keeping bees away??

16 years ago

Hi

Curious if anyone has some suggestions to keep bees from swaming in my shadehouse.?? I use this area to grow mostly epiphytic orchids but also around 150 other species of plants . Over the last 10 years have had swarms 7 times

This is a VERY serious situation as my wife is allergic to the venom. So my ?? How can I determine what is attracting them?? How can I make them move on??

I HATE using bug spray on them but I'm not going to pay 50 bucks to have them removed.

Anything I could do to make the area less attractive??

I find the situation interesting as thhe various flowers don't seem to attract individual bees yet 7 swarms must be way above normal??

thanks for your help!!! gary

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Comments (5)

captstinky
16 years ago
Have you inspected the area for wax/honey from a previous swarm? That would certainly be an attractant- especiialy if they are repeatedly attracted to the same spot. I understand they do not like the smell of almonds, in the spring maybe spray some almond extract in the shade house to repel? You might also try a product marketed as bee quick or bee go during swarm season- typically in spring, but in your area might be closer to year round. Also, call your county agricultural extension office for input.
garyfla_gw
Original Author
16 years ago
Hi
Four of the times they collected on treefern fiber suspended from the ceiling and three to an overgrown Monstera climbing the wall.
Can't remember the season of the year but they are active year around as are wasps temites ants lol The last time was in November.
From the extension office I got the number of the 50 dollar removal guy lol
Might try that bee go if I can find it.
If it wasn't such a serious problem in my case I'd just let it go until I passed 3 stings lol maybe it won't happen again?? Thanks very much for the suggestions !! gary
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Konrad___far_north
16 years ago
I think you're just heaving allot of bee traffic...if you don't want to have bees around and are allergic, you might have to stay away from these plants.
It does sound you have wasp nest around but not honey bee swarm, a photo would help for I.D.

Honey bee swarm usually settle into cavities such as trees and walls, honey and wax will attract other bees,
a complete removal would be necessary, bee carful with bee go, from what I've heard it can stink up your place forever.

Florida is in Africanized bee zone, ...I guess you never know what you might have?

Konrad
garyfla_gw
Original Author
16 years ago
Hi
Definititely honey beeslol. Brown and orange. guessing maybe 200/ 500 individuals clustered together .Though i have over 150 species of flowering plants in there,mostly orchids bees don't seem particularly interested. Normal bee traffic ia almost nil,ANTS another story lol.
Have no problem with spraying paper wasps but HATE killing honeybees. But see no other solution.
They have never seemed particularly aggressive in fact just the opposite MUCH more interested in each other.
Have no idea how they choose a swarming site but seems odd to me I'd get picked 7 times lol.??
Thanks gary
captstinky
16 years ago
You could purchase a Bee-Vac, to collect and sell the swarms, though south of I-4 is pretty bad AHB(Africanized Honey Bee) territory...