Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => HONEYBEE REMOVAL => Topic started by: ShaneJ on August 30, 2012, 12:30:20 am

Title: Removal ideas needed
Post by: ShaneJ on August 30, 2012, 12:30:20 am
My next door neighbor has bees in the wall of their house again. Its the exact same wall bees were last year when I did a trapout.
Unfortunately this time when I put a trap on their entrance they found another way in and out. Problem being the new way in and out is under the roof tiles so I don't think it would be at all possible to block them out now.

The exterior wall is brick and the internal wall is recently renovated and tiled so I am unable to gain access through either wall. If I was to remove the roof tiles I should be able to see down the wall cavity to the combs. I am guessing the comb would be up to 1.5M down the wall.

I could possibly make some kind of long knife to cut the combs but I am unsure how I would be able to get the combs up. Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks
Title: Re: Removal ideas needed
Post by: gardeningfireman on August 30, 2012, 02:41:11 pm
If you remove the tiles, you will not see into the wall. You will see either roof boards or the header plate of the wall. Your best bet would be to get some clear silicone caulk and caulk under and between the tiles where the bees are going in.
Title: Re: Removal ideas needed
Post by: Sour Kraut on August 30, 2012, 03:08:13 pm
As has been pointed out, removing part of the roof is futile, all you will see is the top header of the wall.

The owner is going oto have to decide whether or not they want a proper fix done here, as another trap out will still leave the old combs in the wall.

I'd insist on access from inside, as much as necessary to completly clean out that cavity, then fill it with expanding foam insulation.......or walk away from the job.

Anything less will lead to repeated episodes.....same story different year
Title: Re: Removal ideas needed
Post by: ShaneJ on August 30, 2012, 08:11:02 pm
You're brick homes must be built differently to ours. We can remove roof tiles and see down the cavity between the brick and the internal wall. We also have moisture barrier between the internal wall and the brick. In this case the bees are between the brick and moisture barrier.

I'll pop some tiles this weekend to get a better idea where they are and I'll get some pictures.
Title: Re: Removal ideas needed
Post by: bernsad on August 30, 2012, 09:50:33 pm
Shane,

That depends a bit whether you are talking full brick construction or brick veneer. Full brick construction is an inside and an outside skin of bricks with a cavity in between and the roof trusses sitting on top of the brick wall. Brick veneer would be a single outside skin covering a timber frame which should have the top plate on the frame as mentioned by gardeningfireman.
Title: Re: Removal ideas needed
Post by: ShaneJ on August 30, 2012, 10:30:28 pm
Thats interesting. I have never seen a brick veneer home with a top plate over the cavity?  :? I've done my fair share of cabling on brick veneer homes and always pop a tile to be able to run cable down the cavity.

I'll let you know after the weekend.
Title: Re: Removal ideas needed
Post by: bernsad on August 31, 2012, 12:38:54 am
OK, I'm intrigued now. How do they frame up the walls to hang the plaster on? I'm used to a frame comprising a top plate, bottom plate and a number of vertical studs braced with noggins. There is a pretty good diagram on this page Timber Frame (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwang) The brick skin is fixed to the frame with brick ties and of course the plaster is fixed floor to ceiling on the inside. It doesn't leave much room to access the cavity unless you penetrate a wall.

They must do things differently in the Banana Republic eh? ;)
Title: Re: Removal ideas needed
Post by: Sour Kraut on September 01, 2012, 03:54:00 pm
Oh, man

Sorry, I failed to notice that you are situated where The Queen's English is spoken. (well, kind of)

Usually there are obvious references in the spelling of wourds, such as uncoummounly frequent use ouf the letter 'u'. <VBG>

I'd like to see close-ups the wall construction when you get the pictures.
Title: Re: Removal ideas needed
Post by: duck on September 02, 2012, 05:46:16 pm
Do they have building codes in Australia?  :-D
Title: Re: Removal ideas needed
Post by: bernsad on September 02, 2012, 06:20:17 pm
Nah, we just throw these things together and hope they hold up for a while. ;)
Title: Re: Removal ideas needed
Post by: ShaneJ on September 02, 2012, 07:59:19 pm
I got some roof tiles removed yesterday but haven't got any photos yet. I'll get some today. There is a gap between the brick work and the timber framing as I suspected but unfortunately I found the bees are down under a window so they cannot be removed from above.
The good news though is that the internal wall to where the bees are is an old fibre cement wall so I can easily cut it open. Hopefully I'll get a video of this.

I am told the gap between the outer brick and the timber frame work provides some insulation properties. I guess it allows heat to rise up into the roof space and escape through any vents.
Title: Re: Removal ideas needed
Post by: hardwood on September 02, 2012, 09:19:27 pm
Actually this space has historically served as a condensation point for moisture. the temp. differential between the interior and exterior causes this and if you look closely at the lower portion of the "wythe" (veneer) of brick you will find periodical gaps in the mortar that serve as weep holes to allow the moisture out.

Scott
Title: Re: Removal ideas needed
Post by: ShaneJ on September 02, 2012, 10:24:30 pm
Yeah thats right Scott. The weep holes also allow slime to escape after trapouts end early due to shb infestation :)
Title: Re: Removal ideas needed
Post by: hardwood on September 02, 2012, 10:28:58 pm
yeah Shane and that's how the bees get in there in the first place!

Scott
Title: Re: Removal ideas needed
Post by: ShaneJ on September 03, 2012, 12:37:23 am
In this case the bees started entering and old hole in the brick work that was used for the cistern overflow.
Title: Re: Removal ideas needed
Post by: wildforager on September 18, 2012, 08:57:05 am
Any pics or video of this removal?
Title: Re: Removal ideas needed
Post by: ShaneJ on September 18, 2012, 09:02:26 am
No pics or video of this one sorry. But I did manage to remove the colony and catch the queen.

I ended up cutting into the internal wall behind the toilet cistern and vacuuming up every bee that popped its head out. I removed all the comb bit by bit and vacuumed every bee. The comb was to soft to save so all bees were dumped into a box with some stickies. I checked on them a week later and found the queen in the box and she was laying well  :)
Title: Re: Removal ideas needed
Post by: wildforager on September 18, 2012, 09:06:38 am
Thats good news! Hope they grow into a strong hive for you.