I think we have bees in our cavity.

[Fluffycloudland77]

It's a new build

If they are in the cavity then collecting them might be difficult - if they are furry then they might not be honey bees - but yes, contact a local beekeeping organisation - have a look here first, see if you can identify them www.bbka.org.uk/help/do_you_have_a_swarm.php

We have bees in the eaves. At first I thought they were wasps, as we had wasps there the year before, but the pest control guy (aka Lee the Bee), said no, they are bees and they are protected. I spoke to a local beekeeper who said they are not aggressive like wasps, so perhaps to leave well alone and the hive would die out and probably not return. Two years later they are still there, but no bother, other than the occasional bee corpse indoors. We have bats in there as well, so now two species that we have to find a live-and-let-live existence with. However, if they swarmed, it would be a different story

If they're bumbles just leave them alone. if they're honey bees you'll have a local facebook page (if you use it) somebody on there will be able to help. Although it'll be hard to get them out now I would think.

I'm thinking of just leaving them be until winter then sealing the gaps properly.

Y'know, like the builders were supposed to.

bees swarming are not a problem - its how they reproduce, half go off with the old queen leaving the other half of the colony and a new emerging queen. Swarming bees are dopy - they gorge themselves on honey before they leave and are very docile and rarely sting. Beekeepers often collect swarms without using any protective gear.

If you seal the gaps in winter then you will seal them in - if they are honey bees then you might get honey seeping out. Contact the local BBKA group and someone will come out and look - they won't charge you, if they can retrieve them they will.

Oh bugger. I thought I had a fail safe plan then! Ok I'll get a bee person in.

Wait, don't call anyone yet! Check here www.bbka.org.uk/help/do_you_have_a_swarm.php to identify them. If bumbles you don't need to call anyone, they will go at the end of the year and you can fill gaps. Beekeeper a who collwect swarms won't want to be called about v

Oops pressed too soon...
About bumbles. If honey bees call local beekeeping association who will probably collect.

Dh wants to call pest control

They are entering through a tiny hole by the window frame so I don't know how a swarm collector would get them.

I'm really cross with the builders for not caulking properly and leaving us with the problem.

Poor bees.

We had something similar in a new build. The council pest guy said they were probably mortar wasps and not to worry. I still filled the holes up in the winter.

pest control won't do anything.. bees are protected and they're so important and we need as many as possible.

They won't cause any damage.. they'll leave later on in the year... they really don't bother you.

We were having an extension demolished but builder noticed bees entering through a small hole. I had to get pest control in and he said they were masonary bees. He put some powder in the hold and sealed it up. Extension was successfully demolished afterwards.

So we won't be able to destroy them then

Actually I may have meant masonry bees

We have bees above the patio doors where there are some little vents. They just pootle about being bees. No bother.

We have masonry bees, third summer running - they must really like our wall. They've never swarmed and we only see them individually. Sometimes they make their way into the house, I don't know how as they do it when the doors and windows are shut, but they don't have a sting so we just pick them up and put them back outside, as the ones that make it in are very dozy and just sort of sit there.

The first year I was really worried about them but now I don't mind. If they can't hurt you or swarm them it's fine.

We have bumble bees under our back door step. They were here last year and we really hoped they would return. They're a joy to watch and cause no problems.

If honey bees they might be able to smoke them out so please get an expert to have a look.

Swarms are awesome BTW - if any of you ever see one just go out and stand there and experience it - magical, honest! I was in the garden with my friend's 3 yr old when we had a swarm and we were both enchanted by it - forget horror movies, swarming bees have better things to do than sting you. If bees sting they die, it's a kamikaze thing - die to protect the hive, but they are on their way to form a new hive so nothing to protect.

This is what someone can do who knows what they are doing - I wouldn't try it but I have seen people handle bees with bare hands.

We live in a modern cavity house and yes we have masonry bees. they are no bother. It's a sign of summer actually for us when we see them.

Just be absolutely certain they are not wasps!! They are a huge problem!

We have a group of unidentified bees living above our back door under the eaves. I took the roof off last year and scrapped out the nest but they seem to have come back. I called a bee keeper but he needs a swarm really. He wasn't interested.

In fact there seem to have been a mix of different types of bees going in and out of the same hole.

Disconcertingly the hole is right next to the door bell. I don't want to kill them but they have to be got rid of before they build up too much honey. It does drip through.

Ant powder in the hole will do it.