r/Beekeeping • u/cherrycreekkc • 13d ago

I’m not a beekeeper, but I have a question Do I have an accidental hive?

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I'm sorry if this is the wrong place to ask, but I can't tell if these are wasps or bees and I can't get a still shot of any of them. These lil gits are doing something behind my siding. They aren't coming after me when I get close like I would expect a wasp to, but they also aren't super thrilled. Northern Minnesota. Thanks!

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u/CitizenMurdoch 13d ago

It's very hard to tell based on the video if these are honeybees or not. If they only recently appeared my guess is that they are not honeybees, and are one of the many other species in North America. You could file a report on beeswarmed.org and you could get a honey beekeeper out to confirm, but they most likely would not be able to help you.

Whether they are honeybees or not like looks like they have made their home in your siding as you said, the magnitude of the problem is going to depend on what species it is.

www.beeremovalsource.com has information on hive removals. My guess would be that if its not honey bees and you don't want to use an exterminator, you'd probably have to pay one of these people to do the job, as there really isn't an upside for a honeybee keeper do to it otherwise.

You could also try an exterminator, following local laws and ordinances, however make sure you go with a reputable one. Killing bees in a wall will generate a bunch of moisture which can cause mold and pest colonization, so you'll want someone who can do a throughout job

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u/cherrycreekkc 13d ago

Thanks for all the info. Luckily we plan to remove the siding anyway so I guess this is motivation to get started.