Bees In Flat Roof? The 119 New Answer

You should be aware that removing bees from a building structure is particularly difficult and may not be successful. If the bees are honey bees, they should be removed as the nest site is permanent and can grow very large. With other species of bees and wasps, this may not be necessary as the nest is small and they occupy the site for a season and then die.

In order to give advice, we need to determine if the bees are honey bees:

The BBKA.org.uk website has advice on identifying bees on its hive page. However, if the bees cannot be seen up close, it may not be possible to identify them visually.

If the bees arrived recently and their arrival was seen, did they appear as a swarm of thousands of bees? If so, it’s probably honey bees.

Can you see bees getting on and off? Approximately how many go in and out per minute on a warm and sunny afternoon, e.g. 1 per minute, 10 per minute (easy to count), 100 per minute (too many to count)? High numbers indicate honey bees; small number, other bee species.

If you are certain that the bees are honey bees, they should be removed. Most swarm collectors affiliated with OBKA or other beekeeping organizations cannot work at height or dismantle building structures due to insurance restrictions. We therefore recommend that you contact a specialist pest controller. Our beekeepers may be able to help, for example by offering to house a recovered colony. Please discuss this with the pest controller.

If you are sure that the bees are not honey bees, we recommend leaving them alone. The colony dies in the fall. Before that, they make several queens, which overwinter and start a new colony in a new place in the spring.

Welcome to honey bee swarming season! As the weather gets warmer, you may notice more bee activity as they start collecting pollen to eat and store for the upcoming winter. You will likely see swarms of bees excitedly searching for their new home in the coming months. As a homeowner, you may be concerned that bees might choose your home for their new hive.

While we can’t fully control where they make their new homes, there are some steps we can take to prevent bees from building nests in our attics, under the eaves of our roofs, or in outbuildings like sheds or garages.

Bees tend to choose the location of their new hive based on factors such as temperature, humidity levels, ventilation, and proximity to a food source. They also look for a spot with a small entrance that offers protection from predators. For this reason, popular nesting sites are often tree cavities, rocky outcrops, and structures built and used by humans.

Prevent bees from nesting in your home

There is no foolproof way to prevent bees from nesting in your home. However, there are some relatively simple steps you can take to make it harder for the bees to make your home their new home.

Seal any holes or openings

Take a walk around your house and look for holes or other small openings that are a quarter inch or larger. Pay particular attention to areas where there are cables or vents with open space around them. Seal these gaps with gasket, mesh, or metal screens.

You should also check the eaves of your roof for holes or cracks that bees could get in through. Bees love to build nests in eaves and attics, so take extra care to seal any possible entry routes in these areas.

Remove the old honeycomb

If you had a previous hive at home, be sure to check that all old comb has been properly removed. Old comb contains pheromones that can attract bees to the same spot. An experienced live bee removal and bee repair technician can locate the comb, remove it from the structure, and repair any damage caused by the hive or removal.

Remove yard clutter

Yards that are full of dead branches, unused equipment or vehicles, or other large items that are rarely used can be a target for swarms of bees. Clear these items from the yard and remove dead branches, especially those that are abutting a shed, garage, or your home. Removing these items will give the bees less reason to settle on your property.

While we love seeing bees at this time of year, we don’t like seeing them in the eaves of your roof or in your attic or shed. If you think you may have a nest in your home, it’s best to contact an experienced live bee removal technician to take a look. Professionals know exactly how to safely and humanely remove the bees and all comb, giving you peace of mind that they won’t come back next year.

D-Tek Live Bee Removal can do just that! Our professionals are experienced in removing and repairing live bees. They ensure that your bees are completely removed and your home is restored to its original condition. No reason to worry!

Removal of live bees in San Diego County

When you need the best live bee removal in San Diego or San Diego County, contact the experts at D-Tek Live Bee Removal today. Our team is ready to provide you with a free quote and answer all your bee removal questions.

We are happy to hear from them!

Bees love hollow logs as they provide shelter to build mazes of honeycomb. Therefore, it is not surprising to find them in numerous similar places in your home that have the same type of amenities, such as: B. Sheds, trees and inside your walls.

Once bees find a crack or hole in your wall, they can easily get inside your room and fill the cavity with bee waste, honey, and honeycomb until full.

Do bees nest in walls and how long can they live there?

As we mentioned earlier, bees can find their way into your home through cracks or holes. Of course, these insects can nest in all sorts of cavities, such as the walls of your home.

Several factors determine how long bees nest in your walls. If living conditions such as solar heat, nectar flow and space are favorable, a colony of bees can live in your walls for years. However, a colony can die out due to disease and other reasons, making room for a new settlement in the same place.

What are the signs of bees in walls?

Wall voids attract swarms of bees seeking permanent nesting sites. There are several signs of bee infestation in your walls. Is it important to get rid of the bee infestation in your walls? Secure. It takes bees about three weeks to develop into adult bees.

Wall cavities attract swarms of bees seeking permanent nesting sites, so it’s important to clear any bee infestations in your walls as soon as you notice any sign of their presence. It takes bees about three weeks to develop into adult bees. Failure to effectively eradicate a bee infestation can result in a confusing number of bees on your property.

There are several signs of bee infestation in the walls. If you observe any of these signs highlighted below, it is important to clear it up immediately and contact a pest control company for help.

Buzzing noises

Bees buzzing in your walls indicate they are building a nest within. If the buzzing continues, you can be sure that there is a huge swarm. A severe infestation is not only a scary situation, but also a dangerous one.

Sudden appearance of bees

Flying insects such as bees or wasps can get into the house in many ways. However, a single bee can be a sign that there are many others living in your home. A large settlement can definitely scare you. In such a situation, it is best to call professionals to get rid of it in the shortest possible time.

Increase in bee activity

You may notice an increase in the average number of bees flying around your property. This is one of the main signs of a bee infestation. The increase in bee activity means there is a hive around somewhere. When identifying a hive nearby, it is important to relocate it according to the bees’ travel routes. However, special care is required and appropriate measures must be taken to avoid disturbing the hive.

An active hive around your home

When a hive is active, it has noticeably increased bee activity. If you happen to spot a beehive, check it from a safe distance to spot movement. Even if the hive looks inactive or abandoned, it is recommended that you contact a professional company as removing the hive may prove unsafe.

