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Author Topic: THEY ATE THROUGH THE CAULKING!!!  (Read 8503 times)

Offline joker1656

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THEY ATE THROUGH THE CAULKING!!!
« on: June 22, 2009, 11:33:23 pm »
Maybe I should have known they might do this.  I don't know.  I had one of my first paying cutouts call back and say that the bees had made a hole in our caulking and were going in and out again.  

I did the cutout Friday.  I knew there were some stragglers that I missed.  They were flying around after things were all put back together.  I didn't think much of it, assuming that they would disperse soon.  I called Saturday, and actually stopped to check.  They had diminished to maybe 15 bees.  The folks called me today with the news, and told me that they noticed a hole yesterday evening just before dark.  They said that at that time, it did not look like they were going in and out.  Today they confirmed that they were.  

We spent several hours removing trim etc, to get to the bees.  When we got there, I removed everything.  I vaccumed bees several times until there were no more to find, I scraped the inside clean, I scrubbed with Pinesol, we rebuilt everything, we vacuumed more bees, we caulked and pitched every conceivable entrance, and finally vaccumed a few more bees.  

The people, amazingly, are still happy with me.  They actually paid more than I charged on Friday.  They are still trying to pay me for my extra time.  I am, of course refusing, for obvious reasons.  I just want to get this right.  What did I miss here?  Is it possible that the queen was still inside???  If so, how the heck do I remedy this deal.  I cringe at the thought of removing all of that material to get down in there again.  Tonight I put up some temporary trim, to prevent them from getting in, or eating away more caulking.  I also swept up about 30-50 bees.

Any help out there???  I am bracing for the berating for missing something obvious  :oops:  

I would post pics, but I still have not figured that out.  I thought I had it, but they did not show up.  
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Offline iddee

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Re: THEY ATE THROUGH THE CAULKING!!!
« Reply #1 on: June 22, 2009, 11:59:15 pm »
ALWAYS use silicone caulking....

Now put a wire funnel "cone" on the hole and let them come back out.
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Offline JP

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Re: THEY ATE THROUGH THE CAULKING!!!
« Reply #2 on: June 23, 2009, 01:59:40 am »
It sounds like you didn't get enough bees nor the queen the first time around. The good news, perhaps you got her this time around?

I like to use quick setting exterior caulk. You did right by going back and completing the job, kudos for not being a jerk.


...JP ;)
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Offline Brian D. Bray

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Re: THEY ATE THROUGH THE CAULKING!!!
« Reply #3 on: June 23, 2009, 03:27:08 am »
The foragers wanted in.  A hive can easily have more than a pound of foragers out and about during the day.  You want a sealer that is rubbery when set up so the bees can't chew through it.
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Offline joker1656

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Re: THEY ATE THROUGH THE CAULKING!!!
« Reply #4 on: June 23, 2009, 08:06:39 am »
« Last Edit: June 23, 2009, 11:25:11 am by Robo »
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Offline joker1656

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Re: THEY ATE THROUGH THE CAULKING!!!
« Reply #5 on: June 23, 2009, 08:14:14 am »
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"Fear not the night.  Fear that which walks the night.  I am that which walks the night, BUT only EVIL need fear me..."-Lt. Col. David Grossman

Offline joker1656

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Re: THEY ATE THROUGH THE CAULKING!!!
« Reply #6 on: June 23, 2009, 08:23:41 am »
Thanks, all for the advice.  I will make sure we use silicone every time, from now on. 

JP, I am not sure that I got the queen this time, either.  If she is inside, where the hive was built, I am sure I did not.  I still don't think my pics made it, but even if they did, they don't tell the whole story.  We spent about three hours+ removing all the material (plywood, trim, osb, shingles) to get to the bees.  I sure as heck don't want to remove all of that again.  I just did not think that she, or anyone else was in there when we put things back together.

Either way, I learned some pretty good lessons on that one. 

Oh yeah, I may be a dumb "King James Bible donkey" sometimes, but I am NO JERK!  LOL  :lau: :lau: :lau:   
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"Fear not the night.  Fear that which walks the night.  I am that which walks the night, BUT only EVIL need fear me..."-Lt. Col. David Grossman

Offline joker1656

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Re: THEY ATE THROUGH THE CAULKING!!!
« Reply #7 on: June 23, 2009, 08:28:31 am »





HAHAHAHAHAHA......FINally!!!  (I think)
« Last Edit: June 23, 2009, 11:26:42 am by Robo »
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"Fear not the night.  Fear that which walks the night.  I am that which walks the night, BUT only EVIL need fear me..."-Lt. Col. David Grossman

Offline G3farms

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Re: THEY ATE THROUGH THE CAULKING!!!
« Reply #8 on: June 23, 2009, 08:59:55 am »
great job, that looks like one heck of a tough cut out.
great pics also!!

G3
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those hot bees will have you steppin and a fetchin like your heads on fire and your keister is a catchin!!!

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Offline JP

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Re: THEY ATE THROUGH THE CAULKING!!!
« Reply #9 on: June 23, 2009, 10:09:05 am »
That was a tight spot they were in. Way to finish the job.


...JP
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Offline Robo

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Re: THEY ATE THROUGH THE CAULKING!!!
« Reply #10 on: June 23, 2009, 11:29:56 am »
I know hind sight is 20/20,  but I normally tell the customer to leave the opening exposed for a week or so before repair.  This allows any of the drippings or remains to be robbed before it is sealed back up.   I also makes return visits to collect stragglers much easier,  but I rarely have to do that.

rob...
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