Controlling Honey Bees
About 5000 people in Michigan keep honey bees as
either a business or a hobby. They produce about $4
million worth of honey and beeswax and pollinate over
$100 million worth of commercial fruits, seeds and
vegetables (not to mention the fruits, seeds and
vegetables in backyard gardens).
Honey bees are not native to North America; they were
introduced by early immigrants. "Wild" honey bee colonies
are the descendants of those bees which escaped from
apiaries. Wild honey bees may choose your attic or wall
void as a nesting site, and this can create a serious
nuisance problem.
There are three types (castes) of honey bees;
workers, queens and drones (males). Most people see only
the workers since these individuals actively gather food
for the colony. Queens (reproductive females) may live
for up to five years, and in their prime may produce 1500
to 2000 eggs per day. Honey bee colonies may contain
20,000 to 60,000 individuals.
There is no way to control the annoyance from
foraging workers around homes. Use caution around
flowering trees and shrubs where bees are active. The
nuisance will subside on its own when the flowers have
finished blooming.
As honey bee colonies become strong in the late
spring or early summer, they sometimes send off swarms
with one queen and several thousand workers. When the
queen tires of flying she chooses a resting place and the
workers cluster around her. Thus, you may find a swarm on
a branch or some similar site on your property. The swarm
will remain clustered together until scout bees have
located a suitable site for permanent nesting. This
usually requires two days or less, after which time the
swarm will break cluster and leave.
Since swarms are a temporary phenomenon, it is best
to allow the bees to leave on their own. In the meantime,
don't allow people to disturb the bees. If the swarm is
in an inconvenient place, it may be necessary to remove
it and it is best to contact a local beekeeper.
When nuisance honey bees establish a nest in your
house, or in a hollow tree next to your house, there are
two control alternatives: remove the bees live or
eradicate them. (Note: honey bees are NOT protected
insects.) You may choose to call for professional help (a
Pest Control Operator or beekeeper) or do the job
yourself. Keep in mind that you must remove the bees AND
their nest because the untended honey will begin to
decompose and/or seep out of the comb. This can cause
odor problems, staining and/or secondary pest
infestations (ants, roaches, wax moths and dermestid
beetles).
Bees can be removed by trapping. This procedure is
effective, although time consuming (4 to 6 weeks), and
eliminates the need to open up the wall to remove comb
and honey. Place a wire mesh cone (18" long with a 3/8"
opening at the apex) over the nest entrance. Wear clean,
perspiration-free, protective clothing and use a bee
smoker. All movement should be slow and deliberate. Place
a hive containing a queen and a few workers as close as
possible to the trap. The bees can leave the building but
cannot get back in and will settle in the decoy hive.
After three or four weeks spray the old nest with a non-
residual insecticide such as resmethrin to kill the queen
and any remaining workers. Remove the mesh cone and allow
the bees to retrieve their honey. Two weeks later remove
the hive and close up the old nest entrance.
Bees can also be controlled by putting an insecticide
into the nest. This is most effective when done in the
early spring when the stored honey is at its lowest level
and the colony is weakest. Locate the nest (tap on the
wall and listen for buzzing), drill a hole into the nest
area, and treat with carbaryl 5% dust, or a ready to use
diazinon or pyrethroid.
For large colonies (2 years and older) it is
suggested that you remove the comb and honey by
disassembling the siding. DO NOT ALLOW ANYONE TO CONSUME
THE INSECTICIDE-CONTAMINATED HONEY! If one swarm of bees
found the site acceptable, another swarm may find the
same area acceptable. In fact, once a site has been used,
it seems to be more attractive to other bees. After
removing the nest, clean the area with soap and water and
apply a fresh coat of paint. Be sure to plug up any
entrance holes and other cracks and crevices.
It is also possible to kill bees by exposing the nest
to freezing temperatures during the winter months.
Read and follow instructions on the pesticide label.
Heed all warnings. Check with your physician if you have
any concerns regarding your personal health risk.