Okay, give there is a hive of knowledge within the STW masses, I’m hoping somebody can help me out.

In the last 24 hours we’ve had around 700+ bees take up residence in our living room. The vast majority are workers, with some drones in there too. From what I can see they are entering the room from the chimney so a good guess is that I have a nest there.

What are my options? I’ve re-homed all that I could into a cardboard box stuffed with paper to keep them warm and have a plate of sugary water beside the temporary hive.

A lot of the bees seem to be really lethargic and easy to sweep up with a hand brush and deposit in the cardboard box, whilst others are happy banging their heads off the window and tiring themselves out.

I’ve contacted the local bee keepers association, no reply as yet. Clearly we need to get the bees out of the chimney, I’d rather the queen and colony be moved to a new location as opposed to exterminated if possible.

Any help here?

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/bees-in-my-soffit-what-am-i-going-to-do

Pictures please – sounds impressive.

Light the fire and smoke them out? 😀

I used to keep bees, so hopefully can offer some helpful advice.

Although it may be a case of a bee colony having taken up residence some time ago in the chimney. It sounfs like you have had a honey bee swarm arrive. It’s the right time of year and typically they are non-agressive and docile when having just swarmed.

You took the right course of action by contacting your local bee keepers association, keep on contacting them and I’m sure someone will come round asap and capture the swarm and use it to form a new colony.

I’d suggest leaing them well alone for the moment. Vacate the room and wait for the local bee keepers association,

Please don’t try and smoke or poison them. You may well get stung (very badly) in the process :-). Plus there is no need to panic. Hopefully you will get them re-homed soon!!

thanks for the advice received and link.

PICTURES PLEASE! 😀

if your a Tory tax them for living in the chimney each and every one of them

Bloody migrants.

+1 for pictures. Taken at great personal risk to yourself, obviously.

Local bee keeper popped by. Apparently many of them are dying – lack of food was his guess. Suggested blocking off the light source at the fireplace (easy as we have a stove) and then those that are alive will go back to using a different entry/exit. Those that are coming down the chimney look a little more angry but still relatively docile, trying to sting, so advised to suck ’em up with the hoover to ensure the kids don’t get stung.

turn your wifi on, they will soon leave.. or die
However, Bee’s are in decline, save the poor little fellas so they can continue to pollinate our planet!