Hello!
A swarm decided to make a home in a hollow brick façade in the front of my house. Since I have a garden, and I can’t hear them inside the house, I didn’t pay any attention to them. However, now I’m curious and wondering if there is a way I could have them move out of the hollow brick column and into a setup I could buy and start my first step toward bee keeping. Is it possible? Or am I getting in over my head? Any advice would help me understand and get my bearings is appreciated.
Thank you everyone!
Have you got any picture where the swarm landed? Consider that usually a swarm can hanging in there for up to 3 days, but they might move away sooner than that if they find a new spot…
Hoping this helps…
It’s possible to trap the bees out. An experienced beekeeper can possibly do that for you. As far as keeping bees for yourself, you need to make sure that you actually want to be a beekeeper, with all the challenges that come with it.
It occurred to me that being in LA, there’s a chance the bees could be aggressive Africanized bees. @Dawn_SD would know more about that.
Anyway, bottom line is: they can be trapped out with some assistance from a beekeeper.
cheers
That’s a possibility. I really wouldn’t know how to tell the difference in bees. But I have watered my plants and used a leaf blower around them. I’ve only gotten stung once while raking around their hive entrance. I wouldn’t know how to gauge how aggressive they are. But it’s been awhile and I’m just looking for what’s beneficial for them. Thanks for mentioning a brood/family name for me to look up
I’m definitely curious to the challenges that come with beekeeping. My mom tried beekeeing when I was a kid 30 years ago, it didn’t work out. I got a lot of beestings playing outside, and she credits that to curing my childhood asthma. Lol, but I’d take an honest look at it.
Thank You Very Much JeffH!
Welcome, King Chiron! If they were Africanized you’d be a goner, as would anyone in a 20 yard radius so you got lucky! As Jeff says, call a local beekeeper and learn all you can while watching her trap them out. Stick around here and keep gathering info, and perhaps beekeeping will become your new favorite pastime
Hello and welcome to the Flow forum!
As @Eva says, you would likely know if they were africanized, as they are very defensive near their home, and will chase you for 100 feet or more if they take a dislike to you.
I would suggest that you join a local bee club, and ask one of their experienced members to advise you on relocating the bees into a hive. It can be a difficult job, and it isn’t something that I would recommend a new beekeeper trying on their own.
Thank you Dawn_SD and Eva!
Searching for local beekeepers now.
Me and the bees in the brick have enjoyed each other’s company for more than a year now. I setup my ladder right in front of their hive entrance while putting up Christmas lights a few months ago and the hive didn’t seem to mind. So maybe they are familiar with my body odor, or they aren’t Africanized. But I’ll let an expert tell me what’s what. I really am hopeful I could start beekeeping. My mom’s garden sure benefits from it.
Thank You everyone! Y’all are sweet!
You’re welcome @KingChiron . You can do the trap-out yourself after a bit of coaching. You’ll need some gear that you’ll be able to purchase in the meantime, as well as a frame of open brood that you’ll need to purchase from a beekeeper early of the morning you set it up. That’s the only assistance you need from a beekeeper.
I coached a couple who knew nothing about bees to successfully trap a colony of bees out of their wall cavity. Then after all their good work, I got the free bees when I got my box & frames back. I just had to go & pick them up. They came to me to borrow the stuff in the first place. I had no hand in setting the trap-out up.
Depending on your weather, you’d probably need to wait till spring, on a nice sunny day with a forecast of fine weather for a few days following. You’ll be able to get the gear you need in the meantime.
cheers