Does anyone offer honeybee exclusion services?

[David McLeod]

As we all know a cavity once occupied by a colony will remain attractive to other swarms in the future. Does anyone offer services to close up these cavities and to further bee proof structures. I do and have been quite successful at it. If so does anyone want to get a conversation going on methods and materials?

[bigbearomaha]

I do that when  I do cut outs.  It's part of the package to be proof it for afterwards.

[annette]

I want to hear what you all do. I need to know just in case a swarm gets into someone's house and I have to remove it. Like to know as many methods as possible.
I had asked JP this very question a few months ago and he gave me good advice.

[David McLeod]

What I offer is to quote my hourly rate with a two hour minimum for cut outs. Trap outs I have yet to do but my pricing there will be the same as my minimum for inspection and set up plus costs if the set up goes over two hours and/or requires scaffolding/contruction/lifts. Additional fees for monitoring and the final rob out.
I also include the sealing of the current entry point if possible as part of the package but cannot offer to seal the rest of the structure sight unseen. I will quote a fee upon inspection. BTW I do not offer free inspections, ever.
As materials go, remember that bees can chew through caulk. Latex is worse than silicone in this regard. Foam is not chew resistant either but is great for filling large voids and for those times the comb cannot be removed as an attempt to entomb the comb (no guarantees against leakage). Other than new woodwork or flashing to seal there are a couple few products that are good for filling gaps and crevices. Copper stuffit and Excluder fill fabric are both available from www.wildlifecontrolsupplies.com. A couple notes a cheaper version of the copper is copper pot scrubbers from any dollar store, just unroll the pad, and if you use the excluder fabric wear gloves because this stuff if full of stainless steel fibers. A cheaper version of this without the stainless if cobra ridge vent available at Home Depot, use duckbill tin snips to cut to fit. After stuffing gaps then lock it in place with a quality silicone caulk. Do not use standard steel wool as it will rust out in little to no time opening the gap back up and leaving nasty rust stains in it's place. If you can find stainless or bronze wool they will suffice as well at more costs to you. Be very sure to charge appropriately for this tedious work and don't forget the roof and soffits. Also you should consider warranties as well. I offer a basic one year on all work and can upgrade to lifetime of structure with annual inspections (fees apply). I hope this helps.

[annette]

Yeah that stuffit stuff is what JP had mentioned. Thanks for all the info David

[bigbearomaha]

 I don't normally go to that extent.  it depends on the situation.

I have never pretended to bee a contractor.   I am there to remove bees.  I ask them if they have someone to open the section up, handyman, contractor, etc... the answer is invariably no, no one will go near it.  

I will open the void up,   I will remove the bees and the comb, etc... entirely.

After I remove those,  I take a cleaning solution and scrub the former nest area to reduce/remove the nest scent as much as possible.

IF I am able to easily close the void again, I will and  I will do what woodwork, etc.. to repair/seal the entrances I find.

If I am not the one to close the void back up,  I make notes and identify the entrances and the steps that the contractor/handyman will need to use to seal it properly.

If and when I am the one to close the void,  I prefer to do so with solid materials like patching wood, etc.. with same material.   I only use caulk to seal up the edges and perimeters, not close holes.

[iddee]

I do NO repairs. ABSOLUTELY NONE!!  When asked, I recommend filling the void more then sealing entrances. All the entrances can be open and the bees will not enter if there is no void.

[bigbearomaha]

I've done that a time or ten iddee.

especially between wall studs,  I can get a couple of sheets of foamboard insulation and pack them in behind the material and no more void.

[David McLeod]

Idee, I'm in the business of problem solving and exclusion is the core of my work. Whether it's bees, bats, snakes or beaver my goal is to give my clients long term answers. To each his own I guess.

[JP]

IMO if you remove bees you should do what you can to ensure they can't get back into the same exact spot. This is the difficult part of "bee removal" removing bees is the easy part.

There are countless structures out there that cannot be entirely bee proofed unless a substantial amount of time, effort and money are invested.

I make it extremely clear that the likelihood that bees will come back to scout the area is a matter of fact, when is the main question. Could be next season or ten years from now.

If the area where the bees were could be sandblasted that in theory could remove all comb and propolis, that may do the trick, who knows, but its not practical.

Stuff it, fiberglass insulation, exterior caulking, backer rod, all good materials for bee proofing. I don't like expandable foam, its a quick fix but doesn't hold up to the elements and looks like crap within a year.

As mentioned to each his own and whatever works for you.


