Unless you’re this guy, there aren’t many things in this world that are as terrifying as a swarm of bees. Just the sheer size of some beehives is enough to give even the toughest people a few jitters.
The real problem, however, is that bees love making their hives in places like balconies and under window sills as they offer them greater protection against the elements. Since you’re reading this article, we can safely assume that you’ve just encountered a massive hive somewhere in the vicinity.
But there’s no need to worry.
No, seriously. Bees are only dangerous if they feel threatened or are aggravated by something. Unlike wasps, a bee will sting only as a last resort to defend itself and its hive. In fact, when a bee stings you, it sacrifices its own life.
Technically, you could just let the hive be and everything will be OK. However, just to make life easier for yourself and for the bees, it’s always better to get rid of or relocate a beehive that’s in close proximity to humans. The easiest way to remove a hive is to go to a website like Quikr and get in touch with a professional beekeeper or pest control agency who’ll come and do the job for you. In fact, if the hive is a big one, it’s always safer to seek their help instead of trying to fix the situation yourself.
Better Safe Than Sorry
Removing a beehive by yourself is quite a simple process, but before you get down to work, here are a few things you should buy to keep yourself safe:
- Light-coloured and smooth-textured clothes; bees hate dark colours and rough textures. Don’t ask why.
- A hat with a wide brim
- Gloves
- A large face veil
- A bee smoker (you can make one with a tin can and a stick)
- A scraping tool, like a chisel or a long screwdriver
Make sure that you wear a long sleeved t-shirt/shirt and full length pants. To make sure that bees don’t have a way to get inside your clothes, use rubber bands or strings to close down your the openings at the ends of your sleeves and at your ankles. Basically, this is what you should end up looking like.
Ok, maybe that’s overkill, but you get the picture.
Getting Down And Dirty
Now that we’ve got you into your bee-proof space suit, it’s time to get down to business.
(WARNING: Do not attempt to remove a hive if you’re allergic to bees! Please keep an insecticide ready to ward off any bees that may try to sting you.)
- Use pinecones, old wood or any other slow burning material as fuel for your smoker. Once you’ve got your smoker ready, carefully bring it near the beehive and wave it around the hive slowly and calmly to avoid startling the bees. Choose a nice, sunny afternoon as this is the time when most bees will be out pollinating.
- Once the bees have been calmed by the smoke, it’s time to get scraping. Before that, get hold of a suitably sized box to place the hive in once you remove it. Scrape along the edges and try your best to keep the hive as intact as possible.
- Once you’ve got the hive inside the box, close the lid and smoke it a little more to calm the bees down. Poke a few holes all over the side of the box.
- Relocate the hive and leave it in a place where the bees won’t trouble anyone and no one will trouble the bees.
- Go back to the spot where you scraped away the hive. Carefully clean it up, making sure that there’s no residue left behind.
Congratulations, honey! You’ve successfully removed your first beehive! Go celebrate with a some delicious Belgian waffles topped with even more delicious honey.
Here’s a bee saying thank you for being a nice human and not destroying its home.
Cute, isn’t it?