lappir Posted February 26, 2015 Report Share Posted February 26, 2015 Just came back and find quite a few honey bees flying in and out of the slide out for my entry steps. I am wondering if they may think it's a good place for a home?????? I hope not. They are not aggressive and don't try to follow me in the house, but I don't want them building something under there and I really don't want to have to KILL a hive. Does anyone know of a deterrent????? I have placed a Citronella candle in the area just minutes ago. I cannot light it due to the extreme winds today but it still gives off the odor. Can I try anything else? Thank you Rod White 2000/2010Volvo VNL 770 with 7' Drom box with opposing doors, JOST slider hitch. 600 HP Cummins Signature 18 Speed three pedal auto shift. 1999 Isuzu VehiCross retired to a sticks and bricks garage. Brought out of storage the summer of 2022 2022 Jeep Wrangler Sport S Two door hard top. 2007 Honda GL 1800 2013 Space Craft Mfg S420 Custom built Toyhauler The Gold Volvo is still running and being emptied in July. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skp51443 Posted February 26, 2015 Report Share Posted February 26, 2015 Something disagreeable to them might do the trick, maybe find the spot they are heading for and give it s spray of WD-40 or the like. If you see any sign of a hive you need to remove it too or they will be more persistent in their efforts to return. First rule of computer consulting: Sell a customer a Linux computer and you'll eat for a day. Sell a customer a Windows computer and you'll eat for a lifetime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rv-voyager Posted February 26, 2015 Report Share Posted February 26, 2015 Call a Bee Keeper. Living the full time RV dream in a Holiday Rambler Motor home. Our Travel Blog is http://rvroadriders.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayco1 Posted February 26, 2015 Report Share Posted February 26, 2015 Raid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lappir Posted February 26, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2015 Call a Bee Keeper. A friend on Facebook sent me a link for a local Bee club that does removals. Have a guy coming to check it out this evening. Raid jayco1 I do NOT want to kill them. Honey Bees are already in lower numbers than they have been in years. Without them we wouldn't be able to eat for very long. Please use Pesticides only as a last resort. Rod White 2000/2010Volvo VNL 770 with 7' Drom box with opposing doors, JOST slider hitch. 600 HP Cummins Signature 18 Speed three pedal auto shift. 1999 Isuzu VehiCross retired to a sticks and bricks garage. Brought out of storage the summer of 2022 2022 Jeep Wrangler Sport S Two door hard top. 2007 Honda GL 1800 2013 Space Craft Mfg S420 Custom built Toyhauler The Gold Volvo is still running and being emptied in July. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LindaH Posted February 26, 2015 Report Share Posted February 26, 2015 Rod, thank you for contacting a local bee keeper. If these are, indeed, honeybees, they could be swarming looking for a new place to build a hive. As you mentioned, honeybee numbers have been drastically declining in recent years, so it's good to keep a colony alive if at all possible. LindaH 2014 Winnebago Aspect 27K 2011 Kia Soul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lappir Posted February 26, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2015 http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.palmbeachbeekeepers.com%2F&h=sAQFj7Gfv http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Ffloridabackyardbeekeepers.com%2F&h=1AQG0-ayA Here are a couple beekeeper web sites that I was sent on Facebook. Rod White 2000/2010Volvo VNL 770 with 7' Drom box with opposing doors, JOST slider hitch. 600 HP Cummins Signature 18 Speed three pedal auto shift. 1999 Isuzu VehiCross retired to a sticks and bricks garage. Brought out of storage the summer of 2022 2022 Jeep Wrangler Sport S Two door hard top. 2007 Honda GL 1800 2013 Space Craft Mfg S420 Custom built Toyhauler The Gold Volvo is still running and being emptied in July. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s106300 Posted February 26, 2015 Report Share Posted February 26, 2015 Bees are docile at night and there are many companies that will remove them at dusk or so. They know bees are worth resale dollars so they do not harm them. Good for all of you out there who know that bees are good for farmers, gardens, and plant health. 2010 Volvo VNL 670 D13 500 HP Ishift - "THOR" 2016 DRV Elite Suites 38RSSA - "Freya" 2012 Smart For Two - "Loki" Ron & Shelley Johnston, pilots Toy, Nika, and Piranha, feline co-pilots and Demi-gods (at least if you ask them). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
57becky Posted February 26, 2015 Report Share Posted February 26, 2015 We wiped out quite a few honey bees yesterday driving through the central San Joaquin valley with our rig in tow, probably many more than was swarming Rod's steps. The blooms are open on the almond trees in the valley, and it is just one of those things that happen to bees when they are busy in the orchards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lappir Posted February 27, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2015 According to the bee keeper who came out to take a look. She felt there may be a swarm nearby looking for a place to inhabit. They are setting up a swarm box nearby and will be watching it for activity. Hopefully they can give the swarm a good home. Thanks for all the comments and suggestions. Rod White 2000/2010Volvo VNL 770 with 7' Drom box with opposing doors, JOST slider hitch. 600 HP Cummins Signature 18 Speed three pedal auto shift. 1999 Isuzu VehiCross retired to a sticks and bricks garage. Brought out of storage the summer of 2022 2022 Jeep Wrangler Sport S Two door hard top. 2007 Honda GL 1800 2013 Space Craft Mfg S420 Custom built Toyhauler The Gold Volvo is still running and being emptied in July. