Q: Yesterday I found two bees entering my single-story home's rafters through two small openings in the stucco and wood.ย Also, the bees tracked towards me after I stood nearby. Then, this evening, I found a 20-inch long and two-inch wide dark spot in my ceiling. This spot is directly below the two spots where I saw the bees entering the rafters. However, I don't hear any buzzing. Also, I went into my attic area, but couldn't see the floor due to the insulation in the attic. What actions would you recommend I take?
A:ย If you see honeybees coming and going from a hole in your home on a regular basis, there might be a colony living inside. The sign on your ceiling makes it more suspicious and if related could mean the bees have been there for a while. If you continue to see bees coming and going from that area, I recommend you have a professional take a closer look. This is a job for beekeeper or a pesticide control operator. You don't want a bunch of bees coming after you in defense of their colony. Depending on where you live, there is likely a list of people who will inspect this situation and do any remedial work for you for a fee. If you live in Tucson, a list can be found on the Tucson Beekeepers Facebook page.
Peter L. Warren is the urban horticulture agent for the Pima County Cooperative Extension and the University of Arizona. ย Questions may be emailed toย tucsongardensage@gmail.com
