Bee swarming has been taking place since March and should be finishing up soon. Though we may hear of an occassional isolated swarm, the swarming period is usually finished by the end of June, in our area. Honey bees swarm in the spring when hive conditions become crowded and these swarms are looking for a new place to live. Honey bees like to set up their residences in well protected confinements such as a hollow tree, a meter box or inside of the roof or a wall of a building. Now would be a good time to inspect you home and buildings to see if you have any unwanted guests and take care of the problem as soon as possible. The sooner you can take action after a swarm has established a new home, the easier it will be to solve the problem.
What can be done to solve the problem of honey bees living in a building? First of all, leave the pesticides alone. Killing the honey bees, especially if they have been established in the structure for any length of time, will cause you even more problems. If they have stored honey in the structure and the bees are killed, then the honey can ferment and ooze out of the combs. This honey can then run down the walls and into the ceilings, and cause damage.
The bottom line is that the bees need to be removed by an experienced
beekeeper. If you don't know any beekeepers, then call your local office of the Cooperative Extension Service.
They
should be able to refer you to a local beekeeper who removes bees. You should also consider having a carpenter
on hand
to repair the structure after the bees are removed, unless the beekeeper happens to be a skilled carpenter as well.
Chances are the beekeeper may not charge you for the service, he may just request ownership of the bees and honey in exchange for the service. However, removing bees is difficult work and in most cases it would be less expensive for the beekeeper to purchase bees considering the time involved in removing them from a structure. So don't be surprised if the beekeeper charges you a fee for his or her services.
If you find that you have honey bees that are inside of a structure or if you find a swarm, leave them alone and call a beekeeper. If you live in Cumberland County, call our office at 910-484-7156. We maintain a list of beekeepers who may be able to help you.
For more information about bees and beekeeping, contact me at 910-484-7156 or kenneth_bailey@ncsu.edu
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