BEES!?!

[Gazinga]

ok, so it appears bees are trying to build a nest in my coop! I dont see any evidence of a nest yet but there are many bees flyng around the coop and some inside the coop. It doesnt seem ike the girls even notice them, ive seen some even eating the bees!

So.....is this a problem, will the girls eat them all, what to do?

 

[crtrlovr]

I would call or look up a local beekeeper and try to find a way to gently discourage them or help them find another place to settle. PLEASE DON'T KILL THEM!!!!! We need all our bees we can keep alive! A county extension office may have some helpful advice, especially if you're not sure what kind of bees they are. Are they the wood bees that love to eat/chew wood and leave holes & tunnels in it? Are they honeybees? Are they actually wasps? (I know, they're definitely NOT the same thing, but I'm amazed at how many people here call wasps bees...

)

 

[grundail01]

A friend of mine called a few local bee keepers and they came out and collected them for free down in Bakersfield. I'll see if he still has their number tomorrow if you'd like.

 

[Gazinga]

Quote:
OH YES! i would love the number please, that would be great. And they are bees, not wasps........im suprised people cant tell the difference either....

 

[SussexInSeattle]

Are you sure they aren't the killer bees? I know when I lived in Phoenix, they were really starting to be a big problem down there.

 

[Duppydo]

As mentioned,they may be Africanized honeybees(aka killer bees) which can present a very serious problem.If their still around as you read my post,try to enlist the help of a local beekeeper. Setting swarm traps in the area of your chicken coop may entice the bees to move into traps and not your coop.They may be scout bees looking for a new home, if they decide on your coop you could have thousands of bees descending there...!
I'm a beekeeper and chicken tender, so i have an idea of what can happen here. Calf. has the Africanized honeybee, and they are dangerous if provoked.Most honeybees are calm and non-aggressive while swarming, but once they set up house keeping in a place of their liking, they will agressively defend that place, tere new home...Find someone who knows honeybees, Africanized or not, you do not want them in your chicken coop.Good luck, keep us updated as to what happens...Kevin

 

[Gazinga]

im not a pro bee farmer, but they look pretty average to me, i hate to set out bee "traps" and kill any of them, but i would rather kill the scouts alone then the entire group if they decide on my coop, ill keep everyone posted.....

 

[grundail01]

The person my friend used is no longer in business

 

[azelgin]

Quote:
There is no way to identify Africanized from domestic honey bees without taking specific body measurements in the laboratory. Best to not let them set up housekeeping in your coop in the first place. Here in Arizona, if a swarm is in your area, there is a 95% chance they are Africanized. I had some scouts checking out my garage last year and did every thing I could to discourage them to look somewhere else. They decided on a hollow log on the edge of the propery. I made several visits at a safe range and ventilated their happy home with my 7mm Remington Magnum. It took a couple of weeks, but they moved on. Better safe than sorry.

 

[Duppydo]

A swarm trap doesn't " kill" the bees, it provides a home, that scout bees have choosen for their new home...As mentioned, Africanized bees look the same as our common fairly mellow honeybees ( except when you agiatate there hive)...Only lab test can determine what they truly are.
Once bees are in swarm trap, they can safely be removed by a knowledgable beekeeper. Africanized bees are very easily annoyed and will become very aggressive . Things like mowing your lawn or running a tractor to close to thier hive can trigger a deadly event. Yes, people have been stung to death by mowing to close to their hive.
If you still have scout bees looking, discourage them.If a swarm dissends on your coop, get a pro, and keep your distance, unless of course you like playing with fire...good luck