Bees nest

[DaveK88]

I have a bees nest in my coop. I don't want to use chemical bee killer inside the coop. Anyone have any suggestions on how to get rid of them? The nest is still small but getting bigger. Thanks.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Don't kill the bees! They do more good than harm. Contact your county extension office, even your local yellow pages, for beekeepers who will remove the hive safely. While there usually are professional companies you'd have to pay, you may also find private bee enthusiasts who will do it for free.

 

[Manuelandthegirls]

What kind of bees are they? If they are honey bees, don't kill them. If there is a beekeeper in your area they will remove them for you.

 

[Baymule]

bees or wasps?

 

[Airplaneguy57]

If these wasp or bees( down here they could be Africanized bees) just put some dishwashing liquid in a big plastic glass. Fill with hot water. Once they are back on the nest throw the liquid on the pest. They drop like stones. The soap is not toxic to the birds but the bees die. Repeat as often as necessary. The reason for the plastic glass is after throwing run. Never run with a glass.

 

[ralleia]

Are you certain that they are bees? I've never known bees to nest in any kind of coop/barn/carport/garage/house eaves, so it really sounds more like paper wasps instead.

What does the nest look like? What color and size are the insects? Do they have hair on their bodies or are they smooth and glossy? Fat bodies, or slim-waisted?

From "nest is small and getting bigger" I would hazard that those are paper wasps. Do a web search on what the nest looks like. Black & yellow are European paper wasps--black & red-brown are American paper wasps.

 

[woodmort]

I suspect you're giving bees a bad name--what you undoubtedly have are wasps or hornets. As a former bee keeper I was always getting calls from people asking me to remove "bee's" nests only to find they were white faced hornet's nests. At any rate, assuming they are hornets/wasps, if they are within reach wait until after dark, cover the nest with a big bag and knock it down into the bag, close it quickly and burn it. The only alternative is to spray with wasp/hornet spray after dark but that contains a petroleum product that may harm the chickens since they certainly will eat the downed insects.

 

[DaveK88]

I'm sorry i should have been more clear, they are in fact hornets. the only rerason they got in is because the coop is not 100% finished yet and the windows are not covered. My girls will be in there full time this weekend after it is finished. Thank you all for your response and ideas.

 

[ralleia]

If the girls are not in there yet, I would consider going the chemical approach and removing all the bodies and nest parts before moving the chickens in. I've only ever dealt with paper wasps and yellowjackets, who can be nasty enough, but I heard that hornets can be quite dangerous.

If they're like wasps, the go back to the nest at night. I'd hit them in the coolest part of the day when they're most sluggish--very, very early morning. The chemical wasp/hornet sprays have a quick knock-down and kill, but they could still sting multiple times while dying so you don't want to be anywhere that they may fall. They can be very protective of the nest, and unlike bees, who only sting once, wasps and hornets can get you many times.

I was stung three times in 6 weeks one summer by paper wasps, and now I kill all colonies of wasps and yellowjackets near my house or areas frequented by my family. All bees, honeybees, bumblebees, mason bees, and mud dauber wasps are very welcome, but the nasties are DEAD. I didn't enjoy my steroid and antihistimine treatments, nor the intense heat, swelling, and itching that came from the multiple stings.