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Airstream ns · 03-20-2019, 06:20 PM

We own a 1988 Excella 1000 located in ft Myers FL.
Last year (2018) just before we went north we discovered a full scale bee colony existed under the base skin just behind the hitch. Extermination is simple, however how to remove the honey and combs is the real problem!!
Any suggestions?.......

GMFL · 03-20-2019, 06:32 PM

Drop the pan and cut it out with a putty knife then pressure wash.

rmkrum · 03-20-2019, 07:10 PM

Get it totally clean and sealed up. Any wax or honey remaining will attract passing bee swarms and they will promptly move in when they smell it. It can also attract ants and other bugs you don’t want.

Used to have beehives. Fascinating hobby and can be very rewarding. Middle kid got into it in Alabama.

GMFL · 03-20-2019, 07:32 PM

Total hijack.....

Quote:

Originally Posted by rmkrum

Middle kid got into it in Alabama.

Where in Alabama? I’m in Alabama! Always looking for a good source of local honey.

rmkrum · 03-20-2019, 10:19 PM

No longer in Alabama, sorry. There are several decent beekeepers in the Huntsville area where we formerly lived. Ask around.

Airstream ns · 03-21-2019, 04:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GMFL

Drop the pan and cut it out with a putty knife then pressure wash.

When you say drop the pan I assume the aluminum skin. How is it fastened? Would be nice if it could be removed in one piece and reinstalled!
Was also thinking of cutting out section of floor (carpet needs to be replaced) and accessing hive from above????
Cheers.....

turk123 · 03-21-2019, 04:45 AM

Not to interrupt the main topic (guess I did!)

We stayed at the Tumble In RV Park in Marfa Texas last year and a swarm of bees had made an entire AS their home. The AS was parked in the back with thousands of bees humming around it. The owner of the AS, and the park told the park manager he could have the AS if he could get rid of the bees.

GMFL · 03-21-2019, 05:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Airstream ns

When you say drop the pan I assume the aluminum skin. How is it fastened? Would be nice if it could be removed in one piece and reinstalled!
Was also thinking of cutting out section of floor (carpet needs to be replaced) and accessing hive from above????
Cheers.....

From the top would be a lot more work in my opinion. The belly pan is help in place with large headed poprivets and a few things mounted under the trailer, like stabilizers. You should be able to drop just the front part of the belly pan to access what you need.

OTRA15 · 03-21-2019, 05:37 AM

Exactly.

Welcome to the forum Airstream ns!

Peter

Jbuccola · 03-21-2019, 09:56 AM

I suggest getting a local bee keeper! These bees are precious and are in jeapordy around the country. We keep bees in our yard and they are so important to all of us! Good luck!

Hoagie · 03-21-2019, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jbuccola

I suggest getting a local bee keeper! These bees are precious and are in jeapordy around the country. We keep bees in our yard and they are so important to all of us! Good luck!

Agreed. Please call a local beekeeper to extract the bees from the hive, NOT exterminate them. Honey bees are dying off around the world and the US has a severe shortage of bees. Beekeepers actually transport their hives across state lines to aid in pollination of important food crops. Without honey bees and other pollinators, plants don't grow.

StreamNTyme · 03-21-2019, 01:24 PM

Yes, it is important to save the the hive, please do
put all efforts into saving them...
Good luck...

Steamguy · 03-21-2019, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jbuccola

I suggest getting a local bee keeper! These bees are precious and are in jeapordy around the country. We keep bees in our yard and they are so important to all of us! Good luck!

Call your local Fire Department. They always have a list.

Airstream ns · 03-21-2019, 05:52 PM

Thanks.....

whg3 · 03-21-2019, 06:53 PM

Hi, I am a beekeeper and I catch swarms to save the bees (a free service)But I am in N.C. Try this web site I feel sure that someone close to you will be glad to help! http://www.nsbeekeepers.ca/

A W Warn · 03-21-2019, 08:47 PM

I was a beekeeper hobbyist in my younger days. About 40 years ago I had about half a dozen hives, none now.
If the bees are inside the trailer's belly area, you will need a multi-talented person or multiple people. A mechanic (or yourself) is needed to disassemble the metal parts without damaging the trailer, to give access to the bee queen. A bee keeper most likely will not have the skills and tools to remove the belly pan metal properly. Everyone will need protective clothing, coveralls, veils, gloves, smoker, etc. (it would be easier to drive/tow several miles to park in a different location and let the bees escape and disperse on their own. Might have to move a couple times on different days)
Capture that queen bee then place her inside a hive and the other bees will follow her to their new home.
After the bees are moved out of the trailer place as much of the existing comb into the new hive as possible. The bees need this food, and their unborn family is inside the comb interspersed with the honey. The remaining wax comb will be filled with brood (eggs and unhatched bees) as well as honey. That honey that remains can be salvaged, but must be treated properly to remove the eggs and unhatched bees.
A hive structure that is normally provided for bees has a wire mesh excluder between the lower brood chamber and the upper storage chambers that keeps the queen out of the upper chambers and prevents her from laying eggs in the harvested honey area.

ps: When the bees and honey are gone the ants will be your trailer's best friends for a LONG time :-)

A W Warn · 03-21-2019, 09:18 PM

You might find help here>
http://www.floridabackyardbeekeeper.com

https://www.abfnet.org/page/florida?

http://swfbees.com/

Airstream ns · 03-22-2019, 04:46 AM

Still not certain how to approach this. Removing the underside pan requires the combined skills of a coal miner (tight quarters) and a RV / sheet metal worker! As well finding a bee keeper removal person to crawl under there is going to be difficult. Cutting out the plywood floor (I'm a woodworker) allows for easy access and allows the bee keeper to remove the hive without exterminating the critters. Additional thoughts???

PeterH-350LE · 03-22-2019, 05:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Airstream ns

We own a 1988 Excella 1000 located in ft Myers FL.
Last year (2018) just before we went north we discovered a full scale bee colony existed under the base skin just behind the hitch. Extermination is simple, however how to remove the honey and combs is the real problem!!
Any suggestions?.......

Just behind the hitch under the floor is the space for the spare tire, with no cavity between subfloor and a sheet of aluminum. Just beyond the spare tire going towards the rear are cavities that should only accessed by removing the belly pan or cutting a hole and not by cutting into the plywood subfloor.
A favorite access point by many types of critters is the wire loop entry just before the spare tire. It leads into the wall space between the batteries just below the fuse panel block. To access that space remove the interior wall panel. (lots of stuff to move to be able to pull it)