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We were so thrilled to see the bees around our new house to pollinate our new citrus tree blossoms, but now we're noticing that quite a few bees are flying into the little half-moon spaces between the roof and the soffit (due to the rippled metal roof).
Should we climb up in the attic (crawl space, certainly not tall enough to stand up in!) and spray some wasp killer spray? Or hope that they're just "house-hunting" and will give up? Or call a bee-keeper? Any experience/advice on this one?
Buzzingly yours,
Katie
Wherever you go, there you are.
Wherever you go, there you are.
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Please, please, please don't spray wasp killer to get rid of the bees if they are honey bees, they can bring the poison back to the hive and wipe out a whole hive. You can caulk the openings or use spray foam, although on your house it will mean tall ladder work.
Carol
Carol
Every time you feel yourself getting pulled into other people's nonsense, repeat these words: Not my circus, not my monkeys.
Polish Proverb
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Mahalo, Carol, for the info on decimating the entire hive, which I truly would not do for anything, so it's ixnay on the spraying. We'll get it figured out. Frankly, like I said, I'm hoping they are just scouting around for a new place. Both David and I have had hives in the past, but don't want to start one here. So we'll see what happens. Yes, it would be an onerous task to foam or caulk all the openings - our house is post and pier, and up 8 feet from the ground. Plus, it would cut down on the ventilation under the roof dramatically. I was told by my builder today that birds are a worse problem in the roof than bees... guess we'll just have to really keep a watch.
Thanks again on the heads up about spraying. it's a reminder of two quotes I just read in "Permacopia, Book I":
"When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe." John Muir
"Thou canst not stir a flower without troubling of a star." Francis Thompson
Katie
Wherever you go, there you are.
Wherever you go, there you are.
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There are some commercial thing-ys that can go into the corrugated ripples, including corrugated foam strips, wood corrugated strips & a formed plastic strip with vent slots. You can also stuff screen, insulation & such. The latter cost less, but they all need to be placed up in the eaves....
bees in the eaves
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If it is a few bees going in and out, then more than likely they have a hive in there. When bees are looking for a new home they go about in a huge swarm and they fly all around crazy. Once the swarm lands somewhere it stays in a huge ball dripping with bees until they find a new home and go into it.
Are you sure they are honeybees?
"I like yard sales," he said. "All true survivalists like yard sales."
Kurt Wilson
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Katie, if honeybees and you get a hive i know someone who will come get them ... dont know about that roof though but if they develop lets talk, linnette
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In addition to honey bees we have noticied a lot of large, black bumble bees (I think they are bumble bees) at our place in Orchid Land Estates.
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i've been getting buzzed by a black bumble bee in HA for over a week now..he just hangs by my windows...
uh i mean carpenter bee..he does match BI's pic
on another note it is DRIZZLING up here this am-- [
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