Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: Boom Buzz on June 11, 2012, 04:00:37 pm

Title: Help! Dazed and confused bees!
Post by: Boom Buzz on June 11, 2012, 04:00:37 pm

I responded to a swarm call last week and before I could get to the bees they entered a concrete building about 25 - 30 feet up.  I could not find a way to get to the bees without cutting into the concrete blocks.  So I tried squirting some bee-quick into the entrance hole - used a straw to squirt into to get the BQ in as far as I could hoping to deter the bees from settling in.  This was Friday.  The bees entering and exiting were put off at first but within 30 minutes seem to go on business as usual.  So I let the owner know that if they want to get a mason to open and close up the building I will remove the bees.  Today (Monday) they called to say there are a "few hundred" bees on the ground that seem dazed and confused.  They are not dead but, but are listless and seem uncoordinated.  Turns out the building owner "treated" this hole a year ago for wasps and supposedly sealed up the hole.  The caller reports there is no more activity at the entrance - no departures or arrivals.

Am I safe to assume that the Bee Quick is not causing the strange bee behavior?
And most likely what ever they used to treat the wasps was toxic and causing the bees to act this way?
If no activity is observed, would it be safe to just seal up the hole?  Even if there is a mass of dead bees in the concrete wall?  I hate to have them open up the wall if it is unnecessary, but would rather open it up and clean it up if it will just create a big bad mess if left in there.
Any ideas on renting or getting access to a bore scope? I will check around my area for one, but maybe someone else has a lead on whereto rent one!?

Any other suggestions or idea on how to proceed?

Thanks in advance for any help!

John

Title: Re: Help! Dazed and confused bees!
Post by: Kathyp on June 11, 2012, 05:10:15 pm

i ran into one like that.  they had dumped sevendust into the hole the year before.  the new swarm had started to move in, some had died, most had left by the time i got there.