

Sorry Papa, I was just kidding there...

Call Yogi bear.

.

Answer 16

Gotta get the Queen! Dig it up. Just dress for it. and Home Depot  does have a few decent not so environmentally safe sprays that would work but you wouldn't reap the benefits of the honeycombs...other than the wax. I am no bee expert but I do deal with them often. The nests are small and they don't bother me much. I know the area where you live and I know that I cant compare where I live. Different bee...much bigger nests. Just bee careful.

Maybe this will help.....This is what I where to protect myself ...lol

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmVn6b7Dd...

Answer 17

This might help you...Love honey

http://www.safe2use.com/bestcont/toc20-2...

not sure what kind of bees you have...

http://www.bees-online.com/RemoveBees.ht...

Answer 18

If they are useful honeybees, a beekeeper may come and get them for free...czech it out...there is some weird virus going around that is decimating bee colonies and beekeepers can always use a new hive...

Answer 19

As long as you do not mind offing the hive, wait until night time as most of them will be in the hive then.  and pour about a half cup of gasoline on the entrance to the hive then run.  do NOT ignite the gasoline, that will get rid of the gasoline and you want them to get the fumes from the gasoline, that is what will kill them.  Do not tell the EPA or they will have your left nut for spilling gasoline into the environment and you will have men in white suits all over your home trying to get the half cup of gasoline cleaned up.  Gasoline is good for killing most types of pests if you can find the nest.  If you try the smoke thing, all that will do is make them less aggressive so you can handle them, it will not harm them at all.  Good luck!

Answer 20

Cover yourself in a meshy material that they cant penetrate with gloves etc. Bees fall asleep when smoke is around, so take something extremely smokey, and put it near the bee hive. When all are sleeping get em with bug spray.

Answer 21

I really dont have a solution to your problem, but I just realized that I have a little statue in my back yard that looks exactly like you. It's uncanny. I'm calling him McCain from now on.

Answer 22

Humane methods aside...... Spray contact adhesive.. never fails and they can't fly to sting you.

I'm allergic to bees and wasps, I've used it on paper-wasp nests because it's impossible for them to fly at all, let alone far enough to sting me.

It may be cruel, but I figure it's them or me at that stage. I only do it if they are outside the door or something and I can't avoid them.

Answer 23

Oh, man, Papa Mac..I wish my father were still alive.     He  had beehives passed down from his grandfather (my great grandfather).  But, my father would often be asked to get rid of bees that had formed a swarm in trees, etc. and he knew how to do it.

As a kid, I would step on bees in the yard and would suffer for about a week.

It was very good eating the honey and no one had to worry about their teeth going bad...there's no sugar in honey.  And it's also such a wonderful way to sweeten tea, coffee, etc.