How to protect your home from honeybees - PEST UK

Providing pest control services in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Kent, London, Middlesex, Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire, Surrey, West Midlands, West Sussex, Wiltshire. Est. 1985.

How to protect your home from honeybees

In Featured, Pests

You may have noticed bees buzzing amongst the spring flowers. The warmer temperatures have woken queen bumblebees from their winter hibernation and they have emerged to feed on nectar before looking for a suitable nest site. The more social honeybees have also become active after ‘overwintering’. When the temperature drops below 10°C the worker bees retreat and form a ‘winter cluster’ to keep warm, with the queen in the warmest, core section. They are less active though not entirely dormant, shaking and shivering to keep warm. After emerging from the cluster they feed on the nectar of the spring flowers to get their energy up before starting to build a new nest.

Why do honeybees swarm?

In the last week honeybees have started to swarm (they are the only type of bee that swarms) as they search for somewhere to nest if they can’t use their old one. The swarm has a single queen accompanied by thousands of worker bees. They will hang for a few days while the scout bees look for a suitable dry cavity in which to make a nest. Chimneys are a favourite location.

Prevention is better than cure

If you have a swarm of bees near your home it’s safest to have them relocated to prevent them establishing a nest which will result in a colony of several thousand bees. Whilst bees are swarming it’s the best time for us to remove them as they are in an open space and clustered altogether. Attempting to remove bees yourself can prove dangerous and ineffective, and you risk getting stung. Our technicians have been trained in how to relocate bees and have the correct PPE to carry out this task. One of our technicians will collect the bees and take them to a beekeeper who will house them in a purpose-built hive.

If bees establish a nest within a chimney it’s very difficult to remove them. As a last resort, we may have to use insecticide which we don’t like to do as it could contaminate bees from other colonies. The beeswax will need to be removed along with any debris from the nest as this is flammable so you will need to get a chimney sweep to clean your chimney. Proofing your chimney to prevent bees establishing a nest in the first place is the most practical and bee-friendly solution. And now is the ideal time to do it.

How do we prevent bees from accessing a chimney?

One of our technicians will install bee mesh at the top of your chimney. The mesh is fine enough to prevent bees from getting through it. They will also check that there are no other ways bees can access the chimney and seal any cracks in the masonry and leading surrounding the stack.

Call PEST UK for a free quote and fast response to remove bees from your property or proof your chimney on 0800 026 0308

Click here to see prices for PEST UK pest control services

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PEST UK provide fast, reliable and effective pest control services for homes and business premises. Professionally trained and qualified technicians deliver guaranteed results using biodegradable insecticides and poisons. We are a full member of the BPCA (British Pest Control Association), the governing body for pest control in the UK. Using a BPCA member company ensures you have a qualified, professional and fully insured company treating your pest problem.

 

 

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