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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.
PostPosted: Wed Jun 08, 16 9:23 am    Post subject: Bees in the loft. Reply with quote
    

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
PostPosted: Wed Jun 08, 16 10:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

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.
PostPosted: Wed Jun 08, 16 3:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

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: 45321
Location: yes
PostPosted: Wed Jun 08, 16 5:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

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: 42207
Location: North Devon
PostPosted: Wed Jun 08, 16 5:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

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.
PostPosted: Wed Jun 08, 16 6:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

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: 45321
Location: yes
PostPosted: Wed Jun 08, 16 6:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

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
PostPosted: Wed Jun 08, 16 7:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

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: 45321
Location: yes
PostPosted: Wed Jun 08, 16 7:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

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.

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...


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.
PostPosted: Wed Jun 08, 16 9:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

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:
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.

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

dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45321
Location: yes
PostPosted: Wed Jun 08, 16 9:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

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.
PostPosted: Wed Jun 08, 16 10:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

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
PostPosted: Wed Jun 08, 16 10:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

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: 15510

PostPosted: Thu Jun 09, 16 5:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

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.
PostPosted: Fri Jun 10, 16 3:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

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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