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What Damage To Property Can Bees Do?

PostPosted:23 May 2020, 16:00
by Japey Edge
I would like to know if anyone has seen the damage (if any) that a feral colony of bees living in a building can do.

I was approached by someone asking for a cut-out of a two year old colony. Going in through a vent/hole in brickwork. They are definitely honey bees.

When I mentioned it would cost it put them off. So really what I am looking for is would it be cheaper to have the colony removed, or leave them and suffer the attracted pests, rodents etc.?

Re: What Damage To Property Can Bees Do?

PostPosted:23 May 2020, 16:22
by AndrewLD
How long is a bit of string?
If you want to see the size of a nest in a building cavity - just Google it - they can get big if the space inside allows it.
Plenty of photographs show honey dripping everywhere but that is usually as a result of opening up a space to remove the colony.
If you get a colony in a chimney with a fireplace below - that can be a real problem if you want to light the fire or if the bees start to enter the house down the chimney. I think the bigger problem is when the bees decide to create an entrance into the house and then you find a room full of bees trying to get out.
Then there's noise - my daughter has had a colony of bumble bees in the roof space just over her bed for years and it did get noisy - then the tits found the nest and now she has tits nesting over her head and no bees! We aren't worried but if it was a honeybee colony I think I'd have a go at trapping them into a NUC and encouraging a move.
One thing is for sure - it won't get better. Even if the colony dies off and wax moth cleans up, another will move in......

Re: What Damage To Property Can Bees Do?

PostPosted:23 May 2020, 16:32
by Patrick
I think putting a fixed cost on a feral colony in a structure is problematic.

Exiting from a remote part of a roof maybe nothing, emerging regularly internally in Grade I listed into a household with someone allergic to bee stings maybe different.

Personally, if I agreed to undertake any job with a reasonable cost attached and the householder demurred, I would smile sweetly and walk away and just leave them to it. I strongly disagree with the oft repeated suggestion that hobby beekeepers are in any way obliged to engage in swarm collection on private property.

There will never be a world shortage of people who think you should do or give them something for free. Whether you choose to do so or not is entirely at your discretion, not theirs.

Re: What Damage To Property Can Bees Do?

PostPosted:23 May 2020, 17:19
by Japey Edge
Yeah I thought this would be quite an open question with variable answers.

That's exactly what I have done Patrick. I highlighted that honey could attract pests and then didn't push it when they didn't want to proceed.

I'll have a look online. I'm curious as to how this type of situation could progress - ie bees trapped out, abandoned honey combs dripping, attracting pests which nest and cause other damage. Wondering how bad it can get with the pests we have in the UK.

Re: What Damage To Property Can Bees Do?

PostPosted:23 May 2020, 20:08
by AdamD
I guess that bees might chew some insulation - as they will to Kingsapan if the foam edges are not sealed - but apart from that, I am not aware of any direct damage if they are left alone. It will be the beekeeper that's the trouble!

Re: What Damage To Property Can Bees Do?

PostPosted:01 Jun 2020, 23:03
by nealh
No real damage from the bees but hoy temps esp in a roof space could cause the wax/honey to melt and then seep through ceilings causing staining.