Bees in the loft.

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Bees in the loft.
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Hairyloon

Joined: 20 Nov 2008
Posts: 15425
Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.

Posted: Wed Jun 08, 16 9:23 am Post subject: Bees in the loft.
I had a chat with the headmaster this morning: it seems he has a bees nest in his loft. I think the general advice is to either not worry about it or to call the local beekeepers to take it away, but I wondered if anyone here had anything to add to that?

joanne

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 7100
Location: Morecambe, Lancashire

Posted: Wed Jun 08, 16 10:02 am Post subject:
It depends on the type of bees in his roof space. If it's bumbles just leave them alone, if it's honey bees it's advisable to get them moved as honey and wax in your roof isn't the greatest of ideas especially if the colony dies out!

Hairyloon

Joined: 20 Nov 2008
Posts: 15425
Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.

Posted: Wed Jun 08, 16 3:44 pm Post subject:

joanne wrote:

It depends on the type of bees in his roof space. If it's bumbles just leave them alone, if it's honey bees it's advisable to get them moved as honey and wax in your roof isn't the greatest of ideas especially if the colony dies out!

I've sent him a link to the local beekeepers website.

What's your opinion on bees nesting in the wall of a house? Was a while ago that I looked at the house, so it may not be a relevant question any more.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46249
Location: yes

Posted: Wed Jun 08, 16 5:24 pm Post subject:

again it depends on the sort of bee.solitary ones and small colony ones are ok unless the holes they are using are breaching your water seal and need fixing to cure your dampness,big colony ones like honey bees can be a problem but are unlikely to pick a wall as the spaces are usually too small to be much use to them.

very defensive africanised ones could be a bit upsetting should they ever get to yorkshire and move in.

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Wed Jun 08, 16 5:43 pm Post subject:

dpack wrote:

very defensive africanised ones could be a bit upsetting should they ever get to yorkshire and move in.

I'm prepared to dob in some money to crowdfund 'dpack vs the killer bees: the movie'.

Hairyloon

Joined: 20 Nov 2008
Posts: 15425
Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.

Posted: Wed Jun 08, 16 6:39 pm Post subject:

dpack wrote:

honey bees can be a problem but are unlikely to pick a wall as the spaces are usually too small to be much use to them.

Looked like honey bees to me. I was surprised that they'd found room.
My thought was that they would rapidly run out of room and swarm, so it would be a good idea to have a bait hive handy.
I don't suppose anyone there listened to me though.

Coming back a point though: what problems would they cause?
Will they be digging out the loose mortar? I'd've thought they'd be more sticking the place back together, albeit with wax...

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46249
Location: yes

Posted: Wed Jun 08, 16 6:57 pm Post subject:

sean wrote:

dpack wrote:

very defensive africanised ones could be a bit upsetting should they ever get to yorkshire and move in.

I'm prepared to dob in some money to crowdfund 'dpack vs the killer bees: the movie'.

it might get messy so stand well back please

onemanband

Joined: 26 Dec 2010
Posts: 1473
Location: NCA90

Posted: Wed Jun 08, 16 7:02 pm Post subject:

Hairyloon wrote:

Will they be digging out the loose mortar?

Bees are the symptom not the cause of loose mortar.
i.e. if the bees can burrow in, then the mortar is perished and needs repointing anyway.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46249
Location: yes

Posted: Wed Jun 08, 16 7:04 pm Post subject:

Hairyloon wrote:

dpack wrote:

honey bees can be a problem but are unlikely to pick a wall as the spaces are usually too small to be much use to them.

defending their nest can have issues,depending on the culture of the hive they can claim anything from a few feet to quite a few metres.if their defended area includes paths,garden etc there can be a conflict of interest.

Hairyloon

Joined: 20 Nov 2008
Posts: 15425
Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.

Posted: Wed Jun 08, 16 9:02 pm Post subject:

onemanband wrote:

Hairyloon wrote:

Will they be digging out the loose mortar?

Bees are the symptom not the cause of loose mortar.
i.e. if the bees can burrow in, then the mortar is perished and needs repointing anyway.

Old stone walls: it was the mortar inside the wall I was thinking of.
And I wasn't suggesting that they made the mortar loose, but to my mind loose mortar is better than a hole...

dpack wrote:

The entrance was high up on the wall and I don't think the window nearby opens.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46249
Location: yes

Posted: Wed Jun 08, 16 9:44 pm Post subject:
high up is good unless you are a window cleaner

Hairyloon

Joined: 20 Nov 2008
Posts: 15425
Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.

Posted: Wed Jun 08, 16 10:32 pm Post subject:

dpack wrote:

high up is good unless you are a window cleaner

I think they nearly all use magic poles these days.

onemanband

Joined: 26 Dec 2010
Posts: 1473
Location: NCA90

Posted: Wed Jun 08, 16 10:54 pm Post subject:

Hairyloon wrote:

....... but to my mind loose mortar is better than a hole...

Yeh bees making holes in your mortar isn't good, but if the mortar is as weak as an earth bank (the bees equivalent natural home) then you've likely got other problems and further degradation will still occur without help from the bees.

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15999

Posted: Thu Jun 09, 16 5:43 am Post subject:

Bees will take up residence in cavity walls, which are pretty common round here because we have a lot of brick built, double skin with cavity houses. Beekeepers can't do anything, so if you want to get rid of them I am afraid it is a case of killing them, so we usually advise living with them. If it is a solid stone wall, or rubble filled, I don't think they are likely to be honey bees, as they prefer a hole to nest in.

Hairyloon

Joined: 20 Nov 2008
Posts: 15425
Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.

Posted: Fri Jun 10, 16 3:50 pm Post subject:

Mistress Rose wrote:

If it is a solid stone wall, or rubble filled, I don't think they are likely to be honey bees, as they prefer a hole to nest in.

I will freely admit that I am not an expert, but the nearby window gave a pretty good view and they looked very much like honey bees to me.

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