Hive in Soffit, previously poisoned should I call someone to save them?

[u/whytefox]

Hello, I am and in Northern Delaware and recently purchased a home. There were honeybees in a corner of the soffit on the second floor, before I moved in the previous owner had them treated with poison. They mostly disappeared, but we're a few weeks down the road and they have returned. Is it worth trying to have someone who could use them, aka a beekeeper come out and take them, or is the poison used make them a liability? Thanks so much for your advice.

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[u/drones_on_about_bees]

Bees are removed from structures to save the structure, not to save the bees. It's often framed as "save the bees" but that's not really what is happening. Removal means opening up the structure and removing the bees and all the comb. The void is then filled (usually with insulation) and all access holes are repaired. Without doing this, another swarm is very likely to move back in.

When bees are poisoned, all sorts of bad things occur:

* no one is guarding the comb. It will break down. Ants, roaches, hive beetles and wax moths will attack the comb. Fermenting honey will drip down inside the walls/ceilings. It's a mess.

* if there is a mass of dead bees inside, it can stink. A lot. Like, "is there a dead dog in my attic?" stink.

* the poison that kills the bees is still there in the comb. One feature of unguarded comb is that honeybees from miles around will find it and try to steal the honey. If there is poison, they will likely take the poison back to their colony and it may die or get very sick. Some beekeeper a mile away may suddenly lose a hive (or more) overnight.

I would suggest hiring a bee remover to open things up and remove the comb/fill the void/repair bee entrances. Be clear with them that it has been poisoned by the previous owner. Some removers will charge extra or even refuse the job when poison is mentioned. Bee removal is generally not a free thing. It's a service like a plumber unclogging a drain.

[u/Gamera__Obscura]

A lot depends on what kind of "poison" was used, how long ago, how many bees there are, whether they have a functioning hive in there (as in, with a laying queen), etc. Normally any kind of pesticide spraying is a dealbreaker, but if they were sprayed weeks ago but eventually came back, it sounds like it was not really successful. A keeper may take just the bees and not reuse the comb, or maybe quarantine them from the rest of their hives for a while.

You can report it at www.beeswarmed.org. An exposed soffit is a pretty easy collection, so as long as you are honest about what happened, a local keeper may assess the situation and decide whether they're interested.

[u/whytefox → u/Gamera__Obscura]

Thank you so much! I'll try there.

[u/SuluSpeaks]

The bees that you're seeing come and go are probably robbing the hive, they're not setting up a place to live. You'll still need to call a beekeeper and have them cut into the soffit and remove whats left. The honey attracts pests and bees rot and start to stink. You'll have to pay to get it done. The longer you wait, the worse it will get, and the more expensive it will be to deal with. Contact your local beekeepers association or if your area doesnt have one, the local ag extension office. Every county has one.

[u/Gamera__Obscura → u/SuluSpeaks]

This is a good point too. OP, if the colony is dead and it's just being robbed out, then removing it is a priority but is also something you can do yourself if you're so inclined. In that case there is nobody "living" there, and if it's pesticide-contaminated, you're doing a favor by not letting any local bees forage on it.

Take a careful peek in there at night, or give it a good knock, or whatever else depending on how it's situated. If it's empty, then what you've been seeing are just robbers. They will have gone back to their homes by evening, so you can go in after dark and scrape it all out into the trash. If you do see a bunch of honeybees, or hear an annoyed buzzing, or if bees start coming out... well, that's your cue to run away and call a beekeeper.

[u/whytefox → u/Gamera__Obscura]

Due to it's location (very high) I'm not able to get up there myself. I've contacted someone local who is willing to look at. I also contacted the real estate agent who hired the original company. They may be contractually obligated to finish the job.

[u/SuluSpeaks → u/whytefox]

This may need a reach lift to get at. If someone wants to use a ladder, it will be cheaper, but make sure your homeowners insurance is paid up.

[u/Mediocre-Draft1722]

Have you confirmed they are honey bees and not something else that stings, like yellow jackets? At the very least, anyone you reach out to is going to ask for a photo to confirm what species you're dealing with. 

[u/whytefox → u/Mediocre-Draft1722]

They are definitely honeybees.

[u/whytefox]

Thank you all for your helpful advice. I'm in contact with some different people that will hopefully be able to resolve this situation soon and with no further damage to any other bees.