bugs, bats, bees and beasts by arthur beeken

Bee, Wasp, Bat & BirdInfestation Avoidance

© Hybrid Home Performance

Certified Proctor

http://www.consol.ws/

© Hybrid Home Performance2

Bee, Wasp, Bat & Bird Infestation AvoidancePresentation Objectives:• You realize the important roll of our little pollen-aters• You can identify hives in the wild• You can recognize a swarm in transition verses an established hive• You can recognize bees scouting verses an established hive•You know how to approach a hive and what to do if attacked• You realize the potential negative impacts of bees on weather barriers, thermal boundaries, pressure boundaries, and combustion safety.• You can manage a typical (Huh?) extraction through repair process• You can move through the repair process quickly without sacrificing quality or performance• You can avoid the “recall Bee-call”• You can create opportunities for additional work with building perimeter “Bee-sealing”


Typical Commercial Bee Hive Location

• Managed hives in Central California Almond Country•Beekeepers are feeding hives diluted corn syrup protein product similar to that in a Power Bar

• A Beekeeper can gross over $500K in a month moving 3700 hives from Florida.• Today, systemic pesticides threaten both wild and domestic hives


Hanging Thriving Bee Colony

• Bees in the wild

•1 to 3 months old

• Healthy colony

• Wind/Weather exposed•APPROACH WITH CAUTION!


Hanging Swarm Viewed Though Kitchen Window

• A solid mass of bees protecting the Queen

• Could stay and build

• Could move on after resting

• Minutes to hours old

• Generally not aggressive


Swarm Resting On Stucco Wall

• Minutes to hours old

• Bees will likely move on within hours• Generally not aggressive


Swimming Pool Cover Locker

•Bees are infesters of opportunity• They do not discriminate


A Closer Look

•This locker is permanently “tagged” with pheromone scent


Two or Three Week Old Colony

• Very gentle Italian bees• Small field force• An easily accessible live removal


Cardboard Travel Closet—Alternative Use

• Very young colony

• Little comb production


Jacket From Cardboard Travel Closet

•Contents of cardboard closet from previous slide

• Gentle Italian bees


Jacket From Cardboard Travel Closet

• Hours old comb

• Another easy live removal


Early Major Removal

• Cars had just been invented


Very Large Eve Colony

•Established hive

•Beekeeper preparing for live removal


Very Large Eve Colony

• A closer look

• Note honey flow under the hive

•Probably cooler day


Large Perinea Colony Contoured with Eve Trim

•Time to relocate the bees


Large Established Colony

• Chaos following extraction team entry of attic• Honey Bee hive least 6 months old


Colony From Previous Slide—Attic view

• Hive awaits live removal • Notice roof slope on left• Skip sheathing provides opportunity for bees to traverse from joist bay to joist bay.• Notice honey flow at left.


Typical Attic Colony At Chimney

• Notice open cells

• Notice wax connection to rafter• Notice honey flow on chimney•Unattended (exterminated) hives can collapse within days, sometimes hours


Typical Larger Attic Colony– Shake Roof

•Large field force out

• Lots of new fresh honey comb• Notice comb construction at vertical 2x4 edge


Attic Hallow Infestation

•Difficult access from attic• Clear blown insulation• Plank ceiling joists• Evacuate hive• Air seal and bee seal• Reset insulation• Notice shiners


Typical Roof Cavity Infestation

• Note entry point



• Single season age• Unusual solid sheathing under shakes• Note lip at plywood edge connection to fascia edge• Note tracking at entry



• Is the colony in the wall below?

• Note void below rafter tail



• Finished repair

• Two hives in similar locations• One likely swarmed from other


Typical Roof Cavity Infestation At Chimney

• Bees accessed at edge of chimney and traveled to center behind chimney



•Cooler day• Clustered colony



• Notice the mined insulation under bee hive location on sheathing


Typical Pillar Infestation

• Tops of support pillars are generally protected from weather but not bees or wasps



• Selective deconstruction yields a much simpler job.



• Hive somewhat in distress• Very little brood comb• Possibly a queen-less hive• Possible hive collapse



• Nozzle placement traps returning field force


Typical Pillar Repair

• Clean interior of hallow• Expanding foam followed by dense packed fiberglass• Reassemble air tight


Typical, Common, Entry Points

• Downspout Penetrations



• Between layers of fiber insulation• Voids created by Simpson style hangers.



