Remove Bees

Spring is in the air...and so are swarms of bees, looking for new homes. Despite their benefit for the environment, most folks don't want a hive of honey bees in close proximity to their homes (even if they are minding their own beeswax!) So start with Step 1 below to find out what to do with the little pollinators if they decide to take up residence on your property.

Steps

Part One: Getting Rid of Bees in the Home

1. Understand what you're dealing with. Before you take any action, it's important to make sure that it is definitely bees you're dealing with, and not wasps or hornets. Bees are valuable pollinators and are not aggressive or dangerous (unless someone in your family has an allergy), so killing them should be avoided if possible.
   • You can identify bees by examining their appearance (this is easiest if you can find a dead bee). Look for hairs on the body - all bees have hairs, whereas wasps tend to have smooth exteriors.
   • Also try to get a look at the nest. Honey bees build their nests out of wax, in a honeycomb formation, whereas other stinging insects tend to construct their nests out of wood fiber or mud.
   • Honey bees tend to be most active in spring, when they are collecting pollen. Watch for signs of them flying back and forth from the nest.
2. Call a local beekeeper. If you have confirmed the presence of honey bees and have identified the location of their nest (they prefer enclosed spaces like wall cavities, roofs and chimneys), your first step should be to call a local beekeeper. Not only will they be happy to remove the bees but you could also be saving an endangered species. Honey bees are disappearing rapidly, and without them to pollinate, every plant on Earth may be affected negatively.
   • Beekeepers will often physically remove both the bees and their hive, without needing to exterminate them. They may do this for free or they may charge a fee, depending on the location of the nest and the effort involved in removing them. In some places, they might even pay you.
   • The beekeeper will usually cut out the honeycombs with the brood inside and place them in frames, which the beekeeper can later transfer to his/her own hive box.
   • However, if the nest is difficult to reach, the beekeeper may use a special vacuum to suck up the bees without killing them.
   • If the nest is behind a wall, you may need to call a contractor to knock down a portion of the wall to give the beekeeper access to the bees. As the homeowner, you will need to cover the cost of this, and any repairs that follow.
   • The bees are likely to become agitated as the beekeeper is doing his/her job. Therefore it's recommended that you keep your family, especially any children or pets, inside until the job is complete. The beekeeper will be protected by their beekeeping suit.
3. Call an exterminator. In some circumstances, local beekeepers will be unwilling or unable to remove the nest. They may not have room for the bees, or the effort required in removing the bees may not be worth their time. If this is the case, you will need to call a professional exterminator, who will generally kill the bees before removing them.
   • Exterminating bees can be a difficult job and might involve a hefty fee. The exterminator will usually use a pesticide to kill the bees. However, it is important to be aware that this will usually only kill the bees near the surface of the nest, and new pupa will emerge within a couple of days, so you will need the exterminators to return two or three times over the next couple of weeks in order to completely remove the bees.
   • Normally, the exterminators will only kill the bees, they will not remove the dead bees or the nest. Rather than just sealing up the wall cavity, it is very important to completely remove any traces of the nest, otherwise the bees and the honey from the combs could start to rot, producing a very bad smell and potentially damaging the drywall.
   • Remember that the dead bees, the honey and the nest have all been treated with pesticides, so you will need to handle them as hazardous waste when disposing of them. Then you will need to thoroughly clean the area with warm soapy water, and repaint if necessary.
4. Trap the bees outside. Another option for removing the bees without killing them is to trap them outside the nest. However, this is a time-consuming process, so it should only be undertaken by homeowners who are not in a rush to get rid of the bees.
   • To trap the bees, you will need an exit cone made from screen wire. The wide end of the cone should be secured over the entrance to the hive, while the narrow end should have an exit hole with a diameter no larger than 3/8". This allows the bees to exit the cone, but prevents them from getting back in.
   • For this method to work, it is imperative that you seal up all other entrances (such as holes and cracks) leading to the hive, otherwise the bees will simply find another way in.
   • To ensure that the trapped bees survive, you will need to put a second, small hive (provided by a beekeeper) as close to the exit cone as possible. This small hive is known as a "nuc" and contains a new queen, some honey and a small number of worker bees. When the trapped bees find that they can no longer return to their original nest, they will join this new nest instead.
   • Depending on the size of the original hive, it may take up to two months for the majority of bees to exit. The original queen will not abandon her brood, so you will need to inject some pesticide into the wall to kill her and any remaining bees.
5. Use pesticides. If you aren't able to enlist the help of a beekeeper and don't want to pay an exterminator, you can get rid of the bees yourself using pesticides.
   • Find an aerosol pesticide containing pyrethroids. Don't worry if it's intended for wasps and hornets -- it will work just as well on bees, killing them upon contact.
   • Cover yourself up in protective clothing and spray the pesticide into the hive (following the label's instructions), from any available access points. Do this in the late evening, when the bees are less active.
   • Keep in mind that the pesticide will only kill the bees it comes in direct contact with, so it won't have any effect on the developing pupa which have yet to hatch. Therefore, you will need to repeat the spraying process two or three weeks later to ensure that the newly hatched bees are also exterminated.
   • If you don't want to use an aerosol, you could also use a motor blower to blow an insecticidal dust like Sevin into the hive. The dust will not kill the bees immediately, but the worker bees will track the dust into the center of the hive, eventually killing off the entire hive.
6. Clean up afterwards. Once the bees have been removed, it is very important that you remove the hive and clean up any honey or dead bees before sealing the area.
   • If the honey and dead bees are not removed, they can start to rot or ferment causing a very bad odor that may fill your home. The unattended honey may also seep through drywall, causing a lot of damage to your home.
   • In addition, the smell of old honey and wax can attract new swarms to set up their hive in the same location, so it's important to remove the old one and seal off the area in order to avoid going through the whole bee removal process again the following year.
   • In order to remove a large hive, you may need to tear down a wall -- this is a pain, but remember that the cost of fixing the wall is less than the potential cost of replacing damaged drywall. Clean up the old hive, then paint over the area.
   • The final step is to fill in the cavity (expandable foam insulation is recommended) and seal up any holes or cracks in the wall where the bees could potentially reenter. It's also advisable to inspect the area periodically throughout the year, to make sure all of the entrances remain sealed.

