Bee Stings and Ladders
In Bees and Bee Problems, Pests in April, Pests in June, Pests in May, Pests in Spring
Bee Stings and Ladders:
At this time of year we are getting ready for Bee and Wasp season to start at PestUK. In the spring and summer months each technician will often treat many nests a day. Last year I became proficient at Bee swarm removal in addition to just treating them. Bees usually swarm onto a tree branch or bush in someones garden which is what prompts people to call us. This happens when the original hive splits in two, and a new queen and some of the workers go off to find somewhere new to live. Removal of these swarms from your garden is relatively simple with the right safety equipment, and the Bees can be put in a box and either given to local beekeepers or released somewhere that they are not doing any harm.
Sometimes Bees may need to be treated if they have already built a hive in somewhere that is unsafe or dangerous. It is a common misconception that it is illeagal to treat bees, as some pest control companies refuse to do it, but as long as the action against the bees can be justified it is perfectly legal to treat them. The most common scenario would be bees inside a wall cavity, obviously they cannot be removed, so it is acceptable to treat them if they create a hazard to the occupants of the building (eg young children, they are allergic etc).
It is very important to not attempt to disturb bees unless you have access to the proper PPE (a bee suit) as I have found in my experiance they are much more agressive than wasps if disturbed. Last summer i had to have a day off work due to being stung when treating a bees nest inside a wall in henley, this wouldnt have been quite so bad, except that i was 3 stories up on a ladder at the time! So for the technician it can be quite dangerous! If you should get a bees nest in a high awkward place like a chimmney, no matter if you are in Wokingham, Reading or anywhere else in Berkshire, it will probably be myself that comes with another technician to treat it.
On another note, I will be constructing a couple of hives at my parents house this year, so if you are one of the first people to call us to remove a bee swarm this year, you can be assured that they will be going to a good home!
Rick P
To book a pest control treatment or free advice then please call us at PEST UK: 0330 100 2811 (local rate) or 0800 026 0308 (free from land lines & some mobiles).
