[Jose]

Large numbers of bees have decided to use our pool this season -pool has been around for years and this is our 1st problem with bees- We are pleased to see bees as i understood they were on the decline. Research on internet indicates the hive should be somewhere close by. We would like to try to find the hive owner to see if something can be done to redirect them somewhere else. instead of killing a bunch of bees
Can anyone advise - we live in Biloxi, MS - Woolmarket area for those familar with the area.
How does someone find local beekeepers?
Gracias
Jose

 

[Jim 134]

This may help you.

http://www.mdac.state.ms.us/organizations/mshoneybee/Index.html


BEE HAPPY Jim 134

 

[mike haney]

they may be native bees , not in a beekeepers hive. good luck,mike

 

[brac]

Do a search on "bee line" you could track them home.

 

[river_rat2005]

hello im a beekeeper in passchristian ms not far from you. I dont know if i can help but feel free to give me a call and i will see what i can do. 601-916-0779

 

[stoweski]

Would it help if he was to setup another water source near the pool, maybe in the path of the direction the bees are flying in from? Scent the water with either a little bleach (exactly what is in the pool) or maybe even some lemongrass oil or other EO?

Just a thought. I trained my bees to relocate from a pool to a new water source.

May be worth a shot.

 

[plaztikjezuz]

put a few things in your pool that float so the bees can climb out and do not drown. you cannot stop them from going to a water source.

they may be a feral hive. follow them and see if you can find it. bees pick the closest water source generally. i have heard they will pass up closer water for pools for some reason???

 

[Jose]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions - we do find many drowned in the skimmer but not sure we want to encourage them to hang around. We discovered that aiming the water jets toward the pool surface creates ripples on the water - this seems to discourage our little visitors.
Our pool is salt water varitey vs chlorine - our research indicates bees may like slightly salty water.
River Rat - thanks for the offer - we may taske you up on it...
Bee lining looks to be complicated

 

[Jose]

Thought I would get back to all of you that offered suggestions.
We seem to have stumbledon a solution.
After a few days of running the pool jets pointed to the surface (that way it creates ripples on the pool surface) the bees left apparently they found another water source.

 

[USCBeeMan]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions - we do find many drowned in the skimmer but not sure we want to encourage them to hang around. We discovered that aiming the water jets toward the pool surface creates ripples on the water - this seems to discourage our little visitors.
Our pool is salt water varitey vs chlorine - our research indicates bees may like slightly salty water.
River Rat - thanks for the offer - we may taske you up on it...
Bee lining looks to be complicated

That's your problem. Not all of the beekeepers in the world can help you with this problem. Bees will go over all of their normal water sources to get to salt water. You will have to put up an enclosure around your pool. :lookout: I know they make them that are attached to houses with the pools under them.

While the beekeepers could try and give them saltwater near their apiaries that will do nothing for all of the bees that are in trees or other structures for a 3 to 5 mile radius from your home. :scratch:

 

[chandler]

Glad you found a solution rather than killing them. Sad when I see people on the local news talking about killing off bees.

On a side note: Small world! I went to elementary school at Woolmarket.

 

[Jerry Kinder]

My neighbor had a similar problem with bees. I went over and talked to him and found out that he didn't know the difference between wasps and bees; they were all the same to him. After sitting around to pool for a while talking I noticed that the ones that were bees were different than my bee. I tracked them to a hive in his wall that he didn't know about. Apparently they had been there for years as the hive was very large. The wasps were coming from a big hive in another neighbor’s tree and a bunch of little ones around his house eves. Those were cleaned up and the problem was solved.

 

[Jose]

Thanks BeeMan - notice that we avoided the expense of a lanai (pooll enclosure) by causing ripples on the water for a few days - bees are gone

 

[USCBeeMan]

Didn't see your post before mine. Glad you got rid of the bees.

 

[Jose]

chandler- we are right off hwy 67 -actually closer to Woolmarket than Biloxi - it is a small world

Bee Man - thanks for your suggestion-can't afford expensive solution- maybe our (ripples on the surface) experiment will be of help to others