Patches on ceilings or walls

Dark spots are another sign of a bee infestation. The bees build their nests in the walls and fill them with honey cells. Honey tends to ooze out of cracks in walls, damaging drywall and wood structures. Also, it can attract other pests like ants and rodents that can do even more damage.

Do bees cause damage in walls?

Since most available nesting sites can be man-made features such as voids and other structures in houses, you can live with bees in your home as they will not cause significant structural damage.

However, in walls they can be a problem for the following reasons:

Bees can disturb people because of the buzzing noises.

They pose a puncture hazard if your pet gets too close to their comb.

Once a colony dies and its crest melts, it can stain your interior walls with wax and honey.

So what to do when there are bees in your walls?

Bee infestations can be frustrating. The whole process of removing bees and their hive from the walls is not easy as it might seem. The insects do not necessarily have to be sprayed and killed. For effective removal, you need the right equipment.

However, you can contact a qualified Wildlife Troopers professional to help rid your South Florida home of a bee infestation. If you need help removing bees from your property, call us today for a free estimate and video consultation. You will be delighted that you found us!

Circular 824 View PDF picture_as_pdf

Keith S. Delaplane, extension entomologist

This circular is for property owners who have unwanted honey bee swarms on their land or colonies nesting in walls. It explains these natural processes and gives ways to deal with them.

The value of honey bees

Honey bees are among the most useful of all insects. Honey is mankind’s oldest candy and beeswax was the first plastic. Today, honey bees provide these and other valuable bee products. In addition, thousands of beekeepers in the United States keep bees for fun and profit.

Honey bees are important pollinators of almonds, apples, blackberries, blueberries, cantaloupes, cranberries, cucumbers, forage crops, kiwis, squashes and watermelons. The annual contribution of honey bees to US food production is more than $14 million. The decline in bee numbers in recent years, sometimes referred to as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), has increased our concern for the conservation of these important pollinators.

What is a honey bee swarm?

Honey bee colonies reproduce through a process called swarming. In the middle of winter, the queen begins to lay eggs and the colony population increases. By spring the nest is crowded with many new bees. The colony raises a new queen and the old queen flies away, accompanied by more than half the bees.

This flying swarm temporarily gathers on an object such as a branch while scout bees search for a permanent nest site. A hanging swarm can take any form depending on the surface on which it collects. Most hanging swarms are round or oval, about the size of a basketball, and dark brown.

Cluster stage swarms are relatively gentle and the risk of stings is low. However, treat swarms with caution. A swarm usually moves to a permanent nest – a hollow tree, an abandoned beehive, or a hollow wall – within 24 hours.

Options for dealing with swarms

When a swarm of honey bees lands on your property:

Don’t disturb it. Keep passers-by, children and pets away from the swarm.

Once the swarm is at a safe distance from animals and humans, you should wait for it to fly away on its own.

If the swarm poses a real threat to humans or animals, you should find a local beekeeper to remove it. However, not all beekeepers collect swarms, and some may charge a fee for this service. Your county extension agent can refer you to local beekeepers who collect swarms.

If there are Africanized bees in your area, do not ask a beekeeper to collect swarms. Instead, report honey bee swarms to your county extension agent or the state department of agriculture. Authorities may want to collect the swarm for official testing. Contact your County Extension Agent after Bulletin 1290, Africanized Honey Bees for more information.

colonies of bees in walls

Honey bees naturally nest in burrows in old trees. Today, most available nesting sites may be man-made features such as voids in homes and other structures. Bees do not cause significant structural damage and can live with humans indefinitely. However, if the owner wants to remove them, it will require the services of a specialist. Credit: Jim Quick. Honey bees naturally nest in burrows in old trees. Today, most available nesting sites may be man-made features such as voids in homes and other structures. Bees do not cause significant structural damage and can live with humans indefinitely. However, if the owner wants to remove them, it will require the services of a specialist. Credit: Jim Quick.

Wall voids are attractive to honey bee swarms seeking permanent nest sites. This is especially true if there have been bees in the cave before. To avoid this problem, caulk potential entry points such as knotholes, gaps in trim, and openings around plumbing or electrical wiring. If ventilation is required around the openings, cover them with a window screen.

Honey bees in walls can be a problem for the following reasons:

They pose a sting hazard when their hive entrance is near human or pet traffic.

They can disturb people indoors with the sound of their buzzing.

When the colony dies, its beeswax combs are no longer ventilated by fanning bees. The combs can melt and stain interior walls with honey and wax.

When you spot a colony of bees nesting in a wall, you have the following options:

Save money and work by acting quickly. If the swarm has recently (within a day or two) moved into the wall, a qualified person can kill the colony by injecting an insecticide into the cavity. If you wait longer, the bees will build honeycomb and store honey in the wall cavity.

If a more established colony needs to be eliminated, simply injecting an insecticide into the cavity will not suffice. The entire nest, including bees and comb, must be removed. Leaving the unvented combs can melt them and foul interior walls. Many pest control companies avoid these jobs because they involve unusual expertise and liability risks. It’s usually best to hire a team of beekeepers and carpenters who specialize in this job. Typically, these specialists wait until evening when all the bees are in the nest; They locate the nest cavity by listening and observing. Next they expose the nest by removing the siding or necessary timbers and sucking the bees from each wax comb. They continue to cut away, vacuum and remove each comb one at a time until all the bees and comb are removed. The carpenter then seals the cavity. It is extremely important to close all potential bee entry points; Otherwise, you run the risk of a new swarm quickly re-occupying the void. Depending on the location of the nest, the beekeeper and carpenter must work either inside or outside. The next morning after work is done, it is not uncommon to find a few worker bees on the outer surface where the nest entrance used to be. These individuals are disoriented, pose a low risk of stings, and will die or relocate within a day or so.

In some cases, bees and humans have lived together for years without any problems. If the nest entry point is far from human and pet traffic, such as the top of a roof, consider a stay-at-rest approach.

Remember honey bees are beneficial insects and not aggressive. However, they will defend their nest if they perceive a threat. If you encounter flying honey bees, calmly walk away from them and never hit them. Hitting them only threatens them and increases the likelihood of a sting. Your county extension agent or local beekeepers association can help with any honey bee related questions.

