Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
MEMBER BULLETIN BOARD => GREETINGS/TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF => Topic started by: jdgressett on March 30, 2006, 06:32:20 pm
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I'm located in Denton, TX. I have a swarm of bees that have set up housekeeping inside the wall of a utility building behind my house. They have been there for about 2 years.
I would like to get rid of the bees, but I really don't want to exterminate them; I would rather give them to a beekeeper who will give them a new home.
They don't seem to the African obnoxious variety. I've only been stung once. They usually ignore me when I am in the back yard.
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Well darn. I wish I was closer, I'd sure come get them. If you're not in a big hurry I might be traveling through there in a few months.
E-mail me at beeasyily@yahoo.com My other one ain't working right now.
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David:
I'm not sure where you are, but welcome to the forum - even if it is a short time. I won't talk you into buying the starter kit and hiving these bees yourself, although many many people have done just that to get into the hobby.
I hope you'll add your location (click on the profile button above right) and maybe someone will be near you.
Also, you could contact your local police or town hall, county agricultural center for a possible name and phone number of beekeepers local to you. Many people register with the police, to make a few bucks capturing swarms, but it sounds like your bees might be more established and already have a home there.
Final thought, in cases where people have bees living in their ceilings (this happens a lot when homes have easy paths to a large space in the ceiling and a hole access to the outdoors: in these cases bees may establish decade old hives that weigh hundred and hundreds of pounds and believe it or not, is sometimes better to leave. Killing these bees would leave the honey unmaintained (if the ceiling weren't torn down) and the cells filled with honey will eventually leak and damage will occur.
Also, these types of hives are often vulnerable to reoccurring swarms moving in because of the smell of the previous hive and material (wax, cells, honey, pollen, etc.) attracts bees and sealing the entrance often causes them to just find another way into the hive.
Good luck whatever happens, I wish you and the bees the best. And THANKS for thinking enough of these marvelous creatures to want to save them, they really earn the respect we give them here in the forums.
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He's in Denton, Tx Mr. Beemaster :lol:
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My uncle had a feral hive in an old bar-b-que in his back yard in San Anotnio. It lived there for about four years, never bothering him. Finally it disappeared on its own. If there's no real structural damage that can be done, you might just want to leave it.
Good luck and be nice to the bees! Lauren
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Did you ever find someone to take your bees? I hope they found a good home :) I'm impressed that you didn't want to kill them.