Bee sprays hurt goldfish?

16 years ago

An active bee colony has made its home in between the rocks on the side of my waterfall. I've got to get rid of the bees, since some kids were stung. Also, I can't maintain the pond without dodging them.

I'm afraid some of the bee spray will get into the pond, although I'll trun off the pump and waterfall while I spray the hive. Is there any safe spray that won't poison the fish? IF I have to use a spray, will it become less poisonous after 12 hours? I'll need to turn the pump back on and some of the residual spray may be carried into the water.

Thanks for any advice you can provide.

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Comments (7)

pikecoe
16 years ago
I would never use poison around my pond. I remember my father wrapping a piece of cloth on the end of a pole, dousing with kerosine or lighter fluid, light it and stick it to the hive of wasps or bees to get rid of them. That's what I would try. Glenda
chrisl1976
16 years ago
Night time!!!!!!!

Bees normally WILL NOT fly at night. I've taken care of a few hives at night using break cleaner spray in a can...Never been stung yet and the brake cleaner kills them pretty much instantly....although that would not be good to get in the pond.

If it were me....I'd go at night with a flash light and test them first.I'd put on long sleeves sweat shirt and jeans and test them...If they dont attack, try to pull up your rocks and move the hive away from the pond so you can kill them chemically.

If you can create smoke with some wood, fogger or something, that makes the bees engorge themselves in honey which makes they kind of loopy and they are pretty calm after that.

Good Luck!!!!
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catfishsam
16 years ago
Call the Extension Agent and see if there are any bee keepers in your area that would come out and remove the hive?
chickadeedeedee
16 years ago
If they are honey bees contact someone to relocate the colony. If you have yellow jackets or waspy things you can use a CO2 fire extinguisher and blast them with that.

The carbon dioxide will instantly freeze who ever comes in contact with it (remember The Blob movie?) and the nest can be cleared out. Please note that many of the frozen insects will resume activity after they thaw out so make sure they are somewhere that is safe for you and yours.

We did that a few years ago with some bumble bees.
poppa
16 years ago
most likely yellow-jackets - they love to live underground.

here's some options...

1.) in the daytime, lay a vacuum down next to the entrance and let it run a couple of hours. As the bees come in to land they get sucked up. I use a wet/dry vac and put a sock on the inside over the inlet and a couple of inches of water in the bottom of the canister. They get stuck in the sock and drown. I don't have to worry about getting stung opening the canister later.

2.) Use foam, like great foam to seal up the whole. Make sure you can gat it all in one spritz.

3.) i also use vegitable oil in a sprayer. We have a little pump one from pampered chefs to mist cooking oil instead of buying aerosol types like "PAM". Take a seat next to the hole and spray them as they fly in/out. The weight of the oil knocks them down and die quickly due to being smothered which is probably all that those spray cans of poison do long before andy poison could react in the bees system. Main ingredient is petrolioum products. I do this a lot as we have sandy soil where yellow jackets love to nest in vole/mole burrows or under the above ground pool rim. Works great.

Poppa
teri904
16 years ago
Once a year we get red wasp on a tree that is right outside our back door having to walk by the tree when going out. Hubby mixes water and dish soap together and put the mixture in a sprayer. Just as soon as you spray them they drop and die. Couple of weeks ago saw a report on the news that someone used the same mixture on bees.
jmorris271 Morris
16 years ago
A non toxic approach would be better for all. Including the kids. They live on the planet after we are gone. If we keep killing our bee's, our flora will demish. Thats science.
Its not very difficult to get a bee keeper to come to your home and collect the hive.

Bee sprays hurt goldfish?

Comments (7)

pikecoe

chrisl1976

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