Annoying Bees nesting in leaf corral

**llama momma** 7/10/2016, 12:00 pm

Bees are defending a nest in my beloved 6 by 8 ft. by 4 foot leaf corral. I have a part time gardener who I was overseeing as she built my hot compost heap. ( Still healing from a back injury) That's when we realized the bees took up residence in the leaf corral.

Does anyone know how to kindly encourage bees to leave???
Someone suggested to smoke them out. Ok, but I have no idea how to do that.

Was also told to hose them out with water. But then what? I become a running hysterical target for the entire hive?

Kind of broken hearted because the leaf corral is full and I want to make more compost but I don't want anyone to get hurt either.

BeetlesPerSqFt 7/10/2016, 12:18 pm

Are they honey bees, or are they yellow jacket wasps? I've heard both colloquially called 'bees' but I'd advise something rather different for each. The problem with 'kindly encouraging' them to leave is that they can't take their babies with them. Can you *safely* get a picture of one of them? And/or a picture of the nest? (Again, don't risk getting stung, and watch your feet.)

bigdogrock 7/10/2016, 12:30 pm

Llamma Momma PLEASE BE CAREFUL! DO NOT AGITATE THEM! If you have a telephoto lens then get some pics from afar, but until you know if they are Bees, Wasps, Hornets they can hurt you.
If they are honey bees, it can be easy to find a local bee keeper to come and give them a new home, the bee keeper knows how to do this.
If they are not honey bees, then you have a different path to take. Do not try to move them or try to persuade them to leave, they are most active during the day.
Please keep us informed.

**llama momma** 7/10/2016, 12:36 pm

Neither yellow jackets or honey bees. More black in color than anything else as far as we can tell. It seemed like the bees would stay busy around the leaves and only a couple would swarm the persons head without stinging. I'm also familiar with wood bees and the way they move. Didn't seem like wood bees and a leaf pile seems like the wrong environment.
Try to get a picture later on. I am appreciating everyone's input. I will do nothing to agitate them, I'm More than afraid of them. Just finished leaving a message to my local beekeeping acquaintance he has 14 hives.

bigdogrock 7/10/2016, 2:05 pm

Llama Momma, here is a pic of a Bold Faced (or White Faced) hornet, a particularly nasty, evil, mean, vile, very aggressive, multiple stinging flying predator.
Annoying Bees nesting in leaf corral Boldfa10

Annoying Bees nesting in leaf corral Boldfa10

Here is a link-
http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/bald-faced_hornet.htm

Please be cautious around this or any hornet type insect. Rock

**camprn** 7/10/2016, 4:19 pm

Maybe call a local beekeeper.

If they are in the leaf hoop, I would just leave them alone until after the first freeze, Wasps and hornets do not winter over in colonies like honey bees do. Perhaps just set up another collection hoop for now.

**llama momma** 7/10/2016, 6:52 pm

Already did and he's suppose to come over in a little bit. Hope he can identify what they are. My second corral is empty so this corral is important because I'm trying to have the gardener make a second Berkely type batch for me to keep beds going through Autumn. But in the end I may have to let it go and wait it out as you suggested.

**llama momma** 7/10/2016, 6:55 pm

bigdogrock wrote:Llama Momma, here is a pic of a Bold Faced (or White Faced) hornet, a particularly nasty, evil, mean, vile, very aggressive, multiple stinging flying predator.

Here is a link-
http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/bald-faced_hornet.htm

Please be cautious around this or any hornet type insect. Rock

Thanks but -- Oh no it's not that nasty looking thing at all. These are round in body shape, with a little yellow. Look like small hybrid bumble bees from someone who knows really nothing about bees.

**llama momma** 7/10/2016, 10:27 pm

My neighbor came with his bee suit and smoker thing. Located the nest in the leaves and in about 10 minutes was able to remove it to a different location. May take a week for any leftover larvae to scatter off or die or whatever the little critters do. Then reclaim my leaf pile. Whew!

**Scorpio Rising** 7/11/2016, 10:01 pm

what were they?

**llama momma** 7/12/2016, 5:19 am

All I can tell you is the bee keeper recognized them and said they had a long latin name which he didn't try to pronounce. Shocked

Anyway it looked like a small version of black and yellow bumble bees.

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Annoying Bees nesting in leaf corral

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