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kirkhall

Bees under house (through vent); how do I get rid of them?

kirkhall
9 years ago

Hi all,
I am bee-friendly, but I am pretty sure I should not let these bees stay.
I have what seem to be friendly bees. They go about their business in and out one of my crawlspace vents all day and never bother anyone. They aren't wasps--they have a bee shape. But, I don't think I should let them stay under my house. It just doesn't seem like a good idea. (ha!)

So, my FIL says I should kill them (he has wasps everywhere where he lives and is a liberal user of wasp spray). I'd rather not kill these guys. They aren't aggressive in the least. And, I'd have to be in the crawlspace to kill them, I think, and that seems like a bad idea too.

I was thinking of trying to put dry ice on the vent they are coming and going from. My first reasoning was that would cool their hive and maybe they'd be sluggish enough to kill (but, again, I rather not kill them). But, I also am not sure that'd really work since CO2 sinks and I think these guys are hiving off the ground, in my floor joists.

So, I'm reaching out! I'm a regular on the build/remodel/kitchen forums. Are any of you local PNW'ers who have an idea of who I should call to remove these guys? Anyone want them? (In Seattle Eastside area).

Comments (9)

  • lazy_gardens
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    First - CATCH a couple of them ... find out the species.

    The problem with letting honeybees nest in and under the house is that the honey and wax can damage the structure. the nests can get HUGE.

    Call a beekeeper to get them out.

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    i would hire this particular job out ... bee keeper or killer ...

    all is fine and dandy .... out in mother nature...

    but when they come in the house.. and frankly the crawl is in the house... its is death to all ... and if properly removed.. i can pretend they are dead... lol ...

    and frankly.. i dont mess with colonies of insects that sting ...

    will your house be featured in the next episode of the story at the link .. lol

    ken

    Here is a link that might be useful: link

  • kirkhall
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Here is one of my "bees". I had to freeze her to get her to hold still enough for a picture, but she is starting to wake back up now:

    {{gwi:432880}}

  • kirkhall
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Ken--
    I have a friend who rented a house (briefly) that had honey dripping from the interior light switches (among other places). Yes, I'd like to get this taken care of, but just not sure what to do.

    Lazygardens. Do you think this picture of one bee is enough for local bee people in my area to identify and decide to come retrieve them? I found a listing of bee removal "people" in washington with a simple google search... Though, if anyone on this board would like first chance, I'm willing. :)

    Here is a link that might be useful: bee removal website

  • kirkhall
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Okay, I've been told these are yellowjackets. Now...what to do with them.

  • jessi_lune
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    They're not *usually* aggressive until they are in your way (or you step on one barefoot like I did.) Exterminator time! However you could do it in late fall when the temp drops and they are dormant.
    Post back and let us know how it goes!!

  • hgrace15
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi friends, I'm struggling with a similar problem and could really use some advice. I apologize for how long this is, but it's kind of a specific circumstance.

    My fiancée and I just moved into a little apartment with a lovely little deck that we'd love to be able to use and have friends over on. Unfortunately, the frame of the back door that leads out onto the porch is also the entry point for what appears to be a pretty large nest of honeybees. We have no way of knowing how old this nest is because we moved here from out of state (I've just started grad school in the area) and only discovered the bees when we were moving in (mid-august).

    The bees certainly aren't aggressive, but I have a crippling fear of all things-with-stingers because of a bad experience when I was very young (I've been stung since then in my life; I know it's not terrible, and that as long as we leave them alone it's highly unlikely, but when is fear ever rational or easily controlled?). I'm beyond disappointed we can't use our porch for this reason��"even opening the back door before they've gone to sleep causes a lot of stress and anxiety��" because it's one of the reasons we chose this place, but much MORE IMPORTANTLY than that, as the weather is starting too cool down here, they are finding their way into the warmth of our living space now and then. THAT I am completely unwilling to deal with in any capacity. Bees are completely unwelcome inside my house.

    We simply CANNOT tear apart our walls from either side because we do not own this building (nor are we financially-eqipped or have the time to do so), and while our leasing-management was great about sending an exterminator (twice) when we complained, all he did was spray around with some general pesticide that of course didn't even get into hive or probably kill more than a couple of bees if any. From the research I've done, no exterminator is equipped to handle this anyway.

    We're only going to be here for a few years while I complete my degree, so at this point, I'm not looking for ways to get rid of or move the bees, but ways to minimize our interactions with them so we can just deal with them as a temporary problem and I can function a bit better, with less anxiety issues (since our leasing-office seems disinterested in actually taking care of them, they can deal with every tenent they ever have complaining about them, I guess). We can't locate how the bees get inside the house so we haven't been able to seal it, but if there's some sort of spray or something we can use generally on our walls and in the area to discourage them from coming this direction, that'd be great. Recommendations, traps, or other ways to lure them away from the door/minimize their presence on our porch would also be great, but at this point, the only thing I NEED accomplished is to keep them from coming inside.

    I am unopposed to any methods that involve killing them. I truly wish I didn't have to, but there's simply no way we can get them moved. When they're outside, that's their business, but bees that come inside my house and violate my safe-space feeling have forfeited all empathy I have for them.

  • dbarron
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Well Yellow jackets are annuals, they'll all die by cold weather time. They won't be back next year (unless another queen finds the same spot).

  • eibren
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I had some hornets nesting in a tailpipe and managed to evict them just by using a repellant spray.

    If they have developing young in their nest/s they will probably not abandon them, but if you keep applying the repellent they will probably migrate out asa it is feasible for them to do so.

    IMO this is a better solution than having dead young left behind to attract other insects to feed on.

    It is worth a shot, in any case, as it is more compassionate.

    Screening or blocking off other conceivable entrances, or applying repellent to those as well, would be a good idea.

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