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Author Topic: Bees in the Attic?  (Read 3035 times)

Offline montauk170

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Bees in the Attic?
« on: April 21, 2011, 06:15:10 pm »
I've been avoiding these cutouts in the past not wanting to crawl into the attic unless I can cut the ceiling open but might take one on this year.
Attic access or ceiling. Are there any other options to removing them?

BTW, if they enter through the attic vent holes, would they move down the vertical wall????

Jack



Offline iddee

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Re: Bees in the Attic?
« Reply #1 on: April 21, 2011, 06:26:32 pm »
First, I would go into the attic and determine if they are between the roof trusses or under the attic floor. If between the trusses, access from the attic. If between the floor and ceiling, go through the ceiling. I hate removing the floor to access them. It is the worst kind of mess.

JP will say do it from the outside. He doesn't like overhead.
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Offline montauk170

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Re: Bees in the Attic?
« Reply #2 on: April 21, 2011, 06:30:01 pm »
Yeah, first thing I will do is inspection through the attic to determine where they are at.
Wish I had a IR thermal imager like Don!
And yeah, overhead, darn, I'm out of shape and my arms get freaking tired reaching up.

Offline montauk170

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Re: Bees in the Attic?
« Reply #3 on: April 21, 2011, 06:31:41 pm »
BTW, this is a 10 year old house. And from my understanding it shouldn't have an attic floor. So if I cut through the ceiling I should hit insulation and then the under-roof

Offline annette

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Re: Bees in the Attic?
« Reply #4 on: April 22, 2011, 01:32:12 am »
I'm curious about something. Don't those vent holes usually have screens on them??

Offline montauk170

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Re: Bees in the Attic?
« Reply #5 on: April 22, 2011, 03:01:49 am »
In all new homes I see built, they are using wire mesh that have larger holes than #8 hardware cloth. Just because that one size is readily available everywhere and it keeps rodents and birds out but large enough for bees to get in.

Offline gardeningfireman

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Re: Bees in the Attic?
« Reply #6 on: April 22, 2011, 11:16:02 am »
there should be a top plate so they couldn't get down in the wall. If they do, then they wouldnt (shouldn't) get past the sill plate at the attic "floor" level. Might be just hanging from the underside of the roof, or a small hive in the wall space between the vent holes and the floor. Just get them before it gets too hot! Good luck!
Alan

Offline Tommyt

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Re: Bees in the Attic?
« Reply #7 on: April 22, 2011, 12:20:02 pm »
If its too cramped why not a trap out
then dig out the old comb best you can
after the bee's are gone?

Tommyt
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Offline Pink Cow

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Re: Bees in the Attic?
« Reply #8 on: April 22, 2011, 09:00:30 pm »
I'm curious about something. Don't those vent holes usually have screens on them??

Annette, that hole pattern is pretty standard on newish homes around here and they always have 1/4" screen behind them so the bees have no trouble going through. I ran into it twice last year.

there should be a top plate so they couldn't get down in the wall....

There is always a chance they went down a hole drilled for Romex or something, but let's hope not.


Were you able to get up there and look through the holes? One of those I got last year was a new swarm just several inches inside so it was pretty easy.

Offline JP

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Re: Bees in the Attic?
« Reply #9 on: April 22, 2011, 09:53:25 pm »
Hard to tell with just one picture and not being there in person but if I had to take a guess looks to me as if they would be in the wall void above the window.

This is where a borescope comes in real handy or IR heat gun. Determine where they are and then...

If in the wall, I would do this one from the interior and that would make Iddee very happy.  :-D


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Offline annette

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Re: Bees in the Attic?
« Reply #10 on: April 22, 2011, 11:31:25 pm »
Yiks, I better check the vent holes on my house as I always thought the bees could not get through them.

Offline GWDawg1

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Re: Bees in the Attic?
« Reply #11 on: April 23, 2011, 11:22:17 am »
Hot in the attic!!