BEE PROOFING YOR HOME

Swarms In spring, many honey bee colonies swarm. A colony will divide and about 1/3 of the workers will leave, usually with an older queen to find a new location. The individual bees fly so close to a queen in flight that, together, they form a mass reaching one to two feet in diameter. These masses often form a temporary “cluster” seen on structures, shrubs, or the ground. If the swarms are left alone, they will usually leave in two to three days. If you should find a swarm in a location that can’t be tolerated due to safety issues, contact a beekeeper or a pest control company

FERAL BEE COLONIE

Feral Bee Colony Bee swarms will eventually find a suitable location for another hive. In the wild, bees may find an opening in trees, quiet locations under rocky overhangs or large tree limbs. However, in the urban landscape, structures are often perfect for bee colonies. If a feral bee colony establishes a colony on a property or in a structure and has been determined to be a public nuisance, County Public Health Ordinance 11.02.190 requires the person having control of the property to abate or remove such a condition or nuisance within a reasonable time

Africanized and European Honey Bees both like to establish colonies in hollow walls. “Bee-Proofing” prevents bees from entering a wall void, attic or subarea by sealing, caulking, patching or screening any opening larger than 1/8th of an inch. Locate places around your home that bees might want to use as nesting sites and correct them before bees find them

• Air vents

• Pipe holes

• Roof junctions

• Gaps under eaves

• Cable wiring holes

• Missing light fixtures

• Chimney roof junctions

• Openings in exterior walls

• Electric meter compartments

• Gaps between roofing and fascia boards

• Debris /Trash items: Empty containers-boxes, buckets, pots Lumber piles Old furniture Major repairs to y

Caulk gaps and cracks larger than 1/8”

Use stucco or plastic patching material to fix holes in walls.

• Replace with 1/8” mesh if screens are missing or the mesh is too large

Fix narrow gaps using insulating foam. (ANY BRAND WORKS )

Major repairs to your home may require obtaining permits and coordinating with building inspectors. If there is any question about this, call your local Building and Safety Office. The tools and materials shown here are available at any local hardware or home improvement store