"It was the biggest beehive that that Ogden beekeeper Vic Bachman has ever removed — a dozen feet long, packed inside the eaves of a cabin in Ogden Valley. 'We figure we got 15 pounds of bees out of there,' said Bachman, who said that converts to about 60,000 honeybees.

Bachman was called to the A-frame cabin last month in Eden, Utah. Taking apart a panel that hid roof rafters, he had no idea he would find honeycombs packed 12 feet long, 4 feet wide and 16 inches deep.

The honeybees had been making the enclosed cavity their home since 1996, hardly bothering the homeowners. The cabin was rarely used, but when the owners needed to occupy it while building another home nearby, they decided the beehive wasn't safe for their two children. A few bees had found their way inside the house, and the hive was just outside a window of a children's bedroom.

They didn't want to kill the honeybees, a species in decline that does yeoman's work pollinating flowers and crops.

So they called Bachman, owner of Deseret Hive Supply, a hobbyist store that can't keep up with demand for honeybees. Bachman used a vacuum cleaner to suck the bees into a cage...


"Utah calls itself the Beehive state, a symbol of industriousness. Whether this was Utah's largest beehive is unknown, but Bachman said it would rank high.

"'It's the biggest one I've ever seen,' he said. 'I've never seen one that big.'

He used smoke to pacify the bees, but Bachman said honeybees are gentle creatures unlike predatory yellow jackets or hornets, which attack, rip apart and eat honeybees, he said.

'They just want to collect nectar and come back to the hive,' he said. 'Most people never get stung by honeybees — it's a yellow jacket.'"


Utah cabin had uninvited guests _ 60,000 bees
By PAUL FOY


For beehive removal in the Detroit area, look here.

"Bees or something flying in and out of small holes in the mortar in the fireplace. Neighbors just want me to blast them with Raid Wasp Killer, but I would prefer a different approach.

I would love for this to somehow be a win/win situation for us and the bees. Can you help?"  - Mr. M


Hello Mr. M,

Bees behind brick or concrete can be very difficult and expensive to remove.  However, you are in luck.  Michigan winters are very hard on all species of bees.  Whether you have honey bees or some other kind of insect, it's very likely to die off over the winter.  Honey bees have a 50/50 chance of making it.  All the other flying/stinging insects will die soon after the cold weather arrives to stay.  The most reasonable thing to do, in my opinion, is to just wait for nature to run its course.  I think your problem will solve itself.

I hope that's an answer you like hearing, and good luck!

Billy Craig

"Have a large bee hive in a tree in my front lawn which needs removal. Just discovered it. The weight is causing it to fall closer to vehicles in driveway. Need help with removal."  - Mr. C


Hello Mr. C,
I'm responding about the beehive in the tree.  I was wondering where you live and how high off of the ground is the hive?  Also, is the hive made out of paper or are there bees crawling all over the outside of it?  My suspicion is that the nest is a hornet's nest, in which case, they'll all be dead very soon (perhaps this weekend, if it gets as cold as predicted). Then your problem is solved.  Once it drops below freezing for a few days, you can be sure that the hornets are dead, and then you can knock the nest off the limb without any worries.  If they're honey bees, which seems unlikely, then you may have to wait longer for them to die.  In that case, depending on your location, I may be able to come out and get them.

Hope that helps,
Billy Craig

"I am interested in having a swarm of bees removed from a tree trunk in my yard. The bees are housed in a hole in my tree (about 1 foot diameter) that is only about 4 foot up from the ground. Is this something you would be able to assist with, and if so, how much do you charge?  Thank you."  - Dan


Thank you, sir , for contacting me.  You're a little ways out of my territory, as far as driving distance goes.  The best I can do is give some advice. 

I don't know how bothersome these bees are to you.  There's a high probability that they will die over the winter, which isn't too far away now.  The easiest thing to do is nothing.

However, if you really want them gone now, you may be able to find a willing beekeeper in your area at beesource.com.  If you search under "Swarm Removal", they have a list of beekeepers in Michigan that remove bees and where they are located.

Finally, if the insects are not honey bees, but rather  some other sort of stinging, flying insect (wasp, hornet, yellowjacket), I would recommend killing them yourself.  This involves taking a can of Raid Wasp/Hornet Killer (or its equivalent), going out to the tree shortly after dusk on a cool evening, and spraying the can in the tree very liberally.  Leave quickly, and you may avoid getting stung.

I hope this helps in some way.

Billy Craig

"Approximately 3 million bees were found swarming around a man's Queens, N.Y., home on Wednesday night, and were confiscated --  to the relief of his neighbors.

Yi Gin Chen had beehives packed into the backyard -- about 45 hives in total, said Andrew Cote, president of the New York City Beekeepers Association. Cote said Chen, a beekeeper in his native China, had contacted the beekeepers' association earlier in the month for help with the bees because he was trying to sell his Corona, Queens, home.

