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Bee nest

3.4K views 43 replies 27 participants last post by  gj10  
#1 ·
I think I must have a bees nest under my holly tree. I've noticed bees flying around it all summer and just thought they were getting pollen. Then noticed this morning all the bees were fly around then down through one area at the bottom of the tree. So now the question is what to do to get rid of them? I don't think it's yellow jackets because they never attack and I've seen them all summer.
 
#2 ·
I don't believe honeybees nest in the ground. I f you can capture one, safely, and post it and ID would be possible. What few inground nests I have run into are hornets or wasps.
 
#3 ·
Yellow jackets are usually in the ground around here. Bees build hives anywhere. Hornets make those paper nests. I was cutting back a monster azalea years ago and encountered a basketball size hornets nest.

Vacant thankfully.

A beekeeper might be willing to come get your hive, if you have one, and if they are not those jihadi Africanized killer bees.

Cool weather in the morning will make them MUCH easier to deal with. That's been my feeble experience with wasps nests and other insect interlopers.
 
#4 ·
With a little google they really look like honey bee's not as big as yellow jackets. There may not be a nest but they all seem to be flying to the same area near the bottom of the tree not quiet to the ground.
 
#5 ·
Get some binoculars or a scope and a lawn chair. Set up camp for a few minutes in the middle of the day when it is warm and they are active. Watch the ground where they are. If it is yellow jackets you will see them flying in and of one spot like a busy airport, but you have to watch closely. They will have a quarter sized hole that you can't see that goes down a few inches to their underground bunker.

I buy the aerosol insect killer that shoots a long stream, you have to really soak it down repeatedly. Go back the next day and dig them up, whatever they are. And plan to get stung exactly twice. I always do.

The neighbors are always entertained.

I've never seen honey bees build nests in the ground, but then again, I haven't seen honey bees in years.
 
#10 ·
There are ground hornets, then there are yellow jackets. The yellow jackets are smaller than the ground hornets but just as nasty and painful. Sounds like you have yellow jackets. Honey bees build in holes in trees and other funny places. Cloudy and raining today they shouldn't be that active. Get a flashlight and peer into the bush. If they are going in the ground you got yellow jackets. Bee spray works ok but a cup of gas poured straight into the hole works a lot better. Gas kills them on contact and the fumes will reach down into the nest and choke the rest of em. Enjoy!
 
#11 ·
The thing that complicates thing is that it is at the corner of my house. I'll that some wasp/hornet spray and kill a few to get a better look and post a pic. I run the mower right by it every time but they never seem to care.
 
#13 ·
easy, peasy way for Yellow Jackets.
1. during the day, locate/mark the hole. (they only make one. no escape hole)
2. at night (not twilight) place an upside-down big bowl over it and weight it down with rocks.
you might have to use dirt/sand to make the edges inescapable.
3. don't mess with it for four days. the YJ's will overheat/starve.
 
#16 ·
As stated before locate the hole and what it is during the day and if it is yellow jackets a cup full of gasoline right at dusk so that they are calmer and mostly in the nest. That will take care of them. A small soup can without a lid attached to a stick or 2x2 makes a great tool to reach out and pour the gas without getting close and getting stung.
 
#17 ·
Wait until near dark (dark is OK too, but you'll need a flashlight). They return to the nest for the night.

Spray the hell out of the hole with run of the mill Yellow Jacket Killer spray. Buy it at Lowes, Home Depot, etc. They're all good. Shoot the whole can!! Don't hang around lookin!! Just walk away.

That's it. They'll be dead in no time at all!
 
#18 ·
Some of the bee killer on the market now is good if you want to DIY. I like the one that will shoot a stream. I made a game out of it this summer, yes I can be easily amused. I would stand at my slider, wait for a wasp or one of those big carpenter bees to come up on the deck then shoot it out of mid air with the bee killer spray. I did have to call an exterminator for wasp nests under my deck so that is where they were coming from. Sounds like you have yellow jackets, keep the dogs and kids away, those guys are nasty!! I would just call an exterminator. I hate dealing with those little demons!!!
 
#19 ·
If they are honey bees, don't kill them! They're a great insect to have around. Call your county Agriculture extension office. There's a good chance they can set you up with some beekeepers who have the know how to remove them from your property safely.
 
#20 ·
If they are honey bees, don't kill them! They're a great insect to have around. Call your county Agriculture extension office. There's a good chance they can set you up with some beekeepers who have the know how to remove them from your property safely.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^THIS^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Please take the time to at least find out what they are before killing them. Honey bees are keepers and can be safely moved.
 
#21 ·
If they are honey bees, don't kill them! They're a great insect to have around. Call your county Agriculture extension office. There's a good chance they can set you up with some beekeepers who have the know how to remove them from your property safely.
This is great advice. I apprenticed as a beekeeper through high school and college, and we did this for free...relocating the hives, then collecting the honey. Classic win-win-win.