How to get honey bees to leave?

[Applelonia]

I'm allergic to bees - carry epi pens. We have a couple different bee keepers around us. I don't mind the honey bees that frequent our garden and fruit trees. They are kind of nice actually - excellent pollinators!! They have plenty to eat during the growing season and seem to mind their own business. They even move while I'm picking and harvesting crops.

The last few days we've had very warm weather - extended forcast shows the warmer than usual weather is expected to continue. The poor honey bees seem to have come out and are hungry. There is really nothing for them to eat as the snow has just melted - nothing is budding or blooming. 

Every day there are more and more bees at our place. Hundreds around the chicken coops and in the barn. When I give the birds grain the bees come by the dozens and fly around my gloved hands while I hold the feed scoop and they crawl all over the grain. Couldn't even give the geese new grain this morning - their buckets had a thick layer of bees covering the thin layer of residual grain and bees swarming around the buckets. 

After doing chores in constant terror of being stung and having an anaphylactic reaction, I came inside the house and mixed up organic cane sugar and water and put it in a low pan. I placed this pan about 300 feet away from the barn/coops ~ hoping this might lure the bees away from the animals and feed. Might this work or will it just make the situation worse?? 

Any tips to get them to leave, so I can do chores in peace?? Can't even clean the cow stalls because the bees are all over the floor in the stalls....they are everywhere! 

[simplynaturalfarm]

You will probably make it worse as they come back and bring friends - bees love their sugar. And they can be nasty to be around if they swarm around sugar - we had some frames we were cleaning in the front yard one year and the next morning we couldn't actually walk outside the front door for the aggressive bees! Ended up putting my suit on, hauling them all to the other end of the property til they were clean and then the bees left.

It is very weird that you are seeing so many around your place.

[Applelonia]

Just got back from afternoon chores...the chicken feeder was swarming with bees....the grain was thick with bees. The chickens are hungry but they can't eat with all the bees. Some try to eat but the bees fly at them and the chickens run away. I ended up tossing out grain on the ground for the chickens. When I left the bees were after the food on the ground. The geese are also unable to eat because of all the bees. Sugar water doesn't have any bees by it.

I'm thinking I shouldn't feed the birds until night after the bees go home. The chickens and geese won't be happy to go without food during the day but it's scary to have hundreds of bees around. 

[simplynaturalfarm]

It the feed wet? Bees don't normally go after dry grain!

Can you get a bee suit? I would worry about your health with the bees!

[canesisters]

Wow.. scary.
Do you know the people who own the hives? Maybe they are not even aware of the problem? I would expect that we are not done with winter quite yet and they should be doing whatever they can to keep the hive from getting too active before the next cold snap.

edited to add: I don't know if it would have any affect.. but what about vinegar? My chickens like a little vinegar added to their feed now and then. Eva too.  I wonder if adding it for a few days would encourage the bees to go elsewhere. 

[Applelonia]

It's dry feed ~ completely dry. Whole corn. Whole wheat. Whole oats. Crushed mixed grain...corn, wheat, barly, oat, peas, alfalfa, etc...with minerals/ vitamins....Can't even see the grain in the feeders because it's a swarming mass of bees    When I brought the cows hay this morning the bees were flying around and landing on the hay. And when giving the cows water there were several bees flying around and irritating Apple in her face. The bees seem agitated. 

I don't know the owners of the hives...one guy I talked to briefly once. Don't know his name or contact info. He has his row of hives on a neighbor's land. The other hives I know of, it is the same thing...someone with hives on someone else's land. If this goes on much longer, I'll contact the neighbor's and see if I can get the name of the bee keepers. 

Is is it possible they are honey bees but don't have a hive and a bee keeper? Do honey bees ever live in old trees or holes the ground? 

