Honey bees

[sb47]

Speaking of being stung. The worst sting I have had came from an asp I stepped on barefoot. Got me right in the under part of the crease of my toes. Felt like I stepped on a hot coal and lasted a good 12 hours. It got worse as time went by. I would take a hundred bee stings before I would one single asp sting. That was horrible.

 

[mudrat2]

5 years old. There is lots of comb in there. Honey is hydroscopic, it will absorb moisture from the air. Bees keep it ventilated and dry. Once the bees are gone, it starts to absorb moisture and swell, causing it to leak from the comb. Also honey is naturally anti-bacterial and yeasts will not grow in it. Once it gets thin enough it starts to ferment and bacteria can grow and spoil it. The thinned honey will seep through walls, floors, etc. and attract all kinds of unwanted bugs and critters.

Once got a call in September from an elderly couple that returned from their summer cottage to find a big puddle in the middle of the living room carpet. And a bigger puddle in the basement room under that. Turned out they had had a swarm move in in the spring and sprayed it. I pulled up the carpet in the upstairs bedroom and removed plywood subfloor to find over 100 lbs of fermenting comb left, and lots of ants. It had seeped across the living room ceiling drywall until it found a crack to drip down from. Then soaked the carpet and underlay until it found a low spot and dripped down into the basement. I don't even want to think about what it cost them to get all that carpet and drywall cleaned up or replaced....

 

[sb47]

Only one bee removal add on CL and its almost 2 hours away.

 

[buzz sawyer]

I was talking to a beekeeper in Florida the other day. He said no problem with bee population there. He sells lots of bee products at various shows.

 

[pdqdl]

Speaking of being stung. The worst sting I have had came from an asp I stepped on barefoot. Got me right in the under part of the crease of my toes. Felt like I stepped on a hot coal and lasted a good 12 hours. It got worse as time went by. I would take a hundred bee stings before I would one single asp sting. That was horrible.

Asp? That ain't a sting, it's a bite. Reportedly the cause of Cleopatra's demise.



Perhaps you mean one of these guys, also called asp?


I've never seen one, as they don't happen around here.
https://www.yourconroenews.com/neighborhood/moco/news/article/asp-caterpillar-season-17075511.php

 

[pdqdl]

Only one bee removal add on CL and its almost 2 hours away.

I thought 2 hours was a normal commute time in Texas. You might see if they would make an offer.
Alternative plan: just contact the closest apiary supply. They will know lots of beekeepers. Around here, it is the bigger beekeepers that have branched out to sell stuff to the little guys.

As an aside: it's a LOT easier and cheaper to remove drywall from the inside of a structure than siding from the outside. It is even easier to trap all the bees and not sting everyone in the neighborhood too. That being said, you'll play hell cooking dinner in the kitchen, even if the hive is in the downstairs rec-room.

My mother kept bees, and they would follow her inside. Sometimes we'd get just one angry bee, and it would be buzzing around for several days before it gave up.

 

[pdqdl]

Interesting saga:

I was asked to remove a large dead pine right by the front office at a cemetery. While testing some of the branches for strength, I noticed the beehive about 30-40 feet up the tree. Wen that tree hit the ground, there was an explosion of wood and angry bees. But we came prepared...

I had one guy on standby wearing the bee suit. I had another in the Bobcat with the door closed, the AC on, and the log grapple attached. And I had another guy in the dump truck with the tailgate down. We loaded up the cut sections into the dump truck, hauled 'em abut a quarter mile off to the NE corner of the cemetary, where we pulled the trigger on the dump bed and went back for another load.

In the end, the only folks that got stung were people coming and going from the office, unaware of the great risk, and a few of the spectators that were about 200 feet away.

After a few weeks, there were no more signs of the bees in the dump zone. They aparently found another home and moved to it.

Since then, I've tried my hand at capturing hives from trees, but that has proven rather tricky. The hive usually breaks up a lot when the tree falls, and it's hell finding the queen. Best probably to just have a spare queen ready to go, then transfer as much hive, brood, and honeycomb as possible to the new setting.

 

[sb47]

Asp? That ain't a sting, it's a bite. Reportedly the cause of Cleopatra's demise.

View attachment 1068935

Perhaps you mean one of these guys, also called asp?
View attachment 1068936

I've never seen one, as they don't happen around here.
https://www.yourconroenews.com/neighborhood/moco/news/article/asp-caterpillar-season-17075511.php

Asp caterpillar. These little suckers pack a hard punch. Worst sting I have ever had. The location of the sting didn't help ether. Right under the tender part of my toes. A bee or wasp sting only last about 30 min then calms down. An asp sting can last 12 to 24 hours. I get a lot of red wasp nesting in my wood stacks and they can leave a good sized welp on me for a few days. But they are not very aggressive and will leave me alone if I back off about 20 feet.

 

[sb47]

I thought 2 hours was a normal commute time in Texas. You might see if they would make an offer.
Alternative plan: just contact the closest apiary supply. They will know lots of beekeepers. Around here, it is the bigger beekeepers that have branched out to sell stuff to the little guys.

As an aside: it's a LOT easier and cheaper to remove drywall from the inside of a structure than siding from the outside. It is even easier to trap all the bees and not sting everyone in the neighborhood too. That being said, you'll play hell cooking dinner in the kitchen, even if the hive is in the downstairs rec-room.

My mother kept bees, and they would follow her inside. Sometimes we'd get just one angry bee, and it would be buzzing around for several days before it gave up.

They are behind a shower enclosure so no way to get to them from the inside.

 

[Bill G]

I'm not talking about "coming out" Bill. The topic of the thread is hive removal, with references to harvesting swarms.

Explain what you are talking about please.

@Old Mac Guy

 

[Bill G]

They are behind a shower enclosure so no way to get to them from the inside.

Did you say it was a mobile home? If so and it is an older one with vertical aluminum siding it is quite easy to remove and re-install.

 

[sb47]

Did you say it was a mobile home? If so and it is an older one with vertical aluminum siding it is quite easy to remove and re-install.

It is a mobile but it has that cheap paper sheeting on the outside. It's all rotting from age and needs replacing anyways.

 

[sb47]

They remind me of Trumps hair. lol

 

[sb47]

It would be nice if there was a repellent that I could put out that would just drive them away.

 

[pdqdl]

Explain what you are talking about please.

@Old Mac Guy

I cannot. If you don't already understand, it is clearly beyond my skill to elucidate for you.

 

[Bill G]

It is a mobile but it has that cheap paper sheeting on the outside. It's all rotting from age and needs replacing anyways.

That makes it tough.

 

[Bill G]

I cannot. If you don't already understand, it is clearly beyond my skill to elucidate for you.

Well this is a educational/informational thread in which a fine member is seeking sound advice so any sound advice shared is probably beneficial.......

 

[pdqdl]

I keep telling you that this website does not categorize threads except by what forum they are in.

I gave my advice for the benefit of any that chose to read it.

 

[sb47]

Thanks for all the input and advice about my issue with the honey bee's. I do enjoy hearing different opinions and advice. I really enjoy most the people on this forum.

 

[Bill G]

I keep telling you that this website does not categorize threads except by what forum they are in.

I gave my advice for the benefit of any that chose to read it.

Eh, what in the wide world of sports are you talking about? Are you do not want to explain your post to help folks? That seems odd but OK to each their own.......

In any event, hopefully Ken drops by and gives some input as he is a lifelong beekeeper and in a climate very similar to the OP. We have discussed bee issues in the past I completely trust his experience and knowledge.