Bees in an Ash Tree

Best chance to get rid of all bees is to wait until night time, this way all of the foragers will be in the hive too. You didn't mention if the hive is inside the tree, or outside. If its inside the tree, you can use a dust insecticide to treat the nest real good- the dust will be like baby powder, covering everything in proximity. Wasps and bees are very clean insects- they spend alot of time grooming themselves. They will walk on the dust ( You probably painted a majority of them white already), then groom and ingest the poison. If its exterior, you can use the over the counter quick killing wasp sprays. they usually shoot about 20 ft. once you start spraying, DON'T stop until the majority is dead they usually die within a few seconds. In either case- wash off all the insecticide before you burn the wood. If all else fails....gasoline! I would use the dust though. 2 second puff, then get out of dodge!

Are they bees or wasps? You can have someone come capture the hive for free if it's bees. Bees are in decline and very important so it's not a bad idea to have someone else do it.

If it's hornets/wasps (paper hive) then I'd use the 30' spray to nuke it in the evening.

Is it bees, or wasps/hornets??

If it's really big and you can't have it collected, I approach big hives with a can of spray in each hand....evening as it cools is best.

I'd torch it with a can or two of Carb 'n Choke cleaner.
Make sure no kids are watching.
But yeah, if they are honeybees people will make every effort to come and get them from ya - might even get some free honey out of the deal!

I've got a neighbor that keeps bees. He will run at the chance for a free hive. Best bet is to post to craigslist and see what happens.

I would not try to kill the bees Our bees are in trouble all over America and we need all of them. Remember, they help your food supply. Please let them live.

Backwoods Savage said:

I would not try to kill the bees Our bees are in trouble all over America and we need all of them. Remember, they help your food supply. Please let them live.

Click to expand...

Most Beekeepers will come get them FREE

G6 at Snook said:

They are honey bees and not the africanized type that got so much pub years ago--I assume that because they were not that aggressive. I will post it on craigslist and call a local honey maker to see if they know anything.

Click to expand...

Yep, that is the best bet. That is why they make honey and we cut wood!

Gary

without those bees it wouldnt take many years to run out of trees to cut ,,,cept for conifers

Gramps in WV had a "Bee Tree", he called it. Beech tree with honey weeping out a crack near the bottom.
He took me to it a few times, had a stick he'd push up the hollow crack & get a bite of honey on the end.
Hot days, it leaked a little honey from the crack where he'd push the stick up, a little dirty but tasted good. Memories
Never got stung.

I came across a hive of honeybees that were swarming on our loading dock one day in early April. The State of Delaware Department of Agriculture has an Apiarist (bee expert) on staff and he was more than willing to drop what he was doing and collect the swarm to start a new colony he had planned somewhere else. If they are indeed honeybees, please consider making a couple phone calls to see if someone is interested in them.

If they're wasps, I second the can of spray in each hand at dusk/dark method.

Good luck!

Seeing as honeybees are the only species that will not result in death if they sting me, I say show mercy.

Gary_602z said:

That is why they make honey and we cut wood!

Gary

Click to expand...

I do both! Yes, lots of folks will be glad to remove the bees.....in the spring or summer. Probably a waste of time to try removal in the winter. Likely a death sentence for the bees. If you can find a willing beekeeper could you wait to finish the tree in the spring/summer?