In a message dated 8/3/2005 8:22:21 PM Eastern Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
recieved a call from a neighbor across the lake about some honey bees in
his attic.  On inspection I found them to be quite buried in the wall and
too infected with mites to try to retreive.  Anyone have a good method of
putting the poor girls out of thier misery, without doing too much damage to
the guy's house? Looks like they are from this spring's swarms.
For years we used "Ficam D," a dust insecticide used with a bulb duster.  It
worked wonderfully but has recently lost it EPA registration.  We have since
switched to "Tri-Die silica & pyrethrum dust," while it knocks down well, it is
also a powerful repellent.  I find that foragers won't enter the nest cavity.
 They linger around the area, usually starting a "swarm" panic from the
casual observers.  Bees and wasp missed are blocked from the entrance, working
their way through the walls to appear on the inside of the house. "Deltadust" also
works well.  The point is, for a complete kill, the dust needs to be injected
into the cavity with enough force to cover all the surfaces.

I would stay away from "Raid" or the other sprays unless you want to mickey
mouse the nozzle by switching it with a WD-40 can.  Then you can inject the
liquid inside the cavity with the little red tube.  Just hosing the outside will
not help.  Not enough bees will die to make a difference, the foragers will be
able to leave, but not easily return.  "Raid" and the like are contact
killers that dry up quickly, but leave a repellent.

If the bees cavity are mostly accessible from the attic, you could drop a
couple of flea fogger bombs up there.  Check all your labels first.

The more important issue is the left over brood, honey, wax and dead bees.
This leaves a sticky, putrid mess that will attract other pests and healthy
bees.  You maybe better off hiring a local beekeeper to help you open up the side
of the house and vacuum it all up.  Another choice is to leave it alone.  If
they die, the local bees and wasps might clean it out on their own.


Jim Hock
Long time Exterminator, short time Beekeeper
Wethersfield, CT

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