...JP

[David McLeod]

JP, agreed on the foam. I like many others fell in love with foam guns and got quite good at laying down the fine bead needed to keep it out of sight. But then after more bat chew ins (they ain't supposed to do that according to the literature) than could be blamed on flying squirrels I gave it up for entry point seal ups. At this point it's only real use for me is interior void fills where it will not be exposed to UV.

[gardeningfireman]

After doing a cutout and cleaning/scraping the cavity, would rinsing it out with a bleach solution discourage anything from coming back in? Also stuffing the void and spraying with beequick? What about a box of mothballs?

[David McLeod]

NO MOTHBALLS.
Mothballs are a federally registered product and an off label use is a violation of the FIFRA act, also in almost all jurisidictions applying registered products for a fee requires licensing as a PCO (which would make off label use a double whammy).
On the other side of the coin Napthalene, the active ingredient in mothballs, is a carcinogen and not something to be putting in clients homes. It is a solid that converts to a heavier than air gas at room temperature so any product applied in the upper levels of a home or structure will find it's way into the lower levels.
Ironically, of all the misuses (moles, snakes, bats, squirrels, raccoons, opossums, you name it) it really does repel honeybees.

[JP]

After doing a cutout and cleaning/scraping the cavity, would rinsing it out with a bleach solution discourage anything from coming back in? Also stuffing the void and spraying with beequick? What about a box of mothballs?

Completely filling the cavity is your best bet. Don't waste your time spraying bee quick or anything else for that matter, it will all wear off enough for bees to sense a prior hive.

Bleach rusts metals so be careful.

I've removed a few colonies where I've pulled old boxes of moth balls from the cavity. I'm talking an entire box worth.

If you like, this might make a difference, but I don't have any data to back this up. You can clean the cavity, then apply several coats of an oil base paint to all surfaces.

After the paint dries fill the cavity with fiberglass insulation.


...JP

[iddee]

"Idee, I'm in the business"

David, that says it all. I am 65, retired, maybe even retarded a bit. I have no business and do what I do for fun. I do charge a reasonable fee, as I don't want to harm those who are in business. In fact, I refer what jobs I can, and try to talk the client into leaving the bees alone many times.

With two totally different goals, I wasn't saying you should do it this way. I was only showing the other side of the fence.

JP, when the only nail I can ever hit is on my left thumb, I don't think I should be doing repairs. I let them hire a pro so it won't, hopefully, be a botched job.

We each have our own set of circumstances and they will always differ, but many of them overlap and we can help each other at times.

[gardeningfireman]

Wow! JP and David, thanks for that info! I hadn't thought about the mothball thing  :shock:. Stuffing alone it is!! :)

[Bee Happy]

A 3M product, 5200 is a Marine sealant, (someone mentioned the caulking problem) My sis was a cruiser and has used it to repair loose instruments below the water line until they could get to dry dock. (yes, IN the water)
 anyway, I've used this 5200 for other things - it takes about 3 days to set thoroughly - I sincerely don't believe there is a living thing that would expend the energy needed to actually chew through it once it's set. It's tougher than tires. (and comes in white, dark and I think clear)

[bigbearomaha]

 I scrub the nest or former comb attach area with a bleach or detergent ( like Comet) mix primarily to minimize the scent for the time being.  As someone said, it will fade eventually and lose it's effect.  but it can be a big help in the short term if the area will be exposed for awhile.

Just like most IPM plans, it is one control method to be used along with other methods in the whole approach to the situation.

[L Daxon]

Man, I love these kinds of discussions.  So much information.  So much to learn.
Thanks guys for sharing how you do things.

Linda D.

[David McLeod]

We each have our own set of circumstances and they will always differ, but many of them overlap and we can help each other at times.

Idee, I apologize if I ruffled feathers. I eat, sleep and breath wildlife and along with honeybees I have a passion for it and can come off wrong most of the time.
It's that overlap that led me to post some of these threads as I do not want to step on anyone's toes (well I take that back there's some operators out there that need more than their toes stepped on but that a whole nother can of worms). No what I would really like to see is more beeks entering my field or at least getting to know us and speaking up for the bees because if they don't the outcome will be decided by the chemical only crowd. Honestly, it could be a beautiful thing us NWCOs that are not beeks could be trained by the local beeks (I've trained quite a few NWCOs myself and the bees was one of my favorite topics) and in return we would either have new beeks or the NWCOs could be a source of bees for their trainers. In turn the beeks who get the calls for the nasty cut outs and trapouts beyond their skill level would have someone they trained to refer to.