By Len VanMarion

 

First, let me start with what NOT to do. Don’t panic, Honeybees are not like termites they don’t eat wood, they will not harm your home. They are just using the warm, dry location for a home. If you see a bunch of bees going in and out of a small hole in the wall, eave, corner of other location it is a good indication a hive has moved into the cavity behind the opening. Again Don’t panic, a beekeeper can remove them. Don’t spray with wasp or hornet spray, don’t spray with insecticide, don’t plug the entrance.

OK, what do I do? That is easy, call the Orange County Agrilife office at 409-882-7010 they can refer you to a beekeeper or if you know a beekeeper give them a call.

You can also get a list of local beekeepers from the Texas Beekeepers Association (texasbeekeepers.org), and the Texas Apiary Inspection Service (txbeeinspection.tamu.edu).

Why don’t I want to spray to kill the bees?  Well, there are several reasons for that.

First, we need our bees, 35-percent of our food is directly dependent on bees (squash, cucumbers, apples). Another 30-percent are indirectly dependent on bees (sunflower oils, canola seed, alfalfa hay).  

Second, what I see on the outside is just the tip of the iceberg. Inside the wall, there is most likely thousands of bees (a normal swarm is 8-12,000 bees), honeycomb, honey, pollen stores, bee larva, and eggs. As long as the bees are there, the cavity is clean and sanitary. Kill the bees and the ants, roaches, wax moths and other insects move in for a free meal.

Let a beekeeper deal with it.

 

A little about the author, I’m a registered Master Beekeeper with the Texas Apiary Inspection Service.  A member of the TBA and an Orange County resident.

Let a beekeeper help you.

 

Len VanMarion is TAIS Certified Master Beekeeper