Hello, I'm looking for advice and info. A client of mine has a recurring problem with bees forming a hive inside of a large statue in his garden. The statue is about 4 feet tall, ceramic, with a hollow core, approx 2 inch diameter hole at the top and bottom (in the dirt). He doesn't want the bees in his garden and told me that he has killed them several times by pouring Sevin down the hole and then trying to block the hole so they can't return. Eventually (months later) they manage to get back in and start another hive. When I first started working for him (I'm a landscaper) I was horrified that he was killing the bees and I tried to find someone to come and take the bees, but was told that they probably couldn't be removed without breaking the statue (which is not an option) and they wanted to charge at least $200 to try to remove them but all admitted they would probably just kill them. The client isn't willing to spend any money on this and wants the bees gone permanently (they're close to a path and gardening area and started getting pretty aggressive last time). I don't have the money or the time (not close to my home) to do much either but hate to see them killed.

Any ideas?

I was told that there is a one way thing that will let them leave but not return. The entrance hole is not on a flat surface so not sure if that would work.

If I have to just seal the hole so that they can't get back in, what can I use? Anyone have experience with that expanding foam that comes in a can? I figure I could fill the core and it wouldn't make the statue any heavier. He says he has tried different things to seal the hole but they managed to get back in anyway - not sure what he used.