Status and revision history

Published on 07/01/1994

In Review for minor revisions on March 12, 2009

Released March 17, 2010

Published with minor revisions on July 18, 2014

Swarms of honey bees

“If you see a swarm of honey bees, call a beekeeper, not an exterminator!” Few things will draw attention as quickly as the hum of thousands of bees clustering on a branch and flying all over the yard. It can also be very unsettling as they are stinging insects that will fight back if disturbed. Though a swarm of bees in the garden may be unnerving, it is fascinating and one of nature’s most dazzling displays of coordinated behavior.

What is a honey bee swarm?

Swarming is the process by which honey bee colonies reproduce to form new colonies. When a honeybee colony outgrows its home, is too crowded, or too populated for the queen’s pheromones to control the entire workforce, the worker bees signal that it’s time to swarm. The workers begin building swarm cells for new queens. Once the swarm cells are established and the queen lays eggs inside, the colony changes its behavior. Foraging slows down and workers begin erratic movements within the hive. The queen now stops laying eggs and reduces her weight to be able to fly. When the queen is ready, she leaves the hive and is followed by about half the worker bees in a huge cloud of flying bees. The queen will find a nearby tree, land, and emit pheromones that signal workers to crowd around her. The cluster will stay there for several hours while scout bees scout the area for a new home. Often the cluster leaves, travels a mile or more, and reforms on another branch far from the original hive. The cluster persists until scout bees find a new hive or burrow to occupy. Once a suitable home is found, the entire cluster will fly and migrate to the new location, where it will begin building comb, developing new brood, and collecting pollen and nectar.

The queens that develop in the swarm cells of the old hive are cared for by half of the workers who did not go with the swarm. After 16 days, the new queens begin to hatch. Typically, the first queen to emerge stabs and kills the other queens in their cells to take on the role of new queen for the colony. She will then fly to find drones to mate with to begin laying eggs and rebuilding the colony’s workforce.

When do swarms appear?

Normally, swarm activity coincides with spring nectar flow. This is when a variety of plants are in bloom, providing abundant nectar and pollen resources. The primary swarm season is between March and May, but secondary swarms occasionally occur later in the season. These secondary swarms are often not as successful in establishing new colonies due to their inability to build new combs and gather enough resources in time to survive the coming winter.

Are swarms dangerous?

When honey bees are swarming, they are not nearly as defensive as when they are near their hive because they are not protecting either brood (developing young bees) or honey stores. They are more concerned with looking for a new home and staying in protective groups around the queen. When disturbed or agitated, they will defend the group; It is therefore advisable to keep your distance from a swarm of bees to avoid being stung.

The swarm was there all day. How long will it take for them to leave?

That’s hard to answer because it depends on the weather conditions and when the scout bees find a suitable cavity to colonize. Usually swarms only stay in one place for a few hours or maybe a day, but some swarms can stay for several days.

The swarm is in a problematic location (near a public sidewalk, door, playground or schoolyard, public park, etc.). How can it be safely removed?

Although the swarm can be alarming, especially for people who are allergic to bee stings, please do not spray the swarm with any insecticide or try to destroy it. This can actually upset the bees and make them more likely to get stung. More importantly, honey bees face many threats and have suffered significant declines in recent years. A number of pests, diseases and environmental stresses have caused significant losses to beekeepers; Therefore, swarms of bees should be protected rather than destroyed. South Carolina beekeepers are found throughout the state, and many endeavor to collect swarms to start new colonies, increasing the swarm’s chances of survival. The easiest way to find a swarm collector is to contact a local beekeeping association. A list of local beekeeping associations and their contact information can be found at https://scstatebeekeepers.com/about/local-associations/.

Is it illegal to destroy a honey bee swarm?

It is not illegal to destroy a honey bee swarm, but it is not advisable. Attempting to destroy a swarm can be dangerous, especially without the proper protective gear. More importantly, honey bees are beneficial pollinators that support agriculture and native plant communities. They can also provide income for beekeepers; Therefore, contacting your nearest local beekeeping association to let them know about the swarm should be the first step in removing the swarm.

The bees have moved into a building. Well what can be done?

Once bees have moved into a chimney, pillar, or wall area in a building, they stop swarming and stay to start a new colony. They build wax combs, lay eggs, and store honey and pollen. By sealing the entrance or killing the colony, the bees and their hive material will die and rot in the cavity, attracting rodents and pests. The colony and its supplies must be removed before the entrance is sealed. This may require some deconstruction which may be beyond the beekeeper’s skills. A few beekeepers across the state are capable of this type of work. Some beekeepers can deconstruct and remove the colony, but repairs require the skills of a licensed contractor who can clean and restore the damaged structure.

Beekeeping is growing in South Carolina, and many new beekeepers live in and around the state’s developing areas. This means South Carolina residents are more likely to witness a crush than ever before. This should be encouraging rather than alarming as it is a sign that the beekeeping trade is buoyant in South Carolina and that beekeepers are meeting the many challenges they face. The Clemson Beekeeping and Pollinators Program appreciates public support for beekeepers by protecting swarms wherever they are encountered. For more information on honey bees and pollinator conservation, visit the Clemson Apiculture and Pollinator website at https://www.clemson.edu/extension/pollinators/index.html.

Originally published on 03/20

Bees in attics must be removed

It is important that you have it removed from your roof as it will cause a bigger problem later if you leave it.

Many pest control companies will tell you that it is not necessary to remove the hive after removing the bees. Leaving a hive on a roof after treating it with insecticides or other compounds is one of the biggest mistakes people make. Removing bees without comb removal will inevitably give you more serious problems than the original bees themselves.

The non-native European honey bee is the state insect of:

Arkansas

Georgia

Kansas

Louisiana

Maine

Mississippi

Missouri

Nebraska

New Jersey

North Carolina

Oklahoma

South Dakota

Tennessee

Utah

Vermont

West Virginia

Wisconsin

No native bee is a state insect. The closest relative of a North American native bee on the list is the Tarantula Hawk Wasp, New Mexico’s state insect.

Minnesota now has a state bee as well as a state insect. Bombus affinis, the Rusty-Patched Bumblebee, was so honored. Good job Minnesota!

Connecticut’s state insect is the European praying mantis. Although they are useful insects, they are not native to North America.