Anthony Planakis, who heads bee control for the NYPD, told The New York Post of Chen's home, 'Picture 45 dogs in one apartment. It’s cruelty to the bees.'

New York City has ramped up its bee-control efforts recently. Earlier this month, Planakis -- who has been fighting stingers since 1995 -- was promoted from officer to detective by NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelley, and granted a 'bee-mobile' and other equipment, The New York Post reported."

3 million bees seized from Queens, N.Y., man's home
By Elizabeth Chuck


I like this Yi Gin Chen character.  The NYPD, on the other hand, should stay out of the beekeeping business.  Cops arrest bad guys, beekeepers handle bees.

"Hi, I found your name online and was wondering if you service... I have a hive on the back of my house that I discovered (unfortunately I didn't know it was there until being stung repeatedly). Please let me know if you can help and any details you need. Thanks."

-Will


Yes, thank you.  The pictures are very helpful.  I can see that those aren't honeybees.  They appear to be some kind of wasp.  I would come out at night with a can of Raid or some kind of wasp/hornet spray and just soak the nest with it.  Then you can knock it down the next day with a broom or rake, anything with a long handle.  That should take care of the problem.

-Billy, The Bees' Knees Bee Removal Services


"Thanks for the feedback. I can take care of the rest. Actually that was my initial plan but I wasn't sure if they were honeybees and didn't want to destroy the nest if that were the case.
Thanks again. For your time."

-Will

"Hi,
I have a daycare out of my home... and we have a bee problem in the front yard that's getting pretty bad. There seems to be multiple holes in the ground that they are coming from but I can't even get close enough to really assess the situation. Do you have any suggestions on how to deal with this? Last night I poured boiling water down what I thought were the two main holes, but this morning they're still there."

-Grant


Hi Grant,
It sounds like yellow-jackets to me.  They usually live in the ground.  Boiling water would only kill the few insects that contacted it. 
A can of Raid Hornet and Wasp Killer sprayed in the hole just after dark may do the trick.  I think they may also have some smoke bomb-type things that you could drop in the hole after dark.  The main thing is to do it after dark when all the bugs are at home and not flying around.  Plus, these colder nights make them less active, so you're less likely to be stung in the process.  They will still come after you though, so be quick and careful.
Multiple entrances may mean multiple nests, so you may have to get each one individually.
Good luck with it.  Let me know if you need more help.

-Billy, The Bees' Knees Bee Removal Services

"Honey bees are flourishing in Texas after a long drought has eased in parts of the state, reviving beekeepers' fortunes—and inflicting pain on unlucky Texans who have stumbled on hives in unwanted places.

The resurgence means Texas could dispatch more and better bees across the nation to help pollinate crops such as almonds next year. Some 80% of Texas beekeepers load their charges onto trucks and ship them to California and other states.

Bee specialists say that if Texas bees remain strong, they might help offset colony losses in some other states currently undergoing dry spells, such as Montana and the Dakotas, which contribute to the national pollination circuit.

The Texas bee revival also comes as the nation's honey bees have been sharply declining in recent years from colony-collapse disorder, a phenomenon scientists are still trying to understand. Bee health improved somewhat this winter nationwide, researchers say, perhaps because of the unusually warm temperatures in many areas.

The downside of Texas's turnaround is that honeycombs are showing up almost everywhere—in roof eaves and walls, within water meters and boats, and in one case on the eighth-floor pool deck of a hotel in downtown Austin."

Not All Texans Enjoy a Bee Revival
By ANA CAMPOY

"An attack by a swarm of Africanized bees that sent one man to the hospital and closed down a road for several hours Wednesday has authorities urging caution around the insects, saying they could be more active this summer than in recent years.The colony responsible for Wednesday's attack was colossal — as many as 125,000 aggressive bees living on 120 pounds of honeycomb in a warehouse off Rowe Lane. The bees stung three employees at the warehouse — including one up to 300 times, sending him to the hospital — and a Pflugerville police officer. Authorities closed Rowe Lane at FM 685 from about 8 a.m. to noon until the hive could be located and dealt with.

The attack was the worst this year and follows a bee attack Monday in West Austin that caused the victim to go into shock while he was driving himself to the hospital and caused him to crash into a pedestrian, several cars and a house."

Man sent to hospital after swarm of bees attacks
By Benjamin Wermund

"A Delta flight heading from Pittsburgh to New York was delayed by thousands of bees on its wing. A professional bee keeper was called to remove the bees, ABC affiliate WTAE reported. Master beekeeper Stephen Repasky said he was called to remove the bees because they're a protected species that cannot legally be killed."

Bees, Snakes, Bugs and Other Gross Things Found on Planes
By GENEVIEVE SHAW BROWN


You should see the "gross" things in the baggage.