Bees invaded my boat.

Some times of the year bees swarm.   When a hive or bees nest reaches a population that is becoming to small for the population a swarm splits off and looks for another home to nest in.  The warm usually finds a high tree or pole or even a boat mast to collect on and scout bees go out and look for a new nest place.  A boat is as good a place as any to nest in.

It only takes a few days for a swarm to build comb and start a new home.  Removing a bees nest can be big problem.  The bees like a small door that can be easily guarded with a nice space behind it.  They will wall off small cracks and seal the area off to make a nice home.

Getting rid of the bees them self's is less of a problem then cleaning out the nest.  Bees do not like smoke and they become "mellow" and are much less likely to sting when smoked.  Just by smoking the nest a few times in a short time span may get the swarm to move on.  Bees do not like there nest disturbed more than every few weeks by a bee keeper and they will often leave a hive if messed with often.  You can use that to help them want to leave. This I feel is the best way to clear the boat of a  swarm.  A wet dry vac can be used to suck the bees out of an area. Yes it dose kill a lot of or most of the bees.  The queen bee is the one that you need to get rid of.  If you do not get the queen she can rebuild the swarm. 

A note for your information: Between 10 am and 5 pm most of the bees are out of the nest and getting food. At that time you have to deal with the fewest bees. BUT the ones out come back late in the afternoon. If you used a vac to clear the nest  in the day you will get a lot of returning bees that afternoon so be prepared for that. 

Local bee keepers will often help you out. If you can get at the nest easily you can smoke them and scoop them out and dump them in a bee box.  You can get the queen this way.  If you contact a local bee keeper they often will help you or do it for free just to get the swarm. Bee keepers have a few different ways of getting or collecting a swarm that is not destructive to the boat. Ask them.

Once the bees are out of the nest you will want to clean out as much of the comb they have built as you can.  It can be a sticky honey mess.  If you got the swarm to leave just by smoking you will find that bees from that swarm will come back and remove much of the honey they had to leave and move it to there new home.
They do a great job, but after a few days you will want to clean up what is left. If you do not clean the area out, you can have a bad smell develop, a BIG ant problem bust to list two. Other bees will find it and they could build a new nest because of the left over smell of the first nest.  This often happens within 6 mo. so be on the watch for it.