Honey Bees in my Chimney!

I've been concerned about Bee Colony Collapse and have been planting bee-friendly plants and providing water in my garden. The bees liked my place so much they decided to move into my chimney. Seriously, I found around 20 bees in my living room yesterday, clinging to the white lace curtain, trying to get out to the where there's light.

While they are welcome outside, they can't move into my chimney - sorry. I called the Los Angeles Beekeeper's group; the one who answered couldn't help. Before calling a professional bee-exterminator (how sad is that!), we decided to smoke them so they get the message that they've exceeded their welcome. We had logs in the fireplace going most of yesterday afternoon, and again this morning.

Before we did all that, I had a talk with the bees - I love you and you're welcome in my garden, but not in my chimney (and living room). I whispered these words to their bee scouts who had dazed looks in my living room, and I also said this to any other bees in the chimney.

Many of the bee scouts looked like they were dying; I don't know if that was because they had traveled far to find a new home. I picked them up, talked to them, and placed them on a bush outside.

My internet research indicated that bees will send from 10-100 scouts to check out a potential home. If the bees build a hive and have settled for 3 days or longer, it's impossible to move them out, and then you've got to call an exterminator. An internet site suggested smoking them for hours. So that's what I'm doing. So far so good, and I sincerely hope they move. If not, I'll have to call the bee exterminator, which I don't want to do.

I still love the bees and will continue planting bee-friendly plants. I wished I knew how to move the ones in my chimney to a moveable hive.