How to get rid of honey bees

Dealing with a single bee is an easy task, but eliminating an entire colony is a complex and potentially dangerous process. Therefore, you should ask a professional to help solve the problem. However, before calling the service, you can rely on some characteristics of bees and hive to determine the species of bee. With this information, you can estimate what needs to be done to get rid of them, thereby comparing it to the cost of hiring a professional. Finally, you can take precautions to reduce the risk of having to deal again.

Table of Contents

Identification of bees

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Make sure that the species of bee you are dealing with is a honey bee. When you see an insect that you think is a bee, you should observe carefully before deciding to act. You need to make sure it’s a honey bee, not a wasp or wasp. Distinguished by the following features:

Hair: Honey bees have hairs that cover their entire body. Wasps and wasps may have some body hair, but you have to look closely to see it. ^{[1] X Research Source}
Food source: Honey bees live on nectar from flowers. Wasps and wasps live by hunting other insects and/or scavenging for food scraps.
Thickness: Honey bees generally have a rounder midsection, while wasps and wasps have thinner bellies and longer bodies. ^{[2] X Research Source}

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Take pictures to identify bees. Different bee species require different treatment methods. ^{[3] X Research Source} Take pictures of the bees and ask an exterminator or beekeeper to see; you can also compare bee species from online sources like http://www.adkinsbeeremoval.com/bee-id-chart.php. If you’re in the US, chances are you’re dealing with honey bees, bumblebees, carpenter bees or possibly African honey bees.

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Distinguish between bumble bees and carpenter bees. These two species of bees are quite similar at first glance. If you compare pictures online and believe it is one of these two bees, take a closer look to be sure. Distinguish these two bee species through the following characteristics: ^{[4] X Research source}

Appearance: Carpenter bees have black spots on their chest (where wings and legs grow out). They also have less hair than bumblebees.
Habits: Carpenter bees live alone, while bumblebees often congregate in colonies.

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Observe the hive to identify the bee species if necessary. If you can’t take a photo (or the photo is not clear), don’t worry. Find their nest. Use this information to narrow down your bee species. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

Honey bees often nest in holes such as tree trunks, logs and fence posts. They don’t usually use structures to build their nests, but we can sometimes find honeycomb nests in roofs, attics, and holes in walls if there’s an outside entrance. ^{[6] X Research Sources}
Bumblebees often nest inside or near the ground, such as in abandoned rodent burrows, compost piles, or beneath exposed structures such as sheds or patios.
Carpenter bees often chisel through wood to build nests. Watch for bee activity around coin-sized holes in places like overhanging roofs, patios, and cut branches. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

Solving problems

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Wondering if it’s necessary to eradicate bees. If the bees are just outside, you should consider leaving them alone, unless someone is allergic to bees. Remember that honey bees play an important role in the ecology by pollinating flowers; Moreover, the number of honey bees is decreasing in recent years. ^{[8] X Research Sources} You should also keep in mind:

While most honey bees have stingers, they use stings only as a last resort, meaning you have to really excite the bees before they sting. You won’t be harmed if you show a calm expression in the midst of bees. In fact, some bees (like male carpenter bees) don’t even have stingers. ^{[9] X Research Source}
African honey bees may be an exception; These bees are more likely to become aggressive and will attack if disturbed. ^{[10] X Research Source}

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Watch out for bees nesting indoors. If you see bees in your home (or suppose if you spot carpenter bees chipping into wood in your home), you need to consider this as a situation where the bees need to be eliminated. Structural damage caused by bees may not be noticeable at first, but over time there is a risk of major damage if left untreated. ^{[11] X Research Source}

Carpenter bees may continue to chisel through wooden structures to expand the nest if left alone.
Honey bees will build beehives. Honeycomb hive can become quite heavy and can damage the surroundings. ^{[12] X Research Sources} Honey can also attract other animals. ^{[13] X Research Source}

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Thanks to expert handling. Killing a bee is fairly easy, but dealing with an entire hive will be a much longer process. Remember that if not handled properly and thoroughly, it is possible that new colonies will reappear after a short time. You should also remember: ^{[14] X Research Sources}

Honey bees usually do not harm you unless you destroy their nest. And while it’s possible to withstand a single honey bee sting, you’re likely to come across dozens, hundreds, even thousands of these little guys when you raid their home. ^{[15] X Research Source}
There are different treatment methods depending on the species of bee. Professionals can use smoke, pesticides or other methods to lure the bees out, plus another nest to suck honey from the old hive.
Hive removal may include carpentry to access the nest and repair damaged structures.

