# Bees entering windows



## chipmb2985 (Nov 28, 2014)

Bees keep entering several windows of mine. They seem to find their way in the older ones, which might just be a coincidence. 

Anyway I’ve seen them crawl up this area in the window (see pic). Is this area okay to seal up with caulk? Also any other suggestions for keeping them away are welcome.


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## Windows on Wash (Aug 30, 2011)

Wouldn't caulk it. But you can stuff with some fiberglass mesh or similar non oxidizing material.


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

I'd be looking around on the outside to see how there getting in that area in the first place.
What type bees are they?


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

@chipmb2985: 

I concur with @Windows on Wash and @joecaption. Proceed with caution.

Please advise as to your general location; I suspect that will matter a lot here. City/County and State/Province is enough. 

Bees normally don't want to go in your house; there's nothing for them there. You might get a bee here and a bee there flying inside from outside, if they happen to have a nest by the door. 

It sounds more like the bees are already there in your house and they're trying to find their way out. That will be especially true if you're in a cold place, like, say, Michigan and it's a bit early for them to fly in search of nectar, because there isn't any yet. Your house is nice and warm and they might think it's warm outside, too. 

Please, if you can, give us a picture of the bees. If they turn out to be honeybees, I suspect they might have made a home in the joists in your walls. How many have you seen in your windows? 10? 50? 100? That detail might be important too.

So, before we can advise any further, please advise us as requested above.

Hope you're safe from the covidity and have plenty of toilet paper! :vs_cool:


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## Old Thomas (Nov 28, 2019)

I thought your post said Beers entering windows. I thought it was a Covid19 compliant drive through window.


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## chipmb2985 (Nov 28, 2014)

DoomsDave said:


> @chipmb2985:
> 
> I concur with @Windows on Wash and @joecaption. Proceed with caution.
> 
> ...


I live in the Northern Philadelphia Suburbs, PA. I’ve only seen 2 in one window upstairs and two in the one downstairs. No additional activity yet. 

They are honeybeess 😕. They are safe during covid in their new residence. I will explain social distancing to them.

It’s been warmer than usual the past 2 weeks 60-70ish, but starting to cool down.


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## chipmb2985 (Nov 28, 2014)

I should have also said that the one window that they appeared in hasn’t even been open this season yet.


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

Sounds like you might have a hive in your house. Put your ear to the wall near the window you saw them at; if it's buzzing they're in there.


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## chipmb2985 (Nov 28, 2014)

DoomsDave said:


> Sounds like you might have a hive in your house. Put your ear to the wall near the window you saw them at; if it's buzzing they're in there.


I don’t hear any buzzing in the walls. Just kept trying to listen for it. But then again it’s 7PM. I think they sleep at this time?


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

Hmm.

Good question! 

Maybe try again tomorrow in the daytime. I'm dying of curiosity! Bees don't just fly into windows. I'm not a beekeeper but I've dealt with unwanted hives in my time. 

I could be wrong, but if so where would they be coming from? I really think they're in some structure contiguous with your house. Honeybees nest in cavities big enough to accommodate 50,000+ bees and combs, a lot of space, maybe the size of the interior of a refrigerator/freezer. I've seen nests in between joists in people's walls.

Out here in California, our houses are flimsy compared to yours. I'm originally from Cleveland, with relatives in McKees Rocks PA, near Pittsburgh. California houses are perfect for bees, but I've seen hives in Ohio houses, too. My favorite was a vacant house, where the bees nested in someone's bathroom, with the window open a crack to the outside! (Bet the Realtor had a hoot with that one!)

Hmm.

Maybe get or borrow a stethoscope? If not in your house, maybe in an attached garage or shed, etc.? 

Dying of curiosity.


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

Try another trick in the daytime: 

If it's warm, then they're likely out foraging, and if they're nesting in your house, they'll have an entrance exit somewhere. If the upstairs and downstairs windows are near each other, look closely at the walls outside; a little crack is all they need.

You'll be able to see them coming and going, a few at a time, with big crowds early in the day, when they're leaving, and flying home as the sun goes down. Just like driving to and from work, which they're doing.


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## chipmb2985 (Nov 28, 2014)

DoomsDave said:


> Try another trick in the daytime:
> 
> If it's warm, then they're likely out foraging, and if they're nesting in your house, they'll have an entrance exit somewhere. If the upstairs and downstairs windows are near each other, look closely at the walls outside; a little crack is all they need.
> 
> You'll be able to see them coming and going, a few at a time, with big crowds early in the day, when they're leaving, and flying home as the sun goes down. Just like driving to and from work, which they're doing.



Windows are nowhere near each other which makes it more interesting lol. All the bees but 1 have died in the windows.

