MORE BEES, PLEASE...

I generally like bees and try hard not to cause them harm. Today, I need help. For some reason they are really congregating around my roof eaves. I have not seen them go into the walls, or stove pipe, or even stay for long, (though they keep coming back for another attempt at entering the portal to an alternate universe...) but they are crashing headlong into my walls, windows, and eves. Is there any natural way of shooing them away, a bee repellant, as it were?
I'm really reluctant about letting them continue, because they probably will end up in my wall, or nest in my pellet stove pipe...and I have work to do in that very spot. Any ideas?

is it possible to use some smoke to make them leave that area?

how many are you seeing? is it a big clump of them? do you know what a swarm looks like? have any photos?

if you've got a swarm of honey bees, you could call a beekeeper to come collect them or do it yourself. if it is honey bees, but not in a swarm, there might be a swarm hanging around somewhere sending out scouts or a colony preparing to swarm. in that case, a smell they don't like should keep them from moving in. pine-sol and bitter almond oil are both decent options.

chances are reasonably good that they're some sorta of hornet or wasp, though, as this isn't really the main swarm season anywhere in the world. swarms do happen in August, but not terribly often. assuming you've got wasps or hornets, I've heard of folks hanging up an inflated kraft paper bag to simulate a paper wasp nest. some species are territorial and won't nest near an existing nest.

Kelly Smith wrote:is it possible to use some smoke to make them leave that area?

I did BBQ some burgers...they aren't meat bees, I hope.

tel jetson wrote:how many are you seeing? is it a big clump of them? do you know what a swarm looks like? have any photos?

Well, they did finally start clumping into a swarm. They are small yellow bees with wings from Lord of the Rings, serrated edges. I haven't seen too many "honey bees" in my area, just mason bees, deer flies, and meat bees. They are definitely not wasps or hornets.

So will they go away, or do they need to be helped to relocate?

if they found a way in, they might already be building comb. if they're just hanging there, they'll probably fly off eventually. or find a hole somewhere else in your house.

if they're already in, a lot of smoke might help them move on. injecting almond oil might also do the trick. no guarantee with either of those, though.

Well, they moved on at sunrise, and came back before sunset...

Anyone ever try LAVENDER??? I do have lots of nesting places for bees in my eaves, attic, etc. I will also try the lemon oil and honey on some nearby tree to see if I can coax them to go away.

Dean Howard wrote:Well, they moved on at sunrise, and came back before sunset...

Anyone ever try LAVENDER??? I do have lots of nesting places for bees in my eaves, attic, etc. I will also try the lemon oil and honey on some nearby tree to see if I can coax them to go away.

none of those are likely to work. lemongrass essential oil might lure them away temporarily, and honey would attract bees from all over. bees in a swarm aren't looking for food, they're looking for a cavity to live in. the lemongrass might fool them for a little while, but if you aren't luring them to a habitable cavity, they could easily just head right back to your house.