[simplynaturalfarm]

I think you might be dealing with a few hives that are planning to swarm - last year we had three issues where all of a sudden we couldn't do anything for bees. I heard the weirdest noises too and it took me an hour or two to realize we had tornadoes of bees that were all over our property. I put boxes down and caught the swarms and fed them and they were fine. What you are describing sounds like spring when they start to divide and leave - they are hungry, they are ready to leave etc. They don't usually sting though when they are getting ready to leave, so I'm hoping that if you give it a week they will be gone for good.
Be careful if you see a huge bunch of them around something - their queen could be resting as the scouts look for a new location and they do protect her well.

Maybe you could talk to one of the beekeepers about putting a box or two somewhere where the majority are and they often will take up residence. Then the beekeeper could move them!

[Applelonia]

Thanks for all the info simplynaturalfarm!  When you mention, "when they start to divide and leave" and "look for a new location" do you mean honey bees leave their hive and start a new hive in a different area away from their original hive!?! The last thing I want is for them to take up residence on our property! I figured they were from the hives at our neighbors and were just looking for food and would all go back home. We have several hollow large trees and trees with multiple big holes in them in the woods right next to the chicken coop and goose area.  Is that the kind of area they might move into....I sure hope not! 

[simplynaturalfarm]

Unfortunately yes. Swarms are highly sought after in most areas and you should be able to contact somebody to bait and catch them. I am on a list for local swarms, but I can't even remember the name of the place I signed up with. I'll look them up.
Otherwise, contact the local bee people and tell them the bees are becoming a serious problem especially as you have allergies.

Normally every beekeeper feeds their honey bees in the spring in order to stimulate egg laying, brood production etc. They go and check the stores in the hive and feed them appropriately. Bees acting like this is really not normal. It could be they have an aggressive hive (which would mean you would be getting stung though!), but it sounds like you have some needing a queen and a home. Some beekeepers have queens on hand and your beekeepers normally would WANT to keep their bees on their place and should come out and put down a hive for you. You would normally notice if the bees are setting up a home in a hollow tree - you would see them swarming around it. You would also see boatloads of bees coming in and out of the location - you could watch the hollow trees carefully to see if you have bees coming in and out of a specific location. Or if you see bees swarming all over a tree limb or something you would contact somebody to come and box them up and haul them away. A hive is worth $1-200 so like I said most beekeepers will come and get their bees.

I would be stressed myself! In fact, I'm stressed for you and if I was closer I would set up an empty hive with sugar and frames for you!!

[simplynaturalfarm]

www.google.com/search?q=bees+swarming&rlz=1C1RNNN_enUS367&espv=2&biw=1164&bih=823&tbm=isch&imgil=uMnU8c-zkgQwjM%253A%253BFj7GHyz-4vkfJM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fthreeriversbeekeepers.com%25252Fswarms%25252F&source=iu&pf=m&fir=uMnU8c-zkgQwjM%253A%252CFj7GHyz-4vkfJM%252C_&usg=__kROpIozGNZV1nn2wqQrieiNG7rQ%3D&ved=0ahUKEwjr4sr_o7LLAhWMPT4KHVmDB40QyjcIIw&ei=VGXfVuvoNoz7-AHZhp7oCA#imgrc=uMnU8c-zkgQwjM%3A

When they are looking for a new home, you can have hoards of them buzzing around your place - it is disturbing if you are in the middle of it. Usually they are flying around while their scouts locate an excellent place to build a new hive. As soon as the scouts find an appropriate home, they all move into it around the queen. The queen is usually located wherever the most bees are (they cluster around her). I am hoping this is a hive or two separating and in 2-3 days they will be gone!

[Jenn]

Yes, they do live in hollow trees sometimes. If they are attracted to the grain and not the sugar water, then are wanting protein/pollen.

Definitely contact your local beekeeper or club to see if they can't catch the swarm.

Definitely feed at night after thy have put themselves to bed. Your geese will get over it.

[Applelonia]

The temperature dropped to around 30. The bees left ~ woohoo!!! and I was feeling relieved and pleased that maybe they would be gone....then it warmed up a little yesterday afternoon and the sun came out .....as did the bees! Not as many bees and they were moving slow because of the low temps. Today into next week is in the 60s/50s....should be interesting to see if they return in mass. Got a new pack of epi-pens, so I should be ready for worst case 

[Shawn]

I would think those beekeepers would set up a swarm trap off your property, but close enough to attract them to the trap. do give your neighbors a call and see if they can help you out. sorry you're allergic, that's scary. Otherwise, they are a fascinating species.