I do know that the downstairs window area did recently had a hole in the siding but I patched it up a day or two before I saw any new activity. Could they have made a nest that early in the season in that area?

2nd thing. Kinda somewhat near the 2nd story window is our chimney cap which the top blew off. We recently had it replaced but roofer didn’t say he saw anything.


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

chipmb2985 said:


> Windows are nowhere near each other which makes it more interesting lol. All the bees but 1 have died in the windows.
> 
> I do know that the downstairs window area did recently had a hole in the siding but I patched it up a day or two before I saw any new activity. Could they have made a nest that early in the season in that area?
> 
> 2nd thing. Kinda somewhat near the 2nd story window is our chimney cap which the top blew off. We recently had it replaced but roofer didn’t say he saw anything.


Tomorrow, at early light, if you can, take a good, close look and see if you can spot an aperture that bees are flying in and out of. Look especially at places where different structures join, or there's seams siding.


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## chipmb2985 (Nov 28, 2014)

DoomsDave said:


> chipmb2985 said:
> 
> 
> > Windows are nowhere near each other which makes it more interesting lol. All the bees but 1 have died in the windows.
> ...


Going to be like 50 today so they are probably gonna nestle in their new home 😂.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

> Maybe try again tomorrow in the daytime. I'm dying of curiosity! Bees don't just fly into windows.


Bees do fly in the house, in my experience & end up in window areas trying to get out. It may just be a couple to three bees. People are keeping hives more & more.


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

chipmb2985 said:


> Going to be like 50 today so they are probably gonna nestle in their new home 😂.


Good to know, do keep an eye out.

Correct me if I'm wrong but those windows where you found the bees are sealed from the outside, right? If that's so, then they didn't just happen to find their way in from outside. I say that because I've found bugs in windows sealed from the outside, which shows they came from inside. 

And, except for recently, it's been too cold for them to be afield where you are? Which suggests they haven't been flying anywhere near your place for a while. Back in Ohio, spring took FOREVER to arrive sometimes. Bees didn't hurry, either.

That points to a hive in your house. 

BUT

Really, honestly, truthfully, I hope you DON'T have a hive in the house, as those can be a pain to deal with. But you really need to find out. No cancer, no chemo, right @Nik333? :devil3:

You don't want, as a guy in Diamond Bar California had happen, to start remodeling your house, rip open a wall and find a pissed off hive of bees in there. 

So keep looking. If only to satisfy a loony on lockdown in California . . . . :vs_cool:


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## chipmb2985 (Nov 28, 2014)

DoomsDave said:


> chipmb2985 said:
> 
> 
> > Going to be like 50 today so they are probably gonna nestle in their new home 😂.
> ...


So weather in PA recently very odd. I’ve seen bees outside in general and flying insects. We’ve had some hot days in past couple weeks.

Sealed from outside.. Yes but I did notice some small gaps where screen lays on some windows. The one downstairs I don’t see any gaps tho so I have no clue.

Yeah bees might be something out of my expertise. Wonder if it’s worth having someone check out.


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

chipmb2985 said:


> So weather in PA recently very odd. I’ve seen bees outside in general and flying insects. We’ve had some hot days in past couple weeks.
> 
> Sealed from outside.. Yes but I did notice some small gaps where screen lays on some windows. The one downstairs I don’t see any gaps tho so I have no clue.
> 
> Yeah bees might be something out of my expertise. Wonder if it’s worth having someone check out.


It might be, at some point. 

Once I had a rodent die in a space in my house. Flies laid eggs, made maggots which pupated and hatched into flies that flew up into an area that showed daylight - my nice, new living room window. Sealed from outside, flies inside. Fortunately, I could just pull off the screen and off 'em with one of those electric racket thingies.

Before you call someone, see if you can get some evidence yourself. You might as well, since it's still cold out. And this is the DIY website . . .


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## chipmb2985 (Nov 28, 2014)

DoomsDave said:


> chipmb2985 said:
> 
> 
> > So weather in PA recently very odd. I’ve seen bees outside in general and flying insects. We’ve had some hot days in past couple weeks.
> ...


Ya Only if I can’t figure it out. I’m on a mission.


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## chipmb2985 (Nov 28, 2014)

Back to windows and caulking. I spotted this gap on exterior of the downstairs window. 

Can this be sealed with caulk?


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

chipmb2985 said:


> Back to windows and caulking. I spotted this gap on exterior of the downstairs window.
> 
> Can this be sealed with caulk?


I wouldn't.

Looks like it's supposed to drain.

BUT

We have others who might know better . . . .


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## chipmb2985 (Nov 28, 2014)

Update: It’s been sunny and like 50-57 degrees for past couple days. No other bees yet. 

Either too cold or they are quarantining.


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