Bees! Help please!

[Squizz]

We've recently had bees move into our chimney(it hasn't been lined so it's not in use). They are coming into the house and now into my neighbours house. I've been advised to remove them as we have young children, but I've been told the only way to do this is to kill them! Is this right or is there another way? I don't want to kill them. Thank you.

[Mrs Dobby]

Try contacting your local British Beekeepers Association, they'll offer advice and possibly even remove the swarm if at all possible!

British Beekeepers' Association

[Headfry]

Just about to type the same thing Mrs D!

The BBKA (as above) have a lady listed in the Hampshire area, I am sure she would be able to offer advice.

Good luck and please keep us posted.

[Mrs Dobby]

Lol Headfry! If we were closer, then we'd love to contact our local Beekeeper (who is hoping to slpit a hive for us this month) and get him along to help us collect the swarm for one of our hives, but Hampshire is a bit too far away from Manchester! Lol!

[Graham S]

Hi Squizz,

If you do have to have them killed make sure that any comb is removed from the chimney or the chimney is blocked off from the outside. This would then prevent other bees from robbing the remaining honey and inadvertently taking back insecticide to other hives - with obvious consequences.
Cheers

[NOG]

Are you sure that they are Bees and not Wasps?

If they are Wasps you should worry...but bees will not cause you a problem....unless you have flowers in the room.

[FB.]

Are you sure that they are Bees and not Wasps?

If they are Wasps you should worry...but bees will not cause you a problem....unless you have flowers in the room.

I'm not a bee keeper, but the Mrs likes to have flowers in the house. They often sit in a vase near to our open fire. In the summer, we regularly have a dozen bees buzzing round our chimney pot - and you can hear their buzzing if you sit near to our fireplace! they've never come down the chimney though.

[Llamas]

If you're not using the fireplace, is there a flu you could close to keep the wee beasties out?? Not helpful but I've always thought it would be neat-o to have a hive in the house, behind glass of course. With a massive oak frame around. hmmmm

[Lottieval]

Years ago when I lived in Suffolk the old lady across the road kept bees and if they swarmed away from the hive she would stand in the garden gently drumming on an old enamel washing up bowl with a piece of wood and the bees would go back into the hive. I'm not suggesting you try it but wondered if anyone else had heard of this!

[NOG]

I think you have a wasp nest...the council should be able to put you on to a man to deal with it.

[Squizz]

Thank you everyone for your help, we had a wasp and bee man out at the weekend to have a look, we had honey bees! Happy to say the comb was in reaching distance and he managed to take them back home to put into one of his hives

If you're not using the fireplace, is there a flu you could close to keep the wee beasties out?? Not helpful but I've always thought it would be neat-o to have a hive in the house, behind glass of course. With a massive oak frame around. hmmmm

I would have liked to keep them but they had started going into our neighbours house (a lovely old man) and it concerned him. Hope they've settled in!

[NOG]

Its good that they did not get destroyed.

[RedThorn]

Pity it's not into your own hive but glad they went to a good(I hope) home

[Squizz]

Yes, I made it very clear how upset I would be if they had to be destroyed! I would like a hive eventually but we've just moved into a new house with a garden that needs a alot doing to it. We also recently homed 4 chickens, started a large vegetable patch and with 2 young children, so I'll leave it a little while! Something to look forward to.