There are over 200 bee species in the UK, including 25 bumblebee species! We have listed some of the most common ones here. Different bee species may require different treatment methods. Note: Pest controllers do not apply bee treatments unless there is a serious threat to human life. 25% of all bee species are endangered.

Some of the bees you are likely to see in the UK:

Honey Bee Red Mason Bee Early Bumblebee Red Tailed Bumblebee Tree Bumblebee Ivy Bee Yellow Mine Bee White Tailed Bumblebee Lesser Garden Bumblebee Common Carder Bee Leafcutter Bee

bumblebees

They are not easily confused with other bees. Rounder, larger, and furrier, they have different colored stripes at the end of their tails. Nest sites are usually underground in abandoned burrows, bird boxes, under the patio, or in the compost bin.

Bumblebees are social insects: they live in a colony with a queen and her offspring (the workers). Bumblebees have an annual life cycle, with new nests being made by queens each spring. Queen bumblebees are very large and from February they can be seen feeding on flowers such as pussy willow, bluebells and lungwort, or flying low over the ground in search of a nesting site.

Some species prefer to nest underground in abandoned rodent burrows, while others nest just above the ground in dense grass or foliage. The queen fills her nest with pollen and nectar and lays her first eggs. She hatches them like a bird, perching on the eggs and quivering her flight muscles to generate heat.

When the eggs hatch, the legless larvae consume pollen and nectar, grow rapidly, and pupate after a few weeks. A few days later, the first workers emerge from their pupae and begin helping their queen expand the nest and gather food. In midsummer, the nests of some species may contain several hundred workers. At this point, the queen begins to lay both male and female eggs.

The females are fed extra food and become future queens. Both males and new queens leave the nest to mate, and the new queens burrow into the ground to wait until the next spring. The males, workers and old queen die off in the fall, leaving the nest to decay.

tree bees

A new addition to the British fauna. Their banding is unique among British species. The thorax is tawny to reddish brown, the belly is black, and the tail is white. Fresh drones have a patch of yellowish facial fur, but this fades over time. Queens vary in size, and workers are usually quite small.

Some characteristics of tree bees can be a cause for concern, but there is nothing to worry about. Commonly constructing a nest in birdhouses or parts of buildings, they may be a cause for concern by apparent high nest flight activity due to ‘nest surveillance’ by drones and the sound of bee chatter/activity heard through the ceiling as signs of activity.

Solitary bees/mason bees

As the name suggests, they are solitary and you will rarely find them in large numbers. They have a reddish-brown bottom and black body. You will see these little bees jumping in and out of the wall or very small holes in the floor.

They nest in a variety of cavities and have the ability to build nests by tunneling through soft brick mortar or by taking advantage of pre-existing gaps that are not repaired. They do not pose a problem for your property from a structural point of view.

honey bees

Vendors of honey and regarded with affection almost everywhere in Britain. They rarely pose problems as pests, but feral swarms can settle in undesirable places such as chimneys and wall cavities. Honey bees are small and vary in color from golden brown to almost black.

The most common scenario to worry about is when they are crushing. Typically, these intimidating swarms will first set up a temporary camp somewhere nearby, e.g. B. on a branch, fence posts and even cars. In almost all cases, the swarm will take off within a day or two to occupy a most suitable permanent home elsewhere.

life cycle

How to get rid of bees

Contrary to popular belief, bees are not protected and can be treated, however they are endangered so we always recommend exploring all other options before considering eradication. Below is a step-by-step guide to help you:

Leave her alone

Bees will not cause any trouble on your property, nor will you run the risk of being stung if left alone and without provocation. After the summer season, most bees will go away and not return to the nest site the following year. By the time a colony has become apparent, its activity will naturally decrease. In general, colonies formed in spring usually form by the end of July, if not earlier. As such, bee nests should always thrive on their own whenever possible, as their presence is actually beneficial to gardeners and their crops.

laying

If a nest is outdoors or underground, there should be no reason to actually move it. In more conventional and accessible locations like bushes, trees, and sheds, an option is to contact a local beekeeper or pest controller to move the nest. If you suspect you have honey bees and they are causing you problems, we recommend hiring a swarm collector from the British Bee Keepers Association or contacting the Tree Bee Society. In most cases, they will come and pick up the swarm for free. Some pest control companies have the ability to remove nests from difficult spots like chimneys and voids. You can find them through our Find a Pest Control tool.

Only when the location of a nest is dangerous and removal is not possible should the next step be an option.

extermination

The decision to treat depends on whether it is possible to close the entrance(s) to the nest after treatment. If this is the case, make sure you consult a trained professional. We strongly recommend that you contact a professional pest control company, preferably a member of the BPCA. A trained professional has the technical knowledge and access to a range of insecticides for professional use that are not available to the general public.

Post-treatment requirements vary by bee species. For bumblebees and tree bees, blocking access points prevents non-target bees from entering and becoming contaminated, and reduces the likelihood of other bees entering the same area in the future.

For solitary bees/mason bees, re-enactment with healthy mortar is the only solution in the long run. However, this needs to be thorough as bees searching for a nest site will quickly find areas that have been missed.

It is essential for honey bees that entry points or points are blocked off and, if possible, all combs are removed. Otherwise, predatory bees will find the infected honey and bring it back to their hive, thereby contaminating it.

PLEASE NOTE: For ethical reasons, not all pest control companies treat bees, so you may need to contact multiple companies.

Why doesn’t a pest controller treat bees?

For more information about bees, see our Leaving you bee brochure.

The Health and Safety Executive’s Wildlife Incident Investigation Scheme describes bees as “beneficial invertebrates” and should be protected where possible.

As part of a responsible pest control industry, we are committed to educating customers on the benefits of bees as pollinators, their behavior and lifecycle – before they take any deadly action.

After talking to you, we agreed that the risk of being bitten is low. Please contact us if you think the threat has changed.

The species of bees around your property are very important and useful. They don’t typically exhibit aggressive behavior toward humans, so letting them go about their seasonal cycle will benefit the ecosystem around your home or premises.

What to do when bees are active

keep your distance

The bees are more active on warm days – this is completely normal, so don’t panic.

Enjoy them – bees are fascinating, watch them at work

a safe distance

If you have children, it’s always a good idea to educate them about the benefits of bees.

