I'm looking for suggestions on building a large bee trap out of a 55 gal drum. Something to entice the bees in and prevent them from escaping. My 5 yr old son is allergic to bees and an apiary is using a neighbors land as a distribution area. We're talking 500+ bee boxes 250 yds from my house. Swarms of bees everywhere and my 5 yr old just cries and won't go outside because he's terrified of all these bees. My wife was stung 5 times in the last week and a half also. I spoke with the apiary owner about my sons allergy and asked if he could move them. His response was that my son should just play inside if he's allergic. So I'm hoping if he sees me setting traps to catch and kill bees he will move then all to a new location. So...., how do I kill these suckers?

Ouch, sorry to hear that, sounds like a rough situation, both my brothers are highly allergic. Bad neighbor situation there.

Justin

Use 2 or 3 litter soda bottles. Cut the top off where the taper starts to go to the cap. Flip it upside down and insert back into the bottom and staple around the edge with three strings attached. Now you have a funnel inside the bottom part. Put a chunk of raw meat inside with apple juice and water about 1 1/2 inches deep for them to drown in and hang them all over. When full throw away and hang another one. You will empty his bee boxes.

Dave

Sad situation. Tough call to make in a time when Bee populations are suffering. Do what you gotta do.

Nuk Boxs are cheap why not use them Cardboard or wood we need to save all the bees we can .

Dude your in North Dakota a major bee state (ever hear of Souix Bee Honey) if you kill the bees of a beekeeper your state has laws that allow the beekeeper to come after you for damages. ND has some of the strongest beekeeper friendly laws in the nation as beekeeping is a major industry in the northern plains states.
Your best recourse is to contact your Dept of Ag as those same laws require beekeepers to register their apiaries (beeyards) and hives. Try this link and see if there is anything that can help.

http://www.nd.gov/ndda/program/apiarybees

This section may be what you need.

4-12.2-08.1. Revocation of registration of an apiary.
The agriculture commissioner may cancel the registration of an apiary when the bees
located on the apiary site are causing a nuisance as defined in chapter 42-01.

And here is the definition of nuisance.

42-01-01. Nuisance - Definition.
A nuisance consists in unlawfully doing an act or omitting to perform a duty, which act or
omission:
1. Annoys, injures, or endangers the comfort, repose, health, or safety of others;
2. Offends decency;
3. Unlawfully interferes with, obstructs or tends to obstruct, or renders dangerous for
passage, any lake, navigable river, bay, stream, canal, basin, public park, square,
street, or highway; or
4. In any way renders other persons insecure in life or in the use of property.

Ordinarily I would come down on the side of the beekeeper because let's face it the general public is completely irrational when it comes to bees and wildlife but if your report that he told you that your son can not play in his own yard is true then he needs his butt jacked up around his ears. Beekeepers have to be good neighbors and I hold my own to the same standards I expect from others.

Good Luck

Yes it is a sad situation. I don't wanna trap and kill them but he has no intention of moving them, so I gotta do what I gotta do. My sons life is more important to me than a bunch of bees.

I just reread the original post and I see some things that bother me. First 500+ colonies in one area doesn't sound reasonable to me unless the beek is pouring the feed to them in both syrup (usually HFCS) and pollen patties because you can overstock bees just like you can overstock cattle. Maybe I'm wrong and your area is just dripping with pollen and nectar. Could it be that the beek is running a queen rearing yard, which would mean the "bee boxes" are actually small five frame nucs and you should not be seeing swarms as that would mean the loss of his queens.
Also 250 yards is plenty far enough for a safe zone unless your yard is the only source of nectar in the area.

Again, I want to reiterate please do not attempt to kill the bees as to do so would be the same as shooting someone else's cattle. Every year I hear of beeks tasking huge losses to pesticide sprays and then the following year the settlements come down where the beek took it to court and won huge settlements.

Dept of Ag was called 3 wks ago and said they would ask him to move them. Obviously that got me nowhere since another semi load was unloaded there last night. Perfect example of Gov't agencies not doing their jobs.

I think you have a strong case to have his permit revoked under 42-01-01-4, In any way renders other persons insecure in life or in the use of property.

Contact your Dept of Ag and your state apiarist.

You're going to have to raise some H but it can be done.

Thought just hit me that since I am referring to North Dakota Code (law) can you make a criminal complaint to your local magistrate? If you either go to them with the law in black and white or have a nice shyster write a poison pen letter you might be enough of a squeaky wheel to get some grease.

When I lived in southern caliphony I had a large in gound pool that would attract bees by the thousands, they would line up right at the waterline. There was a beekeeper over the hill from me and his bees were using me for a water source. I went to Walmart and bought one of those cheap 48" blue plastic kiddy pools and set it on a flat terrace up on the hillside right on the beeline which you could see in the morning when the sun glinted off of their wings. Almost instantly they started using the pool for their water source because it cut their flying distance significantly.

Call your local newspaper too, they might enjoy a story other then something about the oil boom.

Our pool is loaded with bees too. Not to mention anything that is white such as my doors. The creek is only 80 yds from the boxes so they can get water from there if they choose.

Sorry to hear about you problem...250 yards is really not that close considering that the nectar in your area is starting to flow. By some chance are you feeding hummingbirds in your yard? The honeybees are obviously attracted to something. I have seen them very attracted to salt water swimming pools, believe it or not Clorox bleach and even cow urine. They are looking for salts in these products. I have a fairly large apiary myself and I don't see a lot of bees hanging around my property unless they are on my mineral block, my Koi ponds, or there is a break in the nectar flow. (dearth)...Honeybees typicaly have a 2-5 mile range around the hive...

First let me say that I'm sorry to hear of your problem.
I am a beekeeper and wish to pass on some information,
1. Honeybees can forage up to 5 miles from their hive
2. Honeybees are not attracted to meat rotton or fresh but hornets,wasp and yellow jackets are
3. A healthy queen bee can lay up to 2000-2500 eggs per day that will hatch in 13 days, if there is 500 hives/queens operating at 50% then there is 600,000 bees hatching every day. to set up a trap on your property
A.. is not going to put a dent in the population
B.. to attract honeybees would require sugar water which will attract even more bees
4. Honeybees "normally" are not aggressive and only sting when harmed or protecting the hive, honeybees can only sting once and then they die (I know this is small comfort for your family)

As Warroir said 500 hives (even NUCS) in one area makes it sound like its a stageing area and temporary.
Is this the first year the bees have been kept there? or is this your first year at this location? I ask because some places/states have RIGHT TO FARM laws and the beekeeper may be legal to keep bees there.
BEWARE in some states honeybees are protected and you could have problems if caught killing them.

Jim

No, this isn't my first yr here, I bought this place 9yrs ago. 250 yds was the approx distance from my home to the boxes. 62 yds was the distance from the boxes to my property line. The problem has since been resolved though and all the boxes have been removed.

Glad to hear and that the Fam. is safe. Jim

Seems them wood boring bees have really been on the up rise . Is there a way to trap them . Not sure what there called they look like them big yellow bumble bees and they chew holes threw face boards on houses . I've had a few people ask how to get rid of them ?

Glad to see a happy ending once in a while.
Thanks oldude, I learned something new today about bees other than being allergic to them.
mountin' man I am also glad that it worked out and every one is safe.
Thanks
Dave