The Wrecker Bees are Back!

[nf6x]

Back in the day, I had a little problem with a family of bees who moved into the recesses of my M543A2's crane bed:

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/5-ton-up/13149-help-bees-my-m543a2-wrecker.html​

I ended up hiring a professional exterminator, who solved the problem with extreme prejudice.

Well, part of the original problem was that the bees chose a location for their hive that isn't particularly accessible without a cutting torch, and that's why I didn't have a bee-keeper come remove the hive. Now, here we are a few years later, and a new family of bees must have smelled that old honey and wax and moved in.

This time, I'm thinking that maybe it's finally time to buy that steam pressure cleaner that I've long been considering for cleaning off grunge under my trucks. My idea is that while the hive is not directly accessible for removal by hand, and even my existing pressure washer would only be able to blast off the small portions of the hive that are somewhat visible, maybe I could flood the whole crane turntable area with steam in order to melt out the wax and honey so that it doesn't keep attracting new families of bees. So, I'm imagining that I could tie off the wand valve on a steam cleaner, shove the wand into the turntable area under the bed, fire up the burner, turn on the pump, and run like ****. Then just let the truck cook for an hour or two (or however long the fuel tank on the cleaner lasts) in order to hopefully heat up the whole bed area enough to melt the wax and honey, and also hopefully flush it out of the truck with all of that steam and hot water.

What do y'all think about my latest harebrained scheme?

 

[73m819]

just get some brake clean, spray the area, bees DEAD

 

[steelsoldiers]

Sounds crazy! I like it. Make sure you have someone film it so we can watch you in action.

 

[jaymcb]

I think the bees that survive will come back, unless you get the queen.

and I don't think they'll be happy either.

 

[nf6x]

just get some brake clean, spray the area, bees DEAD

I've already had them killed with actual poison; they come back later to re-inhabit the old hive. And the hive is very well buried inside the turntable area of the truck.

 

[armytruck63]

Sounds safe. At least you won't set the truck on fire with steam.

We had a swarm of bees land on a WWI truck at the Riverside Air Show a few years ago. We tried WD-40 on the hot exhaust, spraying the swarm with glass cleaner, and trying to sccop the swarm into a box. Swarming bees are docile because the gorge themselves with honey before taking off. After they have been in place for a while, they return to their normal grumpy disposition.

We finally moved the WW1 truck to a distant spot at the airport. The firemen tried out their foam pumper and that got rid of the bees. I was amazed at how much honeycomb the bees had built in one hour.

 

[nf6x]

I think the bees that survive will come back, unless you get the queen.

and I don't think they'll be happy either.

Right. And even with the queen dead, more bees will move in to the old hive a year or three later. That's why I want to entirely remove the wax and honey from the truck.

 

[nf6x]

Sounds safe. At least you won't set the truck on fire with steam.

Last time, one of the things that I tried without success was using one of those propane torches for weed burning to burn 'em out. They were too well entrenched inside inaccessible areas of the steel fortress of the truck bed for me to be able to do any good. I melted some exposed honeycomb, but I would have had to burn the truck to the ground to get at the core of their hive. And even the wax and honey that I melted that way remained pooled up inside the bed. The bed area within and around the crane turntable is really inaccessible, particularly when it's guarded by bees and I don't have a second crane to disassemble the infested one!

 

[greenjeepster]

You should have called a beekeeper the first time... We are a resourceful group and would have come up with a way to get them out alive, and keep them out.

Yes they can smell the old wax... this cavity will always attract swarms of bees even if you pressure wash the interior, they will be able to smell that a colony was there before.

The poison that was sprayed in there the last time is the only thing that kept them from moving back in sooner... Unfortunately that same poison probably got carried out of the cavity by scout bees over the last few years and back to their colonies.... probably killed dozens of hives...

They can smell a flower bloom from miles away.

If you need a beekeeper to look at the situation let me know.... I will put you in contact with somebody.

 

[nf6x]

I have a number for a local beekeeper. I'll give them a call before I try anything else. I didn't know that they'd carry poison to other hives!

On a brighter note, the thriving colony inside my truck suggests that the poison is no longer active in there.

 

[greenjeepster]

If you need any other numbers let me know. I know people who know people

It is hard to tell from the old pics, but are they in the box beam that supports the body?

 

[m816]

nf6x, I sure like the way you think, The bees will come back time and time again because there is honey and wax still in the truck. They will eventually clean every bit of it out of the truck. I just hope you get some one reliable to film your exploits for the enjoyment of the rest of us. I am no stranger to such misadventures. The reputation of your epic will proceed you for years. So please keep us up to date.

 

[greenjeepster]

This reminds me of my drill instructor in basic.... We had a bee problem around base and when we were in formation the bees would buzz us.

He used to yell "don't swat my Coast Guard bees.... they have more stripes than anybody on this base."

 

[feldmarshal]

I've had success with this before. Have the beekeeper bring a hive with comb in it ,a full feeder .. stuff a bunch of mothballs into the hive they should move out to the new happy home. we have alot of trouble keeping bees alive now, hate to have to destroy them . v de

 

[73m819]

One of our members IS a bee keeper, need to find who it is, sure he would have the answer to this

 

[greenjeepster]

One of our members IS a bee keeper, need to find who it is, sure he would have the answer to this

It is pmramsey. But I am also a beekeeper...

 

[Flyingvan911]

Maybe they're also Sea-bees who need a wrecker?

 

[nf6x]

If those sea bees would maintain the truck and take care of rigging, then they could stay!

 

[hoop]

I am a Beekeeper and a Licensed Commercial Applicator in the Pest Control Market. Do you want to save the bees? Or do you just want your wrecker back?
Your plan sucks.
I can help you one way or the other. Up Front......If you want to save the bees, it can take a few weeks.

 

[feldmarshal]

I'm one also. I remember an article long ago about a chemical that would drive them out . We used the mothballs on an old barn to retreve a swarm. they wre in a wall. You have to get the queen to want to move , the rest will follow.