Can I stop bees from nesting?

There’s not much that can be done to prevent it completely

Deter bees from settling in or around your property

In the middle of spring, keep an eye out for bee activities like nest building – early detection of bees can help

Moving much easier

Alternatively, just leave them alone! You will of course go towards the end of summer – try to enjoy your bees!

If you have further concerns

Because protecting bees is vital, bee nests can sometimes be relocated depending on the situation – but the costs involved can be high. Consult your pest controller for advice.

You can also contact some specialized bee removal organizations for advice:

British Beekeepers Association

British Bee Removers Association

Problems with bees?

Look for one of our members doing specialized bee removal work.

Find a pest controller

Source: A-Z

The honey bee benefits the economy immensely; they are extremely valuable to human well-being. Honey bees produce millions of dollars worth of honey and beeswax and pollinate commercial fruits, vegetables and crops that we depend on for food. However, by establishing a colony in a house, building or hollow tree next to the house, honey bees can become a nuisance or danger to humans. Some people have severe allergic reactions to a honey bee sting. Honey bees should not be killed unless they pose a threat.

ID

Common name Scientific name Honey bee Apis mellifera Linnaeus

Honey bees were first introduced from Europe in the early 17th century. Often referred to as the European, Western, or common honey bee, this domesticated bee has a stout, black-and-brown to golden-brown striped body with a slightly constricted waist and chewing mouthparts. Honey bees are often characterized by the dense hairs on their bodies and the pollen baskets on their hind legs. German wasps can resemble honey bees, but the wasps have smooth and hairless bodies. Honey bees can only sting once, while the more aggressive wasps and wasps can sting multiple times.

Yellowjacket honey bee

bees in buildings

An established honey bee colony sometimes divides by swarming. The new swarm, consisting of the older workers (several thousands) and their queen, may congregate on a branch or bush near the old hive for a while before moving into a hollow tree, house or vacant building for that purpose or invade another permanent burrow to build a new nest. There is no need to fear a swarm; Honey bees are usually docile when they are full of honey and have no home to defend.

Honeybees living inside a building cause no structural damage, but when abandoned, their waxy comb and honey melt, fouling wallboards, paneling, and insulation. Occasionally, forager bees can enter rooms of a building instead of using their outside entrance. If the nest is accessible, call a beekeeper to remove it. If a beekeeper is not available or cannot remove the colony, contact a licensed pest control company experienced with this task. Unfortunately, removing an established colony may require moving sidewalls, soffits, or roofing. Because of this, some beekeepers refuse to remove a colony, and professionals charge for this service and repairs.

Removal or control measures are best carried out in late winter or early spring when bee numbers and the amount of honey stored are low. When the entire colony is accessible and removed, fill the cavity with insulation and seal and paint all entrances to prevent recovery. If a colony is further within the structure and cannot be removed, insecticides in the form of dust may give satisfactory results. Sprays and aerosols are not usually effective because the nest can be several feet from the entrance hole while products are blown directly into the hole and quickly absorbed by the structure.

Remember that pesticides applied at the bee entrance can upset the bees and cause them to enter the home or building! Repeated application may be required to reach the queen and remaining foraging adults. Monitor the exit/entry hole after treatment to see if any foragers are still active. Plug the outer hole when there is no activity for five to seven days in warm weather. Avoid applying insecticides during the day when the bees are actively foraging. Be sure to remove dead bees as well as the comb to prevent reinfestation as the smell of comb and wax attracts other honey bees and insects. Older nests can have sizeable combs of honey. Complete removal is recommended once the honey bees have been removed or killed.

Removal by trapping

trapping method

Honey bees can be effectively removed by trapping; However, the process takes four to six weeks. While it may solve the problem of removing the bees and honey, it may not be appropriate if the bees are in an area where humans are very active.

To capture, place a chicken wire cone (18 inches long with a ⅜ inch opening at the top) over the nest entrance hole. Place a hive with a queen and a few workers as close to the “trap” as possible. The bees can leave the building, but cannot enter it and settle in the decoy hive. After three to four weeks, look for bees leaving the wall. If activity is minimal, restrict entry into the wall for about two more weeks and then plug the hole. Remove the trap and let the bees in the bait hive return to the building to get their honey. Two weeks later, remove the hive and seal the nest entrance. Destroy the honey if the colony has been poisoned with an insecticide. Trapping is usually impractical and the results can be unsatisfactory. Few beekeepers are interested in trapping. Established colonies (those with crests) cannot be collected as easily as the free-hanging temporary swarms and are much more labor intensive to remove.

A list of local beekeepers can be obtained from the emergency services or the police, as well as from a local beekeepers’ association. An online list can be found at agri.ohio.gov/divs/plant/apiary/apiary.aspx.

UC IPM Home > Homes, Gardens, Landscapes & Lawns > Removing Honey Bee Swarms and Established Hives Pest Management Pests from Homes, Buildings, People and Pets Removing Honey Bee Swarms and Established Hives Published 5/12 In this guideline: What is a bee swarm?

