Re: Help! unwanted bees (or wasps) in A/C duct
Lon J. Rombough (lonrom@hevanet.com)
Fri, 29 May 1998 12:01:05 -0700
If they truly are bees (honeybees) a beekeeper will know how to remove
them. The local dept. of Ag. will have a list of beekeepers and can
usually recommend one that has experience in removing bees. I've done
it a few times. The big thing is being able to restrict the bees to one
exit/entrance. A one-way escape is put over the entrance and an empty
hive is set up next to it. Bees leave, are unable to re-enter, and
start taking up residence in the hive. Once there are some bees, a
frame of brood is introduced from another hive. The bees start caring
for it and use it to raise a new queen. After a couple of weeks there
are only a few young bees and the old queen in the building. They can
either be gassed or allowed to die off. Then the one-way exit is
removed and the bees, now having established a new base in the hive,
will go back inside just to remove the honey and transfer it to the new
hive. The entrance is then sealed and the new hive taken away. Takes
about 1 to 2 months total.
If you have wasps, just sealing the wall completely up will kill them
-they'll starve in a week or two. But it's hard to be sure every hole
is closed and if you miss one, you'll still have them. An alternative
is poisoned meat on a tall platform where animals can't get it. The
wasps will take it back to the hive and poison the larvae.
Or learn to live with them. I have wasps in my greenhouse and have
not only had no trouble, but they clean up any insect pests, such as
aphids.
-Lon Rombough
http://www.hevanet.com/lonrom
sksnow@1stnet.com wrote:
>
> Can anyone tell me of herbal or hopefully less toxic management
> procedures for the invasion of bees into a home?
>
> An acquaintance who frequents a health food store where I shop has
> bees/wasps (variety unknown) entering her home through her air
> conditioning duct. Certainly the best deterrent would be screening and
> caulking over and around the duct. But, after that, how does she get
> bees out of her home and away from her pets in the backyard --WITHOUT
> dangerous chemicals such as Dursban, Sevin or such.
>
> Are there more natural and less toxic controls, herbal remedies, smoke
> techniques or such? Any experience out there?
>
> Thanking you in advance.
> Susan Snow
>
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