• Gas pipe penetrations• Oversized hole provides easy access


Typical Shaker Town/Cedar Shingle Infestation

•Caution tape barrier• Deconstruct fence to facilitate scaffold placement



• Two hive locations• Rented scaffold• Notice intermediate plank



•Bees generally prefer altitude



•Cavity full—likely source hive for infestation below



•Live extraction half completed



•Extracting bees from abandoned brood comb



• Seam Between Abandoned Brood and Honey Comb• Worker Bees Cleaning Honey



• Lower hive•numerous entry points



• Initial glass deterrent followed gun foam caulking• Complete fiberglass install filling voids at each interior surface of the cavity


Typical Comp Roof Infestation

• Calistoga Hills



• Safety rails on scaffold• A lot of prep work for a one day job



• The suit magnifies the effects of the sun• Take it slow. Stay in the shade



•Safe perspective for home owners observations



•Cleaned cavity

• Ready for bee seal



•Beginning the bee seal

• Gun foam at all seams from the inside where ever accessible.• Tight packed fiberglass batts in contact with all internal surfaces• Clear caulk exterior seams or use blending color. Minimum 25 year caulking



• Re-weave old roof shingles• Apply new roof adhesive (Henrys 208 or Equivalent)



• Complete project• Our Motto: “You Can’t Tell We’ve Been Here”• Very typical entry point.• Honey flow will be collected by “robbers”


Enjoying the Fruits of our Labors

•Pure honey comb recovered from local hive removal• Holistic treatment for hay fever, and allergic cough.• Honey comb was a principal ingredient in early chewing gum• Both honey and comb are principally carbohydrate and completely edible• Honey does not naturally spoil.


Established Colony in Entry floor

• Health & Safety

• Attractive nuisance• Affects conditioned space

• Disrupted flight

• Door opening

• Interior traffic

• Stair traffic


Established Colony in Primary Entry Floor

•“Bee Line” flight pattern

• Notice entry point

• Retrofit gas line terminates in living space.


Established Colony Over Entry Door

• Boot print• Familiar traditional construction design• Typical re-infestation pattern• Notice entry point



• New construction• Badly miter or un-sealed V-Rustic siding (used as roof decking) connection to wall


How Much Damage Can Infestation Cause?

• SF Seminary in Marin County• Unreinforced stone building• Many entry points


Typical Honey Damage

• Many entry points• Incomplete flashing details• Deferred maintenance• Incomplete repairs



•

• Honey flow below windows• Piles of dead bees on the floor



• Plaster damage from moisture and fungus•Honey & water is a damaging blend.• Notice standing honey on horizontal window barrier and hardwood floor below



• Moisture damage to plaster• Honey flow on glass• Bees entering at mason’s mortar pointing round window arched area



• Capillary action works for honey as well.• Internal honey flow from previously exterminated hive above windows, driving through exterior cement plaster finish to daylight• Results in fungus, mold and mildew inside and out.


Perennial Colony in Chimney

•Note adjacent un-affected chimney liner• A similar infestation in adjacent liner could be deadly backing up combustion gasses• Bees would be well established before CO levels became a problem



•Selective de-construction of chimney• Years of condensing combustion gasses depositing acid on masonry surfaces has destroyed the bond and adhesion of the mortar.• This makes our job , cleaning the brick, that much easier.



• Delicate live removal • Note alternative use of ladder• Completely blocked chimney would have a dramatic effect on IAQ


Dryer Vent infestation

• Zero exhaust flow• Dramatic reduction in dryer efficiency•What if this were a combustion gas vent


Typical Floor Cavity Completed Extraction

• Removed Colony.

• Follow With Foam Caulk at all seams then dense pack Fiberglass completely filling cavity


Typical Floor Cavity Deterrent Application

• Proper Insulation Techniques for Adequate Barrier• Notice Lip in Plywood Edge for Backing Install• Hold blocking under and against subfloor.• Pull tight by through screwing with drywall screws• Reset previously cut out section of sub-floor


Typical Floor Cavity Repair

• Job complete

•A scuba tank has a 125 PSI secondary air stage • It shoots small caliber fasteners all day long on one air fill• A bit easier than a compressor to carry up three flights of stairs.


Typical Floor/Ceiling Hallow Infestation

•

•Not down wall on left



• Wall and Ceiling Location• Notice chimney section inside the wall



• Bees take advantage of poor IIQ• Notice mining of craft paper and insulation• Smaller darker brand of honey bee

• A recent import?


Unusual Entry in Top of Scupper Roof Drain

• Deterioration in thin wall metal traverse pipe• No interior water staining yet bees were entering here.