Damage

Pest alert management

publication

Glossary honey bee. Swarm of honey bees on walnut tree. Wild beehive with combs. A large number of bees swarming in a tree in your yard or around your home can be nerve wracking, especially when they are setting up a hive in your home. However, bee swarms and nests can be managed safely if you are careful and get the right help. WHAT IS A HOLL OF BEES? Swarming is the honey bee’s method of reproduction. The old queen and about half of the worker bees leave their former nest and seek new homes, usually in spring but sometimes at other times of the year if local conditions permit. To start the process, certain worker bees, called “scouts,” begin scanning the surrounding territory for a potential new nesting site even before the swarm leaves its original colony. A departing swarm consists of a large number of bees flying in a cloud that appears to be drifting through the air. People unfamiliar with honey bees are generally afraid of such a mass, which may contain 5,000 to 20,000 bees, but unless a bee gets tangled in someone’s hair, it’s unlikely to sting. The queen is in the group but does not lead it. Usually, the bees will land on an object within 100 to 200 meters of the original hive and form a group that looks like a seething, fuzzy blob of insects. Sometimes bees fly out of the cluster to gather water and food, but most workers who leave the cluster are scouts looking for potential new home locations for the swarm. When they return from a good spot, they dance on the grape to announce the location of their find. A swarm of many bees may seem intimidating, but most springtime swarms of European honey bees — the common honey bees of central and northern California — are extremely docile. It takes quite a bit of stimulation, such as being hit with sticks and stones or sprayed with a hose, to trigger defensive behaviors. The same may not be true for Africanized honey bees, or swarms of honey bees that have run out of food, as these are not nearly as predictable and can be very sensitive even as swarms. Honey bees nest in cavities at least 4 gallons in volume, but prefer cavities around 9 gallons. Honey bees also prefer dark burrows with an easily defendable entrance that is at least 9 feet off the ground. Hollowed trees are ideal locations. However, honey bees can nest in all sorts of cavities, e.g. B. in interior walls of houses. in or around chimneys; in outbuildings, fences, shrubs, water meters, utility boxes, grills and soffits; or below deck. Typically, within a few hours to a few days, the swarm’s scouts reach a consensus on the best available location. Then the swarm takes off one last time to move to its new home. Once in flight, the swarm will be guided by scouts and reach the new location. It forms a group around the entrance with many bees spreading their wings and emitting a chemical signal to guide the others. Then the bees slowly enter their new home. This is what most people notice when they see bees on any part of a building. Inside, you can often hear the soft hum of bees airing their nest. If the bees don’t find a new nest site, they may start producing beeswax and combing at the spot where the group formed, e.g. B. on a branch, a house ledge or another unusual place. These “exposed comb” colonies can exist until fall (or year-round in warm winter areas), but predatory bees, hungry birds, and inclement weather usually put an end to these colonies and their combs. DAMAGE Although they may look scary, bees that are swarming and carrying honey from their old hive are much less defensive or likely to sting than if they were protecting the brood (immature bees) in the old hive. They should not pose much danger if left undisturbed, but will sting if provoked. For information on bee stings, see Pest Alerts: Bee and Wasp Stings. Once the bees are established, they begin building comb for brood rearing and food storage. Although colonies may not cause structural damage to the building, they occasionally use water to soften and remove sheetrock to expand the nesting range. Residents will then notice an increasing damp area on their wall. In some cases, the bees actually open a hole through the sheetrock, allowing foragers to escape into the home and annoy or frighten residents. If the colony is eventually killed and not removed immediately, honey will ferment and seep through walls and ceilings, causing damage. MANAGEMENT The need to manage bee swarms or hives depends on the location and whether the bees start a hive. Swarms that move on without establishing a hive are not a problem. However, bees that start a colony in a house must be removed. Swarm Clusters Swarm clusters—the correct term for swarms when they are not flying—are inherently ephemeral and therefore generally unmanageable. Whenever the bees find the correct new nest site, the swarm flies to the new location. The bees usually leave some beeswax at their gathering place, so expect more swarms to appear in the same spot in the future. If the cluster needs to be removed, call a beekeeper. Experienced beekeepers often remove bunches simply by gently brushing or shaking the bees, placing them in a box and carrying them away. Ideally, the box should have an entrance that allows the flying bees to join the group that has already been trapped. Place the box in the shade until dark, seal and remove after dark. The beekeeper should be prepared for defensive behavior by donning a bee suit, but dealing with a cluster is usually fairly straightforward. However, it becomes more difficult when the cluster is difficult to reach, such as B. in a tall tree, interlocked with the branches of a shrub or wedged in the corner of a building. Preventing a Colony from Establishing in Your Home It is sometimes difficult to tell whether a honey bee cluster is simply resting on the side of a building or is moving one by one through a hole into an interior part of a building. If the cluster size is shrinking but hasn’t flown away, they’re probably moving in. When the bees first arrive they are short on food and must build comb from the wax they produce from the honey they carry. You must continue to go outside to forage for nectar for the colony to survive. At this point, they may be “locked” in their new home with a trellis, steel wool, or something else they can’t chew through to escape. If they’re sealed, they’ll die on the spot in the next week or two. However, trapped bees are poking around between the walls, trying to find a new way out. Some of them are likely to find their way into living quarters, particularly by following the rays of room lighting at night. Bees don’t fly in the dark, but they fly to the windows the next morning and stay there most of the day while dying of dehydration. You can safely vacuum up these bees with a vacuum hose. Keep in mind that after vacuuming, there may be live bees in the bag for a few days. Removing established colonies from your home Extracting honey bees from buildings is much more difficult than collecting swarms. When the colony is first established there are only a few pounds of adult bees, but these bees quickly build comb, collect honey, and begin breeding more bees. A well-established colony can have up to 100 pounds of honey, many pounds of adult and developing bees, and many beeswax combs. Removing such a nest is a challenge. The first step is to determine the exact position of the comb and the size of the colony. Although honey bees can be killed on the spot inside buildings using pesticides labeled for killing bees inside buildings, this removal option often leads to undesirable consequences. (Note: These chemicals are only available to licensed pest control companies.) If the adult bees fall into a large pile, they can hold on to their body moisture and rot, creating a very bad odor. Fluid from the decomposing mass often leaks into the structure, resulting in costly replacements. When the colony is well established, there are other problems related to killing the colony. Unattended brood can also rot and become very foul smelling. Unattended honey stores can absorb moisture and ferment, creating gas that causes the lids that hold the honey in the cells to burst. Gravity will begin to move the honey down paved surfaces until it hits a horizontal obstacle, such as a stone wall. B. a window frame, a door frame, a firebreak, a ceiling or a floor. Honey then seeps through the drywall, resulting in a large amount of cleaning work and expensive replacements. If pesticides have been used to kill the bees, then the honey, wax and dead bees are contaminated and must be treated as hazardous waste. A better practice than using insecticides, especially if you have a beekeeper willing to help, may be to eliminate the bees without killing them. First, the beekeeper must locate the nest by tapping on the wall and listening for the colony’s hum. Some beekeepers rely on stethoscopes to find the edges of the nest. Others drill extremely small holes in the wall and insert a fine wire to find the periphery of the nest. In order to take honey bees and their comb from the nest site, a rather large hole has to be opened in one part of the building. This is best done by a specialist company so that the hole can be closed without any problems after the bees have been removed. If the bees are to be saved, the beekeeper gently removes them and their combs. If the bees cannot be rescued, they can be removed from the cavity using a vacuum device such as a shop vac. This process tends to stimulate the bees to release an alarm pheromone that smells like bananas and increases defensive behavior, requiring everyone around to be fully clothed in a bee suit. Many beekeepers have baffles and collectors in their vacuum lines to try to protect and save the bees. If the homeowner has a lot of patience and knowledge, the bees can be “trapped” out of the building with a disposable wire screen that forces bees leaving the building to relocate to a hive next to the original entrance. See Removing swarms and established colonies from private property for more details. If you can’t find a beekeeper who can help, contact a pest control company with experience removing bees. Note that pest control companies generally kill the bees before removing them. Don’t attempt to remove the colony yourself unless you have experience and the right equipment. Prevent future invasions After taking honeycomb anywhere, the smell of beeswax will remain. Since honey bees have an extremely keen sense of smell, this smell becomes perceptible from great distances and very attractive to any future honey bee scouts looking for new nest sites long after the previous bees have been removed. Therefore, after removing bees from a building, all holes large enough to insert a pencil or larger and leading to spacious voids in the building must be plugged. Although honey bees can chew out of a building by caulking, they will not chew into it. Larger potential entrances can be covered with a screen having six or more meshes per inch. Voids can be filled with expandable foam to make large spaces unsuitable for nesting. The area to inspect and maintain is the entire side of the building around the previous entrance, or both sides of the building if the entrance was on a corner. If bees find access to a cavity adjacent to the previous nest site, they will move right in. During the extraction process, some bees will likely escape. Also, some honey bee foragers spend the night outside the hive in the summer, so a cluster of bees is likely to form around the entrance after the bees and comb are removed. These small numbers of bees can be vacuumed up or eliminated with an aerosol spray labeled for use on wasps and bees outside the home. Be sure to read the label and follow the directions carefully. Find professionals to help with colony extractions It’s relatively easy to remove a swarm, but it takes a lot of work to remove bees in a cavity. Beekeepers may be willing to collect swarms for free, but generally it’s not worth removing established colonies for free, and in some areas your only option is to hire a structural pest control company. This is especially true in areas populated by Africanized honey bees, including all Southern California counties. Both contractors and some beekeepers list their services in the yellow pages of the telephone book and on the internet. Key words are “beekeeper”, “apiculture” and “bee removal”. Beekeepers who are available for swarm calls and extractions also tend to put their names on lists of bee clubs to which they belong. These clubs usually have websites listing locations such as B. the Sacramento Area Beekeepers Association. County agricultural commissioners also have records of beekeepers registered in their counties. Registered apiary locations are confidential, but the names of beekeepers experienced in working with the public are often released by county offices. If you are arranging a bee removal, make sure you understand what is being done. Are the bees just killed on the spot – not the best idea, but cheaper – or is the cavity opened up, cleaned of bees and comb, filled with insulation, sealed again with all sorts of entrances and refinished? A definitive job includes all of these steps, but can get expensive. If possible, it is best if the contractor and beekeeper work together to open the hole, remove the bees, and seal the hole. Finding a contractor who also keeps bees would be the best choice of all. See Removing swarms and established colonies from private property for more information. WARNING ON PESTICIDE USE REFERENCES Franks, N. R., and A. Dornhaus. 2003. How might individual honey bees measure large amounts? Proc. R. Soc. Long. 270 (Supplement 2): S181-S182. Mussen, E.C. Sept. 2011. Pest Notes: Bee and Wasp Stings. Oakland: Univ. Calif. Agric. nat. Resolution Publ. 7449. Mussen, EC 2004. Removal of swarms and established colonies from private property. Schmidt, J.O. and R. Hurley. 1995. Nest cavity selection by Africanized and European honey bees. Apidology 26:467-75. Seeley, T. 1977. Measurement of nest cavity volume by the honey bee (Apis mellifera). behavior Ecol. social biology 2:201-227. Villa, JD 2004. Swarming behavior of honey bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in southeastern Louisiana. ann. Entomol. society Am. 97(1):111-116. PUBLICATION INFORMATION Pest Advice: Removal of Honey Bee Swarms and Established Hives