[Applelonia]

It's gotten chilly again...windy, rainy, possible snow, freezing temps at night. So the bees are all gone. Hope they made it back to their hives. After several days of sheer terror doing chores with them flying around me, landing on me, and needing to watch where I walked so I wouldn't step on them, they seemed to get used to me and became less agitated. Wish I wasn't allergic to bees/wasps because I think it would be fun to try a hive or two.

[Jenn]

I don't know how much an epi pen, or a trip to the hospital costs....but it might be worth the investment to get a "golden bee" suit. I hear it's the top of the line for comfort and safety in bee gear. Sometimes peace of mind is worth it's weight in gold, so to speak though.

[elia]

Yes, get a bee suit - a good one. A pack of Epi-pens (2) is about $200, or was, the last time I checked (which is hilarious, since a vial of epinephrine that would last a lifetime is about $8), and a trip to the ER for bee-induced anaphylactic shock can be quite a few thousands of dollars, not to mention the terror and risk of dying. Ask me how I know. I was a bee-keeper for many years, until the allergy got out of hand.

It is worth having a bee suit, not just for random honeybee swarms, but also for bumblebees (who nest in the ground), and "ground bees", who only come out for about six weeks a year, but can still surprise you when you are mowing. Not that you would wear the suit all the time, of course, but it is worth having, for times when a clear and present danger appears. For example, I had to jack up a bush hog once to hook it up to the tractor, and it turned out there was a bumblebee nest under it. Oops! Time for the bee suit. Get one where the veil is part of the suit and doesn't just fit over a separate bee hat.

[canesisters]

wow... I get annoyed at having to walk from the barn (where I usually park) to the house just to change into boots before tending to the cows. I would HATE having to 'suit up' everytime I needed to be out a while.
So sorry.

[Applelonia]

I know that wearing a bee suit was mentioned in a thread I started about raspberry recommendations because I was having so many issues with bees, hornets, wasps on my late summer berries. Might need to finally look into that option. I do a lot of outside work (chores, gardening, cutting trees/brush) and always have the thought in the back of my mind what to do if I get stung and that feeling of mild worry.

From when the bees first come out in the spring, to until winter begins, I carry dye-free Benadryl and epi-pens on me always. I don't step outside without them. Just got new ones - $114 - insurance paid for a good share of it...someone I know needs them and it costs over $400 for two - their insurance doesn't cover them. Even if I had a bee suit, I'd still need to buy the epi-pens for back-up. As I have many food allergies, allergies to various chemicals and a bad latex/rubber allergy. I can avoid most of the things I'm allergic to by almost never eating out and growing/raising a good share of our food and not using chemicals but those bees can't be avoided. They seem to sting a person when they least expect it and don't even notice they are there until the sting!

Last time I was stung was over three years ago. Only minor breathing issues that cleared up with Benadryl...the full body rash of huge hives from head to my toes and the intense itching that lasted for days was not pleasant....My allergist said that next time I get stung, I might have the same type of reaction or it might be a full-blown anaphylactic reaction. They did say, the longer between stings the better my chances of not having a bad reaction...and a bee suit would help with that! 

[simplynaturalfarm]

it would be very hard to do chores and such with a bee suit - even bee keepers get so they rarely wear them because they are hot (even my vented suit), heavy and unwieldy. I would have one on hand for if it got really bad and you needed to do something, but I HAVE been stung 3x through my suit with aggressive bees.

I hesitate to keep bees because families of beekeepers tend to have higher incidences of allergies to bees and it is theorized that it is due to exposure to bees without being stung. Sounds wacky I know! So if you are going to keep bees, they recommend getting stung at least 5 x a year.

Do you know how hard it is to try to think about intentionally having everybody get stung every year. . . I actually took a break from bees for a full year now because I didn't want to have my kids have a higher incidence of allergies to bees!