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Contact local authorities first. First, you need to determine if the hive is actually on your own private land or on public land. If the hive is on public land, contact your local authority and report it for them to handle. If not, you should still call them, as they may have a free disposal service, depending on where you live. ^{[16] X Research Source}

Services (if any) will vary by region. These services include removal of both bees and hive or just take away bees. They can also provide repair services for damaged or undamaged structures.
Free services are usually for beehives built on natural structures (for example in trees) rather than in homes or other man-made structures. However, you should still call the authorities to find out about their policies regarding structures on your property.

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Compare prices before using the “free service”. If the local government offers a free bee treatment, don’t make a hasty decision. Remember that while this service is technically “free,” it may not include the cost of every task that needs to be done. You should find out exactly what this service includes, then contact private companies to choose. ^{[17] X Research Source}

This is especially important for beehives in indoor structures. Accessing the hive in these locations may require drilling and cutting work to expose the hive. Free services may not include subsequent repairs.
If the repair work is not carried out or done carelessly, new bees will return to reside. This means that hiring a private company can be cheaper in the long run as they will exterminate, repair, and provide warranty if your home is later infested with bees.

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Call the beekeeper to remove the honey bee before calling for a pest control service. If you are sure the bee to be treated is a honey bee, find a local beekeeper. Ask a beekeeper to remove honey bees from your home instead of killing them, if possible. You should keep in mind that honey bee populations are declining, and this is unfortunate, as honey bees play an important role in pollinating crops. ^{[18] X Research Sources}

If you can’t find a beekeeper, look for a pest control company that specializes in handling bees. They may try to remove the bees before they have to resort to extermination services.

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Contact a bee disposal specialist instead of pest control companies. If bees nest in structures in your home (or any other structure on your property), you should consider hiring a company that can drill and cut walls, floors, and ceilings to access the hive. Obviously you’ll need to fix it later. Therefore, you should look for pest control companies that specialize in handling bees. ^{[19] X Research Source}

Bee handlers are more likely to take care of the repairs, while the general pest control company may just remove the bees. This also means you have to repair yourself or hire a repairman.
A bee handler can cover you in the event the bees return to their original location, and this will save you money in the long run.

Prevent bees from coming back

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Remove any hive and hive. Make sure the person you hire doesn’t leave hives and hive behind after killing or removing them. Old hives will attract new bees. You need to prevent this by ensuring that the old hive is properly disposed of. ^{[20] X Research Source}

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Repair what is needed immediately. If the pest control company needs to drill down structures in your home to access the hive and not repair it, you need to do this immediately. Understand that if a swarm of bees thinks this is the right place to build a nest, so will the other bees. You need to block their entry as soon as possible. ^{[21] X Research Source}

Seal any openings, cracks or other entrances. Remember: if a swarm of bees gets inside a structure, other bees can do the same. Examine and identify any possible entry points for bees. Seal these spots with sealant, insulating foam or any other suitable material.

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Clear the grounds to eliminate ideal bee nesting sites. Limit the places where bees can build nests. Clear out the unnecessary junk that has now become an ideal place for bees to nest. Depending on the bee species in your area, you should also consider the following:

Prevent access to low spaces and below overhanging structures such as outdoor sheds, patios or outdoor decks.
Fill in old rodent burrows or other holes in the ground.
Use a bin to store your compost instead of leaving it in an outdoor pile.
Clear out hollow tree trunks and logs.

Steps

Identification of bees

Solving problems

Prevent bees from coming back

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