UC ANR Publication 74159 Author: E.C. Mussen, Entomology, UC Davis Produced by the UC Statewide IPM Program, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 Top of page

Bees can greatly affect the safety of your home, especially if you have young children. Getting rid of bees can be a little tricky if you’ve never dealt with these insects before. Luckily, there are many options available to you when trying to rid your home of bees. If you’re wondering what kills bees instantly, here’s everything you need to know.

Vinegar solutions and sprays

Interestingly, vinegar is a natural and effective way to get rid of bees quickly and easily. Bees can’t handle vinegar, causing them to die almost instantly after exposure. Simply mixing a solution of strong vinegar and water is all you need to do to get rid of small amounts of bees in your home. If you want to prevent bees from coming back, consider decorating areas of your home with vinegar. The great thing about using vinegar is that it is very cheap and readily available to you.

soft drinks and soda

Another cheap and easy way to kill bees quickly is by using soft drinks and soda. Bees are naturally attracted to sugar because it is how they find blooming flowers. These insects cannot distinguish between sweet flowers and sweet soda, which means they will approach both. Simply setting up a trap that uses soda is an effective way to get rid of bees. The bugs follow the smell of sugar and eventually drown in the soda. Putting these soda traps around the house will get rid of a decent amount of bees.

cinnamon and mothballs

What Kills Bees Instantly? Funnily enough, mothballs and cinnamon. Bees respond poorly to these compounds, causing them to flee areas where cinnamon and mothballs are plentiful. Of course, you can use just mothballs or just cinnamon, but when both are combined, they’re extra powerful. Most of the time, instead of dying from these ingredients, bees will flee your territory forever. Essentially you are dealing with both elimination and prevention by using mothballs and cinnamon.

Professional beekeeping tactics

Anything from cinnamon to soda is fantastic for small bee infestations. However, what kills bees immediately in a large infestation is the tactics of professional beekeepers. When there are large swarms of bees, you cannot remove them all with simple soda traps. You might get a few, but there will be enough bees left for the infestation to continue. Luckily, beekeepers and other bee professionals know how to permanently kill and remove these insects.

