Honey Bee Removal

[Alias218]

Hi all. I have an old potting shed-come-bar in my garden that I am intending on repurposing as a bbq shack affair. This will require its disassembly and so on. The problem is, there seems to be numerous honey bees buzzing around at ground level and I suspect a queen may have taken up residence fairly recently.

I suspect the nest is quite small at the moment but I won’t know until I take the thing apart and lift the floor. I’m in a bit of a bind as to what to do about it. They can’t stay but I don’t want them harmed!

Does anyone have experience of humanely removing them? I don’t want to kill them, but a professional outfit looks to be rather expensive. I’d like them to be relocated, ideally.

Bloody typical they move in just as I’m about to tear the structure down!

[Alias218]

They’re hanging out in a gang and from what I understand miner bees are solitary. I can’t say I know enough about bees to distinguish them but they look to be about the right size for honey bees.

Looking at pictures of honey and miner bees you’d be hard pressed to tell the difference if you didn’t know!

[Alias218]

OutInTheShed said:

If they are bona fide honey bees, then a beekeeper will take them away for free.
https://www.bbka.org.uk/pages/category/swarm-remov...
They may be a bit bonkers, bur they mean well IMHO.

Thanks for the link. Had a little look and you all may be right - though solitary they can nest close together in large numbers.

Apparently they don’t hang around for more than a few weeks so perhaps I’ll leave them be for a bit and come back in May and see how my little guests are doing.

[Alias218]

I think that on measure it probably isn’t honey bees then! There certainly aren’t 1,000s, maybe a dozen flying around above ground. They seem quite friendly, and they don’t sting which is good as I have two cats and one has a penchant for catching bees.

[Alias218]

Wiccan of Darkness said:

Simpo Two said:

Miner bees have tin hats and dirty faces and sound like Fred Dibnah.

Alias218 said:

They’re hanging out in a gang

Sounds like a picket line. Is the union demanding shorter flowers and more honey?

Now you mention it, I did hear a few of them call me a scab which I thought was weird. Makes sense now.

That’s right, I’m scabbing for the bees. Honey doesn’t make itself, you know

[Alias218]

I managed to get a snap of my friendly trespassers. If anyone is a dab hand at identifying bees, please wade in and settle the miner / honeybee question:



To be honest, they look much of a muchness to me.

[Alias218]

Silvanus said:

Looks to be a type of miner bee

Thanks - hopefully they move on when I start taking their home apart.