Suspect bees in roof.

Gun Monkey

Hi All.
About 2 weeks ago I noticed a lot of bees flying around the exterior of the house for several days, not an entire swarm resting in one place- I had that previously, they rested on a tree nearby and they were captured by a keeper and taken away and established in a hive. This was just a hundred or couple of hundred individual bees flying around all over the exterior of the house -enough to be noticed, resting individually on the walls and roof for short periods of time, spread all over and flying on. Now this afternoon I was sat outside and I noticed many bees flying to a particular place on the facia just under the gutter at one end of the house, maybe 6 or 8 visible at any one time but constantly some going in or out of this little gap. I walked around the house for 20 min and found a second place where they were going to another spot on the facia. These 2 places are almost at opposite ends of the house, about 50 or 60 feet apart. They land and crawl inside the facia boards, more come out and they constantly come and go, not one or two bees but several. Both places have several bees coming and going from each point at any one time. I know they weren't like this last year or previous years, I was hyper concious of them after the previous swarm skulking around looking for a new home and the first ones I spotted this evening are right above an outside table and chairs we use constantly and have done for years. I am hoping someone can answer a couple of queries I have? Was the influx of bees a couple of weeks back likely to have been them searching for somewhere new to settle, is it the right time of year for them to be doing this? Also if this was the case, is it safe to also assume they will have accomplished little inside my roof in the intervening couple of weeks? Where I'm going with this is that if I am fairly sure they were not there previous years (I am!) and they are only there a couple of weeks so far, would it be possible to seal up the small gaps all along the soffit and fascia all around the house with a tube of sealant? It's a lot of sealing but If it works and keeps them from massing stores of honey etc inside the roof over the summer it will be worth it. I can't really see another solution, I am aware it won't do much for this particular swarm but unfortunately I'm not in a position to go ripping soffit, fascia and possibly the roof too to try remove and rehome them.
Secondly, is it not unusual for two seperate swarms so settle close together? I don't think they can be one swarm as the distance is too far between the two points on the fascia they are using to come and go. They are almost at opposite ends of the house, not even along the same side of the house.

charlesanto

Have you been up in the attic, maybe you have two access points to a hive in the attic !!?

Gun Monkey

Haven't been up in a while but it's unlikely, it's not actually under the same roof structure, one part is under the main roof and the other is under an extension. Thanks for the suggestion, I'll have a look tmro.

Danzy

I'd think they are 2 separate swarms. They'll be able to eat through the sealant, well if its silicone.

Gun Monkey

https://youtu.be/yDwKWMUG1S8

Short clip on YouTube of the bees coming and going from the fascia at one of the 2 places I mentioned above.

Gun Monkey

Can anyone identify the type of bees from these 2 pics?

Gun Monkey

charlesanto wrote: »

Have you been up in the attic, maybe you have two access points to a hive in the attic !!?

Checked the attic this morning and no sign of any bees up there, to be seen or heard.

10-10-20

Given the way that the honeybees are entering through multiple points of the soffit, it looks like a hive sitting on the soffit board up against the facia board.
Other than the noise they make on the paper of the nest, you are unlikely to be able to hear them unless very close.

Gun Monkey

10-10-20 wrote: »

Given the way that the honeybees are entering through multiple points of the soffit, it looks like a hive sitting on the soffit board up against the facia board.
Other than the noise they make on the paper of the nest, you are unlikely to be able to hear them unless very close.

Thanks for the response, is it likely that we are unlucky enough to have 2 hives set up at opposite ends of the house in such a short space of time? Any suggestions on how to deal with them? I'm reluctant to harm them and even though I mentioned sealing them in or out with silicone sealant, I wonder are there any alternatives? It's been suggested above they will chew through it but even that aside, I'd prefer to move them on. My issue is it's a dormer bungalow and one of those 2 spots is pretty awkward to get to if you intend doing any more than looking , that video is taken at the apex of one of the dormer roof windows, the other point I mentioned is by the gutter on one of the front lower corners of the house which is easier access alright.
Any idea what type of bee they might be?

Flipperdipper

Gun Monkey wrote: »

Can anyone identify the type of bees from these 2 pics?

They look more like some type of hover fly to me.

Gun Monkey

Flipperdipper wrote: »

They look more like some type of hover fly to me.

Honestly, that would be a relief! It may still be something that needs addressing but it would be a relief to know they weren't honey bees. Next step might be capture a few and bring them to some local beekeepers to id them? Thanks again.

Danzy

Just looking at the pics and videos, they are not honey bees.
No doubt about that.

Even the way they fly is different.

Gun Monkey

Thanks Danzy, that's a relief in itself. I will capture a few and report back if I can identify them.

Flipperdipper

Two wings - flys. Four wings - bees.