How to Identify Honey Bee Hives
Wild honeybees may establish a hive in your attic or the walls of your home, which can be a health hazard and also a danger to the structure of your house. They can become much more of a problem than wasp or yellow jacket nests because wasps and yellow jackets are seasonal and will disappear without treatment. Honeybee hives can remain for many years without treatment. Honey that is stored in the hive can ruin walls and ceilings, and bees can swarm and cause physical danger when disturbed. Before deciding on a course of treatment, you should first establish which type of nest you are dealing with. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Where the nest is placed can help identify the type of pest with which you are dealing. Paper wasps will nest practically anywhere -- in eaves, behind shutters, under deck railings, in gas grills, swing sets, mailboxes, and light fixtures --- but they prefer nesting in attics. Yellow jackets often build their nests in the ground, usually in mulched areas and near shrubbery. But like honeybees, yellow jackets will often build nests in walls and ceilings of homes. Hornets will place their nests entirely on the exterior of the house -- in trees, shrubs, under decks, and high in the eaves. Bumblebee hives can usually be found underground. Honeybee hives will generally be in a protected area inside walls or in the attic.
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Check out the size and shape of the nest. Paper wasp nests aren't very large and can be tucked into very small spaces. Hornets, wasps and yellow jackets construct a "football" or upside-down, teardrop-shaped nest. Bumble bees like to build their hives underground. Honeybee hives are rarely visible and almost always hidden in a cavity -- the hollow of a tree or in the wall of your house. If you could see it, it would look like rows of wax comb covered with bees.
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Identify the material used to construct the nest. Wasps, hornets and yellow jackets construct their nests from gray "paper." They make the paper by chewing on tiny slivers of wood. Bumblebees nest in abandoned mouse nests or use cotton or fiberfill that can be found in pillows or old car seats. Honeybee hives are constructed of wax secreted from glands on their abdomens and formed into a hexagon-shaped cells placed in parallel rows of honey "combs."
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Watch for bees coming in and out of your home. If you see bees flying in and out of attic vents or other possible entrances to your home, chances are they have built a nest in your walls or attic.
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Tips & Warnings
If you spot bees coming in and out of your home, call a pest control specialist. Controlling honey bee nests can be challenging.
References
- Photo Credit honey bee image by Alison Bowden from Fotolia.com
