Removing Bee Hive

[BISCUT]

My kids found a rather large hive in a 8ft Japanese Maple in the front yard. The hive id only about 5 feet off the ground. Need to remove it but want to keep it in tact if I can. Morning temps right now are about 42F and look to be constant for the next week or so.

I was thinking if the temps drop to upper 30's mid 30's it may be cold enough for me to remove the branch the hive is on and wrap it in a heavy mil garbage bag.

Thoughts, suggestions????????


If it weren't so close to my front door walkway and close to where my kids play (12, 7, 5, 2) I would leave it be.

 

[BrandonVA]

i doubt your going to be able to move a hive of that size without disturbing the bees. you may just have to spray it at night.

 

[SatinSilver]

Earyly morning, not after 6am or late evening around 11pm is what I'm thinking. I'd probably even wait till it's in the 30's. Those things are nasty. Most people forget about the nests until they have the same issue next year. I always dress in black and yellow also. That way they think I'm one of them and won't come after me.

 

[spasm3]

Is it honey bees? or hornets? If honey bees,Call the local community college, or ask around. There are beekeepers who might come and remove the hive for you. Beekeepers with several hives lose some each year. If you can save the bees and be rid of them, its better than spraying. People at a local farmers market might can help. IF hornets spray them!

 

[doitmyself]

Bees or hornets (below)?

 

[A_Harman]

That picture looks like a hornet's nest to me. I had one hidden in one of my bush's at home and got stung, which made me mad as a hornet. I soaked a rag in gasoline, put it on a copper pipe, lit it, placed it under the nest, and rapidly took refuge in my house. The hornets left the nest in a hurry, and it burned out the bush. I didn't like that bush anyway, and I got rid of the hornets.

 

[spasm3]

Originally Posted By: A_Harman
That picture looks like a hornet's nest to me. I had one hidden in one of my bush's at home and got stung, which made me mad as a hornet. I soaked a rag in gasoline, put it on a copper pipe, lit it, placed it under the nest, and rapidly took refuge in my house. The hornets left the nest in a hurry, and it burned out the bush. I didn't like that bush anyway, and I got rid of the hornets.


It may have worked for you, but i would NEVER recommend someone try that! Burn down your house or The copper pipe explodes as you light it. Lucky! DON'T do this.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

Originally Posted By: doitmyself
Bees or hornets (below)?

Hornet nest. Honey bees make their nest out of wax. That is a paper nest.

You could bag the nest and dispose of it. Fire of course is more exciting.

 

[dparm]

I never advocate a person remove it themselves. Tried that once myself, and it ended badly.

Seriously, call a professional and have them deal with it.

 

[ddrumman2004]

Originally Posted By: dparm
I never advocate a person remove it themselves. Tried that once myself, and it ended badly.

Seriously, call a professional and have them deal with it.


This.

 

[suspiciousmind]

Or, leave it alone and they'll go away. Worked for me.

I now have a big yellow jacket nest in my front yard....I'm gonna leave it alone too....at least until they attack.

 

[A_Harman]

Originally Posted By: spasm3
Originally Posted By: A_Harman
That picture looks like a hornet's nest to me. I had one hidden in one of my bush's at home and got stung, which made me mad as a hornet. I soaked a rag in gasoline, put it on a copper pipe, lit it, placed it under the nest, and rapidly took refuge in my house. The hornets left the nest in a hurry, and it burned out the bush. I didn't like that bush anyway, and I got rid of the hornets.


It may have worked for you, but i would NEVER recommend someone try that! Burn down your house or The copper pipe explodes as you light it. Lucky! DON'T do this.


You're making the situation sound worse than it was. I'm not saying its the smartest thing I've ever done, but I'd do it again in a similar situation. But I'd leave out the gasoline soaking of the rag. Diesel would be safer. I did have a garden hose turned on and could have extinguished the bush (which was away from the house) if it had been necessary. I wouldn't recommend this method for getting a hornet's nest out of a tree, though.

 

[Smokescreen]

Originally Posted By: spasm3
Is it honey bees? or hornets? If honey bees,Call the local community college, or ask around. There are beekeepers who might come and remove the hive for you. Beekeepers with several hives lose some each year. If you can save the bees and be rid of them, its better than spraying. People at a local farmers market might can help. IF hornets spray them!


This. Don't kill if they are honey bees. They do so much good in nature for pollination and honey.

 

[bxd20]

That's definitely not from honey bees.

Do what you feel comfortable with. With that said, I have dealt with nests like that before. It definitely appears to be paper wasps, aka, yellow jackets.

Get foaming wasp spray, the can that says it shoots 10-15'. The foam smothers and sticks better than plan liquid spray. Wait till very late at night.

Start spraying bottom of nest first, this is typical exit point. Soak that entire side with thick foam and keep walking around to the other side and keep spraying. You want the entire thing to look like a strawberry that had been dipped in Cool Whip. Don't be cheap, use the entire can, if the foam is dripping pile the foam up on the top of the nest a bit as it will slowly run down and help saturate things.

If they have only the typical single exit point, even if they wake up, the spray is so strong that if you keep shooting them they will instantly become stunned and not be able to fly at you.

Once the can is empty, I would NOT hang around. Just in case. Go inside and check on it the next day.

If the nest is small enough to fit in a heavy weight garbage bag and you could easily walk up, pull the bag up, prune the branch and immediately tie the bag enclosing everything, fast, well, that would work too. It's not as much fun in my opinion and I feel it's riskier.

Your last option is do nothing now. Bag it up in the middle of winter. They'll be done for the year. Actually they'll be done forever, because yellow jackets never re-use a nest from one year to the next.

DISCLAIMER: I am not a pest removal specialist, I have not worked in that field, my advice is a lay person's advice based on past experience. I can't be responsible for any mishaps, use your own judgment.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: bxd20
That's definitely not from honey bees.

Do what you feel comfortable with. With that said, I have dealt with nests like that before. It definitely appears to be paper wasps, aka, yellow jackets.

If you're referring to the picture posted above, it was not posted by the OP. We don't know what his nest looks like.

Regardless, if the OP feels his children are at risk NOW, I'd just call a professional to deal with it.

 

[Warstud]

Originally Posted By: Albert Einstein
If honey bees died out, mankind would only have four years to live.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: Warstud
Originally Posted By: Albert Einstein
If honey bees died out, mankind would only have four years to live.

And sadly we seem to be turning that direction...

 

[dishdude]

 

[BISCUT]

Originally Posted By: dishdude

This is hilarious!!

The nest is exactly like the one posted. Honey bee's we sure do need!! I totally agree I wouldn't kill those guys!

I don't mean this to come off as condesending as it sounds as I do understand the potential lethality of mass stings. I've run over an inground nest while mowing lawn and had about 12 stings, 4 on the ear and let me tell ya that sure as heck got my attention! Made me a little dizzy also. That one was a gallon of bleach in the hole and never had issue with it again.

BUT, I'm about 41 not a senior, grew up on a farm, and IMHO, and it's just that, if I need a pro for a nest like this I probably shouldn't own a house in the woods. I was just throwing this out there to see if you guys had any great ideas I may have overlooked.

Since it's not looking like its going to drop into the 30's for a week or more it's looking like a can of foaming spray is in store! I leave for the gym at 430am...I'll hit it then.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Good luck! Let us know the outcome.