Part Two: Getting Rid of Bees in the Garden

1. Wait it out. If the bees have set up residence in a tree, fence or other location somewhere near your houses, you should consider just leaving it alone and allowing bee season to pass.
   • Bees are not typically very aggressive (unless they feel under threat) so if you leave them alone to go about their business, you shouldn't have any problems.
   • When the cold winter weather sets in, the worker bees will dies and the new queens will leave. Then you can safely remove the nest.
   • Of course, this is only possible if the bees are not interfering with your use of the garden and if no one in your family has a bee allergy.
2. Call a beekeeper. If you can find a local beekeeper who is willing to help you with your bee problem, they may be able to save most of the bees by transferring them to a hive box. This can be done in several ways:
   • If the hive is easily accessible, the beekeeper will be able to simply cut out the comb containing the brood and bees and place it directly into a hive box.
   • Alternatively, if the hive is trapped in a section of tree or fence, a hive body can be placed over the entrance and the bees will crawl into it by themselves.
   • Finally, if the hive is in a difficult to reach the spot, the beekeeper may place an exit cone (like the one described in the section above) over the entrance to the hive. This will trap the worker bees outside. A hive body will then be hung in a nearby location, which the trapped-out bees will eventually join.
3. Relocate them. If the bees have set up their hive inside a tree, one possible option is just to relocate them by carefully cutting out the tree section containing the bees and placing it in a secluded location, away from your house.
   • If you decide to go down this route, you should do so as early in the year as possible, before the number of bees significantly increases.
   • Make sure to cover yourself up fully in protective clothing, as the bees will probably become aggravated by the sawing or chopping near their hive.
   • Choose the new location of the hive carefully -- don't place it on somebody else's land without their permission, and don't put it anywhere that someone might accidentally stumble across it.
4. Use pesticides. If you do not have the time or resources to remove the bees or relocate them, you may have no choice but to exterminate them. This can easily be achieved using aerosol or spray pesticides.
   • Spray the aerosol or sprinkle the insecticide dust into the entrance to the hive. Do this late in the evening when the bees are least active, while wearing protective clothing.
   • You will need to repeat this process once or twice more over the coming weeks, as the hive's pupa are protected by a layer of wax so you will need to wait until they hatch before you can kill them with the pesticide.
5. Use dish soap and water. If you are opposed to the use of pesticides but still want to kill off the bees, you can attempt to do so using a solution of soap and water. The soapy water is able to penetrate the bees protective waxy surface, essentially drowning the bees.
   • Mix a solution of one part dish soap and four parts water and pour it into a spray bottle. Cover yourself head to toe in protective clothing (as the water will not kill the bees immediately and they will probably become agitated) and begin to spray the soapy water into the hive and at any visible bees.
   • The soapy water will only kill the bees it comes in direct contact with, so you will need to repeat the process several times over to target as many bees as possible.