Typical Interior Lath & Plaster Wall Repair

• Lath & plaster wall• Variable wall surface thickness• Variable wall surface condition• Fur out wall frame to a flat plane, shy of adjacent edges• Spray prime bare lath and exposed cement plaster brown coat• Depending on depth of patch, fill in with 5/8 or ½ inch Gypsum


Typical Interior Lath & Plaster Wall Repair

Spot prime any non-sheet rock surface• Fill in larger voids with Quick Rock filler• Prime Quick Rock • Float with 20 Minute Mud• Skip trowel with 45 or 90 Min Mud•Flash dry with breeze box type fan or heat gun.•Prime all new work• Feather in owners finish paint• Owner complained because we finished in one day..”Too Expensive”



•Install metal nosing over plywood shear applied over skip sheath• Infill all uneven areas or areas where plywood and sheathing are separating



•Through grooves in vertical siding• Through ¼ inch vent screen at gable vent



•At the bottom of valleys• Under overhangs at roof/wall transitions



• Under low clearance or inaccessible overhangs



• Under eve overhang• At transition to trim• Note equipment (vacuum) delivery system



•Either side of chimney• Note incomplete paint on trim



•Entry at chimney flash



• Chimney separations• Chimney flash• Shed to wall flash• Edge of roof—Especially at outside corners.


Typical Chimney Transition

• Often with new construction• Nearly always with re-roof or remodel.


A Closer Look at typical assemblies.

• Weather barrier must be as tight as others.• Typical clearance found transitioning form one structural element to another.


Typical Bumble Bee Colony

• Bumble Bees are nectar gatherers• They will Land and walk to their hive….sometimes 20 feet or more• Very territorial and aggressive



• Around air conditioners



• Use expanding foam or dense foam tape.



•Entry at pipe penetrations or cavities created by pipe runs.


Sealing Techniques

• Physically Fill Entry Points


Sealing Techniques

• Double layer felt• Double check gutter wall connections and downspout connections• Voids are often found


Sealing Techniques

•Metal flash Better• More solar resistant product would be a better choice at base of tile


Typical Yellow Jacket (Wasp) Nest

• Undisturbed

• Small Entry in Dirt



• Probing for Cavity



• Water Mellon Sized• Large Enough to Be Perennial Hive



• Vacuum Nozzle Trapping Returning Field Force.



•Very dangerous location


Yellow Jacket Countermeasures

•Trapping scouting queens keeps hives from occurring• Place jacket traps after studying flight patterns


Yellow Jacket Trap Production

• Split Bait Between Two Traps to Economize• Always Wear Heavy latex gloves when baiting traps• Pheromones will bring the wasps to the traps or to you.


Sealing Techniques

• Rodents/raccoons or pigeons can remove seal.

•Seal face nailing with a dab of Henry’s 208 or equiv.


Sealing Techniques

• Take heavier Measures

• Field bent medium aluminum.

• The seal will last longer than the roof.


Sealing Techniques

•Pigeon barrier


Mice, Rats, or Bats?

• Random droppings

• In open space

• No trail or pattern



• Random droppings

• In open space

• No trail or pattern



• Concentrated deposit of droppings• Near a break in vertical elevation

• Focused pattern

• RESPERATORS ON


Bat Infestation—Re-occurring Problem

• Typical native bat • Catching up on beauty sleep• Treat job as though you’re doing lead or asbestos


Bat Infestation—Re-occurring Infestation

• PCO (Pest Control Operator was unable to resolve • Initial job was a bee removal/repair• Established customer trust• Two day job became a three month job



• In California we presume all bats are rabid• If you see a bat in the daylight it is certain



•In California we presume all bats are rabid• If you see a bat in the daylight it is certain



• Usually take the high ground.


Bat Infestation—Permanent Solution

• Open cell foam

• Application underway



• Moving air and thermal barrier from ceiling to roof


Bat Infestation—No Longer a Problem

• Completed application

• 8 inches of open cell foam


Bat Infestation—No Longer a Problem

• Treated Dormer


Knee Wall Above Stair Case Lid

• Effective air and thermal barrier

• Lid to staircase was missed

• We’ll follow with blown callous


Precautionary Elevated Planking

• Detailing air seal to follow


Follow with Air Sealing then R-30 with Hi IIQ

•` No more tramping through our insulation


Bee, Wasp, Bat & Bird Infestation AvoidancePresentation Objectives: (Did I miss anything?)• Realize the important roll of our little pollen-aters √• Identify hives in the wild √• Recognize a swarm in transition verses an established hive √• Recognize bees scouting verses an established hive √• Precisely locate hives at interior walls ceilings or floors √• How to approach a hive and what to do if attacked √• Realize the potential negative impacts of bees on weather barrier, thermal boundary, pressure boundary, and combustion safety. √• Manage a typical (Huh?) extraction through repair process √• Move through the repair process quickly without sacrificing quality or performance• Avoid the “recall Bee-call” √• Create opportunities for additional work with building perimeter “Bee-sealing” √


Highly Recommended Movie: The Disappearing Bees

•` Getting the Job Done

Thank You!!!


Enjoying the Fruits of our Labors

• Life is good

• Stop and smell the honey comb!

bugs, bats, bees and beasts by arthur beeken

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