[Jilly Pickles]

Next door to a friend of mine they have a problem with bees in a chimney. They think they may be honey Bees but not sure. If my friend puts a beehive at the end of her garden would they nest in there instead of the chimney?

[joyfull]

wouldn't she have to capture them or the queen to get them to nest there?

[scabs]

I think once they have set up shop they are unlikely to decamp without 'assistance'. You'd need to locate and move the queen, I think.

There's a few very knowledgable beekeepers on here, I am sure one will answer shortly!  

[scabs]

Joy - ditto! 

[Snoop]

If the bees have made their home in the chimney and have their queen there with them, they won't move voluntarily. So no, putting a hive in the garden won't get them to shift, I'm afraid.

Try the local beekeepers association as they will know who will deal with removing bees. Councils will often remove bees too, but I'm told that in many instances this is done by killing the bees. Either way, there may be a fee involved in removing them.

Nobody without experience should take on a job like this. You need special clothing and equipment. And you need to know precisely what you're doing.

[jimbeekeeper]

I would say there is a good chance of getting a swarm of bees from there (if they are honey bees!)

This time of year as the colonies expand, they will be creating their own new queens in preperation for the orginal queen (and a lot fo the orginal bees) to swarm off to a new home...and why not your new hive?

But please dont go into this lightly, bees are unlike any other livestock and catching them is one thing, but looking after them and being a beekepeer rather than a keepeer of bees is another issue.

Good luck

[Snoop]

Hi Jim,
I was hoping you'd contribute to this thread. Do you have any advice on how to deal with the original colony in the chimney? By the sound of Jilly Pickles' original post, her friend's neighbour doesn't want them in the chimney.

[jimbeekeeper]

That is more difficult!

If the chiney is a working or can be made to work, light a smokey fire at the base and that might drive them out.

But you realy need to get the old comb out or realy make sure ALL the access points are sealed or bees will be drawn back by the smell of wax and honey.

I have in the past used a bee escape / cone unit, which basicaly only allows bees out but not back in, and by placing (easyer said than done when 30ft in the air) an empty hive next to your cone escape so as bees can not get back in they move into this new hive, (best to add a queen to keep them there)

Eventualy as no bees can get back into the hive in the chimney or other structure, this colony will die off.

Seal of holes and remove added hive.

Quite a long a drawn out task, but enjoyed doing it (once!)

But realy none of this is for a new beekeeper and espicaly a non keeper, contact your local association and let somone else have the fun (?) of removing and you watch!