Part Three: Preventing the Bees From Returning

1. Seal up holes in exterior walls. The best way to prevent bees from setting up inside the walls of your home is to prevent them from entering in the first place. You can do this by inspecting your exterior wall for any holes or cracks that are large enough to insert a pencil through, then sealing them up with caulk.
2. Fill wall cavities. You should also fill up any wall cavities -- this way, even if the bees manage to get in, they won't have space to set up a hive. The best way to fill in wall cavities quickly and easily is to use expandable foam.
3. Remove any traces of honey or beeswax. As mentioned before, bees are attracted to sites where other bees have previously set up their hives, as they can smell traces of honey or beeswax.
   • Therefore, it's important to remove these substances completely after you've got rid of the hive.
   • If the hive was outdoors, you could use a power hose, if it was indoors, you could use strong cleaning products and possibly paint over the area afterwards.
4. Use natural bee repellents. Another simple way to prevent a future bee infestation is to use natural bee repellents to deter them from building a hive near your home. Try one of the following:
   • Citronella: The scent of citronella is believed to ward off bees and wasps. You can take advantage of this fact by growing citronella plants in your garden, or by burning citronella candles or incense outdoors during bee season.
   • Cucumber peels: The peelings from a cucumber are also believed to naturally repel bees. Simply sprinkle the cucumber peels over your lawn and any flower beds. This will deter the bees which also helping to fertilize your garden!
   • Sugar water: An alternative technique is to dissolve a couple of tablespoons of sugar in a basin of water and leave it out in your garden. The bees will be attracted to the sweet scent of the water (thinking it's honey) and end up drowning in the water. It also helps if you add a little dish soap to the water, as this breaks down the wax covering the bee's body and makes it drown faster.

Tips

• Do not spray bees! This is illegal in many places and dead bees smell terrible inside your walls. Call a beekeeper.
• Vacuuming is another method that some people employ with great success, especially when the bees are in walls.
• Make sure to use proper protection for clothes and/or wear a proper beekeeper suit for extra precautions. Bees get angry if aggravated.

Warnings

• Do not throw rocks at the swarm, or any other foolish act of blatant bee provocation.
• Make sure your neighbors know what's going on, in case one of them is allergic to bee stings.
• If a beekeeper comes to your home to remove bees, double check that your liability insurance will cover you if anything happens to them.

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Sources and Citations

See also

• Keep Wasps Away
• Get Rid of a Wasp's Nest
• Make a Wasp Trap
• Get Rid of Bees
• Get Rid of Carpenter Bees
• Get Rid of Hornets
• Build a Carpenter Bee Trap
• Remove Bees from a Chimney
• Identify Africanized Honey Bees
• Identify Wasps

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What links here

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