If you suspect that there are bees in your chimney, do not start your fireplace under any circumstance. Beeswax is highly flammable, and you may risk an explosion if you turn it on. Even if a major blast doesn’t occur, the hot wax may eat through your grout and masonry, potentially causing extensive damage. On top of that, bees are good for the environment! You may be able to have them peacefully removed without killing any bees in the process. If you see dead insects in the pit of your fireplace or there are bugs flying around your chimney, see if you can confirm that they’re bees. Bees always have fur, while wasps and hornets have smooth exteriors. In addition, hornets and wasps have longer, thinner thoraxes while bees tend to be round.  If you have hornets or wasps in your nest, call an exterminator and seal your chimney immediately. Hornets and wasps can be very aggressive towards humans, and if they think your home is their home, you could have a nasty situation on your hand. If you have an allergy to bees, do not get close to them. Bees are typically non-aggressive, but they may sting if they think you’re trying to harm them. Rent an infrared camera from a construction supply store. Turn the camera on and point it at the fireplace. Slowly raise it up towards your roof while monitoring the screen. If there are lots of little dots flying around, you have bees. If there is a large, white mass on the screen, you have a hive.  An infrared camera will cost around $50-80 to rent for a day. If the bees haven’t established a hive, it will cost considerably less to have the bees removed. The contractor will likely use a vacuum to extract the bees and take them elsewhere. This will usually cost anywhere from $50-200. If you have an established hive, it will cost a little more. The contractor will need to use a grinder to cut the hive out and remove it. This can cost $200-1,500, depending on the size of the hive and the chimney. Get an inflatable chimney plug from a construction supply store. Inflate the plug halfway by blowing into the tube. Then, slide it up the pit until it’s at least 1 ft (30 cm) above the base of the chimney. Next, blow it up as much as you can to expand the plug and block the chimney. This is the best way to keep bees, wasps, or hornets from flying down into your home.  The damper, which is the hatch that closes the opening to the chimney, is not nearly enough to keep bees out. They can usually squeeze through the opening between the plates. Chimney plugs are also known as balloon plugs. Alternatively, hold a contractor’s bag over the chimney and press long lengths of duct tape into the seam where the bag meets the masonry. Then, add more tape along the groves in the grout so it overlaps the seam where the first layer of tape meets the masonry. Do this 2-3 times to create an airtight fit.
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One-sentence summary -- Keep your fireplace off if you suspect you have a bee problem. Confirm that you have bees by looking for fur and round thoraxes. Use an infrared camera to determine if they’ve established a hive. Plug your chimney if it’s open to keep the insects from coming inside.


Sprinkle an even layer of baking soda over the bottom of the cookie sheet, tray, or other stainless steel bakeware.  The larger the surface, the more baking soda you’ll need.  Then, add some vinegar to the pan.  Again, the amount of vinegar you add should be proportional to the surface area of the stainless steel bakeware.  Start with ¼ cup of vinegar.  If that isn’t enough to evenly coat the bottom of the tray, add more in one-tablespoon increments.  When you mix the vinegar and baking soda, you’ll notice them fizzing.  This is normal and not cause for concern. Wait two to three minutes for the mixture to work its way into the stain. Boil a small pot of water on the stove.  While it’s boiling, dump the vinegar and baking soda mix out of the bakeware and rinse the tray off.  Place the tray in the sink face-up and slowly pour the boiling water over it.  Don’t pour the boiling water too rapidly or you risk splashing it onto your skin. Wait a few minutes for the hot water to cool, then start scrubbing with soap and water to loosen up as much of the stain as you can.  Use vigorous circular motions with the sponge or scrubbing pad to loosen the grime. If you can remove the stain completely at this point, great!  If not, continue on to the next step. Prepare a mixture of one part vinegar to three parts water.  For instance, you could mix one cup of vinegar and three cups of water.  Or, for more shallow trays, you might mix half a cup of vinegar with 1½ cups of water.  Bring the mixture to a boil in your bakeware.  If you have a deep pot, this is easy to do on the stovetop.  However, if you’re cleaning a shallow bakeware item like a tray or cookie sheet, you’ll need to add a thin layer of this mixture and heat it in the oven to about 212 degrees Fahrenheit (100 degrees Celsius) inside your oven. Once the mixture is boiling, turn off the heat.  Let it cool for 10-15 minutes.  Then dump the mixture down your sink and give the stainless steel bakeware a good scrubbing with soap and water.  Any stains should come right out. If your stainless steel bakeware is still stained after using the vinegar and water mix, mix baking soda and water in equal parts.  For instance, you could mix ½ a cup of water and ½ a cup of baking soda.  The mixture should resemble a thick paste.  Coat the stains on your stainless steel bakeware with this paste and let it sit for about 15 minutes.  Then, rub the paste away with a sponge and give the bakeware a good washing with hot, soapy water.  Some people find that scrubbing the baking soda paste away with aluminum foil helps remove the stain.  You could also soak a sponge in vinegar to help you remove stains treated with the baking soda paste.  Use this vinegar-soaked sponge to scrub away the paste or after you’ve washed the pan with soapy water. This method is also effective when cleaning cast iron bakeware.  However, it is recommended that you let the paste coat the stain on cast iron for closer to eight hours rather than just 15 minutes.
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One-sentence summary --
Apply vinegar and baking soda. Pour hot water over the pan. Heat water and vinegar in the bakeware. Use baking soda and water.