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mysticmd Posted February 27, 2015 Report Share Posted February 27, 2015 Hi 1Rod, Honeybees do not like smoke and it lulls them if they can't evacuate; beekeepers use a smoker before stealing their honey supply. Various materials are used in the smoker,ie, a piece of cut-up cotton jeans -- use a match with no starter fluids/chemicals for the sake of the bees' health, as the material catches, reduce the air, and get it puffing smoke, set it under your RV stairs and keep it going, you may have to regulate the air. So try a can with a lid, improvise a bit, a real smoker costs about $32. Hope you keep us posted how it goes. Also, various scents like lemongrass oil are an attractant, so you could soak a ball of cotton in an essential oil and place some distance away from your trailer, but if they have already selected and agreed upon your trailer, I'd go right to the smoke. Don't know if you know the bee process, but the scouts go out looking for a new home for all or part of the colony depending upon what is going on in the hive - could be a new queen hatching, could be the entire colony is invaded by some pest and they must move, etc. The scouts return with information about their new-found area for a new home, they compare notes and actually take a vote in the hive on what location they are going to -- this communication is all done through dancing, same as finding food sources. Once the decision is made they start rounding up the stored honey in their tummies to take flight. They usually swarm on a nearby branch in partial shade, could be a few feet off the ground on a sturdy branch, but seems mostly high in the tree tops, they regroup, and before dusk, they take off for their new home. At this point they are not aggressive while they are swarming. Once their home is established with the queen in it and the cells start to be formed, count on the protection kicking in. They are fascinating! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HamRad Posted February 27, 2015 Report Share Posted February 27, 2015 1Rod, Please keep us informed as to how this develops. And thank you for not just killing them. As you stated we are already having a lower honey bee population. They are absolutely critical to the production of our food. A few years back we were staying in a park during the summer in Phoenix. One night while walking the dogs we heard this buzzing sound. Traced the sound and it was coming from a unit being stored. There were thousands of bees. The entire coach was inhabited by bees. I can not imagine what it must have looked like on the inside. Unfortunately we left before the bee folks arrived so I don't know the outcome of the story. But my guess is that the unit was a total loss! Good luck, Dennis. Trailer: Montana 5th wheel, model 3582Rl, model year 2012 Truck: Ford 450 PSD Super Duty, 2002 Crew Cab, Long bed, 4:88 rear end, last of the 7.3 engines, Automatic Transmission. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
folivier Posted February 27, 2015 Report Share Posted February 27, 2015 We had a swarm get inside our house a few years ago. In the few days it took me to investigate different methods to get rid of them they left. Exterminators wanted to spray dust to kill them. Not acceptable to me. Also that would leave numerous dead bees inside the walls that would stink. My real concern was them establishing a colony and building honeycombs in the walls. I've heard of that happening and it is really a mess. But probably they are just searching for a new home and will be gone in a few days. BTW I grew up with hives in the back yard and would frequently get a snack out of the hives. Dad always wondered why parts of the combs were missing....and I didn't use smoke. Back on the road again in a 2011 Roadtrek 210P 2011 Tahoe 4x4, 2006 Lexus GX470, 2018 Ranger XP1000, 2013 RZR 570LEhttp://finallynewellin.blogspot.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lappir Posted February 27, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2015 Didn't see any bees today after getting home from work. It's cooler and overcast today so maybe they are staying put in another location. Didn't see the swarm box in the tree this morning. (probably too dark) and forgot to look this afternoon. Will watch things for a few days but think maybe my home was not voted as an acceptable platform for a new hive. Rod White 2000/2010Volvo VNL 770 with 7' Drom box with opposing doors, JOST slider hitch. 600 HP Cummins Signature 18 Speed three pedal auto shift. 1999 Isuzu VehiCross retired to a sticks and bricks garage. Brought out of storage the summer of 2022 2022 Jeep Wrangler Sport S Two door hard top. 2007 Honda GL 1800 2013 Space Craft Mfg S420 Custom built Toyhauler The Gold Volvo is still running and being emptied in July. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk W Posted February 28, 2015 Report Share Posted February 28, 2015 Didn't see any bees today after getting home from work. Perhaps they just felt unwanted and moved on to find a place where they would feel welcome................... Good travelin !...............KirkFull-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mysticmd Posted February 28, 2015 Report Share Posted February 28, 2015 1Rod -- stay diligent with your observations; you are correct that time of day and temps greatly affect activity. You may be fortunate if the bee locators came, inspected, mapped it out, took it back to the colony, but another bee found a better location for the colony, and they have moved away from yours, perhaps over to folivier since they read they 'don't use smoke' - lol!!! (FYI, am a beekeeper in SC). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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