Honey Bee Removal

What do you do when you have bees in your house?

A large colony of bees near you grew and decided to reproduce and make another colony. This is called a swarm. The swarm sends out female scout bees to locate a cavity large enough to support a new colony and a location that is protected from the weather and other predators. The scouts often find such a cavity in homes, in soffits, walls, and between floors. The scouts then go back to the colony and lead 60% of the colony to a new home. The remaining 40% of the old colony raises a new queen and replenishes their numbers which left in the swarm.

Why did bees choose your house?

You are NOT a bad house keeper. We remove bees from brand new homes, and older homes alike. The bees simply found a gap or a hole and slipped into a cavity. Sometimes holes are made by other animals or insects and once the hold leads to a sizeable cavity, the bees move in and the queen begins laying over 2,000 eggs A DAY!

Can a honey bee colony become large in a house?

Yes, colonies can become huge. We have removed colonies of honey bees that were the full wall height from ceiling to floor and between two studs. A colony this size can contain 80,000 bees and over 100 pounds of honey.

Can bees cause structural problems to my home?

Yes. Though bees do not chew or destroy wood, a weak or dying colony can attract mice, termites, mold, and other problems that can weaken or destroy the structural integrity of your home.

Why not just seal them in or kill the colony?

It is almost impossible to poison the colony due to the way the comb is layered back from the opening. However, if the poison did destroy the bees, it would leave behind combs of honey and brood. This unprotected comb would begin to drip and attract other problems such as small hive beetle, ants, mice, termites and mold. And the dripping honey could drip onto a ceiling below and cause the drywall to collapse due to moisture.

Also, if you kill a colony in your home, bees from other beekeeper's hives could go into your home and rob the toxic honey and take it back to their colony and kill another hive. You could be found responsible for killing other beekeeper's colonies.

It is very important not to poison honey bees. Honey bees are an essential part of our pollination of fruits and vegetables. One out of three bites of food comes from the pollination of our honey bees. We need them. When you ask us to remove your bees, you are saving the honey bee! Good for you.

If I wait, will they just go away?

Again, if they leave their honey and brood behind, you still have a problem in your walls. Honey bees rarely leave. Instead they grow larger by the day.

Will a local beekeeper remove my bees if he/she can keep the bees for free?

It's possible, but sometimes local beekeepers do not have the construction skills to remove bricks, walls, ceiling and floors to correctly and thoroughly remove the bees. Many beekeepers try to lure the bees out. With small hive beetles, this will cause more harm to your structure.

Can bees be lured out?

It is never a good idea. When attempting to lure a well established colony out of a wall or tree, the only bees that fly out are the older bees, the foragers. This takes many weeks of consistent work. If it was successful, the queen would never leave and she will lay eggs as long as there are resources in the colony attempting to replenish the foraging force. But, if the colony does die from a lack of foragers not being allowed in, you still have rotting bees and brood in the walls or ceiling of your house, and the unprotected honey can attract mice, termites, ants, mold and other problems.

How fast can a hive build comb?

During a time when flowers are producing nectar, colonies can build a sizeable piece of comb each day. In one week, a colony can have several sections of comb with brood and honey and pollen.

We no longer offer this service. Contact someone in your area.