Bees/wasp nest!

Farway

The colony will die [apart from any Queens who will find a nook somewhere else]

So if you can live with them, wait until cold weather & cement over the hole

warehouse

Tessie_Balloon_Juice wrote: »

Is it possible to deal with a wasps nest yourself? Has anyone tried it?

Get some wasp nest killer power that comes in a squirty bottle, quickly squirt the entrance hole, (just a couple of very quick squirts), and retire to a safe distance. I've done this several times in different houses and it works great every time within a few hours.

Tessie_Balloon_Juice

Davesnave and Warehouse, Thanks for the advice. The trouble is that the hole is about 12 feet up so I'd need to be up a ladder. I wouldn't really poised for a quick getway if they get a bit shirty!

Faraway, I had read that the males die and the females never return to a nest so I had considered leaving it. Apparently a nest in your wall cavity can leave wet marks on your walls, though. Mine have recently been replastered so I don't really want to take the risk. I'll definitely fill the hole once its sorted out though!

Tessie_Balloon_Juice

Thanks again for the advice. You are a helpful lot!

I've had a look and my ladder won't get me near enough to the hole to reach without being on tip toes on the top rung so I've called in professional help.

I can't believe the difference in quotes! I've had them as high as £115 and as low as £49 (the one I've gone for, naturally). The local council quoted £60 but couldn't get here til late next week.

Shame they aren't bees instead. Sounds like I could be in pocket if they were!

sgun

There are actually some bees that beekeepers won't take. My parents in Suffolk had some in their roof and had to have the nest destroyed as they were a very aggressive type possibly from the continent. No good for keeping at all as you can't get near them.

onejontwo

sgun wrote: »

There are actually some bees that beekeepers won't take. My parents in Suffolk had some in their roof and had to have the nest destroyed as they were a very aggressive type possibly from the continent. No good for keeping at all as you can't get near them.

These don't seem to be the aggressive type as I've found out by hosing the bees down three times and none of them have actually attacked me. (Or maybe I've been extremely lucky!)

Tessie_Balloon_Juice

Onejontwo, have a look at the British Beekeeper's Association website. I can't post the link because i'm a newbie (sorry!) but if you google BBKA its the top search result. They have some close up pictures of the types of swarm that a beekeeper will/won't collect.

shegar

onejontwo wrote: »

These don't seem to be the aggressive type as I've found out by hosing the bees down three times and none of them have actually attacked me. (Or maybe I've been extremely lucky!)

Please dont harm the bees , bees are in decline, we need them , im doing everything I can to encourage bees in to the garden by planting stuff they like, we need bees for pollination .................Get a pro in to take them....

Ive also had wasps nests in the garden , I dont bother to "kill " them either, as long as its not too close to the windows or doors, wasps are also good for eating all your aphids in your garden, so they are not all bad.....

Tessie_Balloon_Juice

shegar wrote: »

Ive also had wasps nests in the garden , I dont bother to "kill " them either, as long as its not too close to the windows or doors, wasps are also good for eating all your aphids in your garden, so they are not all bad.....

I take your point Shegar, but the nest is in my wall cavity and I can't afford to risk them causing damage to my home. I don't usually condone the extermination of anything! If the nest was in the garden I would leave it well alone.

Onejontwo, I'm no longer a newbie so the website I was talking about is here:

http://www.bbka.org.uk/help/do_you_have_a_swarm.php

onejontwo

Thanks for that Tessie, it seems that the ones I have are honey bees so I'll try and contact the Bee Keepers association or if they can't take them I think I'll just leave them alone as they don't seem such a nuisance after all having read the replies on here.