Beekeepers can use a number of different powerful sprays and chemical traps to kill large numbers of bees infesting your home. After that, they’ll likely use other chemicals for preventative purposes to ensure the bees never come back to your home. Only professionals understand the delicate combination of chemicals and traps necessary to completely remove large numbers of bees from your home. When dealing with a major bee infestation, it is always best to enlist the help of professional beekeepers and bee elimination services.

Hello friend!

Thank you for visiting and reading! My name is Garth and I would like to welcome you to my personal birding space.

Whether you want to attract songbirds to your garden, enjoy birding hotspots, learn bird symbolism, or start bird photography, you’ve come to the right place.

Eric has been an online author for over six years. His articles often focus on home improvement projects.

Carpenter bees are important pollinators, but if they infest your home, you need to get rid of them. By Alarob (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

How to recognize carpenter bees

Carpenter bees are those big, fluffy bees that fly around your house. Several of them can hover in one place, and they appear to be guarding something. They will chase you, harass you, annoy you and you are probably scared that every time you walk by they will rush in and attack you.

They may look like bumblebees, but they aren’t. If you look closely (and closely) you’ll see that carpenter bees have smooth, black bellies, while bumblebees have furry bellies. The most notable difference, however, is their nesting habits.

Carpenter bees live in wood and sometimes their nests are difficult to spot. If you see several large bees hovering around in the same spot every day, there’s probably a nest somewhere nearby. Check under decks, picnic tables, stairways, or other unfinished wood surfaces in the area. The hole appears perfectly round and is perhaps half an inch in diameter.

You may notice wood dust on the ground below the hole where the bees have been digging, and you may see a bee entering and exiting the nest periodically.

A carpenter bee infestation can be a problem, but the situation isn’t as bad as you think.

Do your own research! This article is an account of how I dealt with my carpenter bee problem, including what I learned and steps I took. Please ensure you do your own research and consult professionals for advice on your specific situation.

Are carpenter bees dangerous?

The bees you seem to see buzzing around on sentry duty are doing just that: they are males guarding the nest. Males are not equipped with spikes, and while they may appear aggressive to any animal or person that approaches, they pose no threat to you.

If you look closely you will find that they will chase away any insects that come into their airspace and if you throw a small pebble in front of them they will often chase after it. Yes, male carpenter bees act harshly, but they’re all buzzes with no bite.

The female, on the other hand, is a different creature. She spends most of her day out in the world, often returning to the nest. She’s the bee you see coming and going all day. She is capable of stabbing and can grab a wallop. However, female carpenter bees are generally docile, and unless you try to grab her or stick your finger in her nest, she probably won’t bother you.

It might be difficult to convince someone who has a deep-seated fear of stinging insects, but there really is no reason to fear carpenter bees. They may be big, loud, and annoying, but they can’t hurt you unless you do something stupid.

The real concern is damage to the wood in which they nest. Carpenter bees are not like termites or carpenter ants. They don’t eat wood. The problem is that they nest in the same general area each generation. So if you ignore them, they can poke dozens of holes in your home, patio, or wooden furniture over the years.

One or two nests won’t do much damage, but you can see how ten or twenty nests in the same piece of wood can cause a problem.

So what to do when carpenter bees invade your home?

How to get rid of carpenter bees

If the bees are nesting in a natural space or an abandoned piece of wood that you are not concerned about, please just leave them alone. Bees are an important part of a healthy ecosystem and indispensable in the life cycle of many flowering plants. They won’t bother you and can even be entertaining to watch.

Unfortunately, once the bees have taken up residence in your home or other structure important to you, they will have to leave.

This was the case when my wife and I bought our house a few years ago. It was absolutely infested with carpenter bees! We have three windows in our basement, each with an unfinished piece of wood outside under the paneling. Several dozen holes were drilled by carpenter bees in three small pieces of wood, each about 30 inches by 18 inches. The home’s former owner had ignored them, and they continued to expand their nesting range each season.

Here are the steps I took:

Step 1: First I killed the bees as best I could. The male guard bees that flew around the nest during the day were easy targets with standard prickly insect killers.

The first thing I did was kill the bees as best I could. The male guard bees that flew around the nest during the day were easy targets with standard prickly insect killers. Step 2: At night, when the females and other bees were in the nest, I sprayed every hole with insect killer. For this step, it is advisable to use a foam spray made specifically for carpenter bees. Some experts also recommend using a powdered insecticide that the bees will track down in the nest, but I’ve only used the spray. I repeated this every night for about a week and made sure I got a lot of them. My next step would be to seal the holes, so I didn’t want to miss any, especially a female who might burrow further into the house.

At night, when the females and other bees were in the nest, I sprayed insecticide into each hole. For this step, it is advisable to use a foam spray made specifically for carpenter bees. Some experts also recommend using a powdered insecticide that the bees will track down in the nest, but I’ve only used the spray. I repeated this every night for about a week and made sure I got a lot of them. My next step would be to seal the holes, so I didn’t want to miss any, especially a female who might burrow further into the house. Step 3: After the activity had died down and I was pretty sure I got all the bees, I sealed the holes with Plastic Wood putty. Plastic Wood worked well but after the first few days I realized I must have missed a few bees as one or two dug right through the Plastic Wood! After a bit of nagging, I repeated the drill with the bug spray and sealed the hole again with Plastic Wood.

After the activity had died down and I was pretty sure I got all the bees, I sealed the holes with Plastic Wood putty. Plastic Wood worked well but after the first few days I realized I must have missed a few bees as one or two dug right through the Plastic Wood! After a bit of nagging, I repeated the drill with the bug spray and sealed the hole again with Plastic Wood. Step 4: The final and probably most important part was painting the wood where the damage had occurred. Carpenter bees tend to nest in untreated wood, so a few coats of paint will discourage new bees from settling there.

The results were pretty good. No bees dug holes in my house for the rest of the summer. Over the next summer I had two or three safety breaches that I fixed by spraying, caulking, and painting.

That was years ago and I haven’t had any major problems since. I keep an eye on my deck and my home, and if a small problem arises, I kill, fill, and paint. That ends immediately.

Safety first! Always be very careful with insecticides. Wear gloves and eye protection and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Immediately clean up any areas of excessive spatter, particularly where children or pets may come into contact.

wooden bee traps

If you don’t want to bother with spraying and chasing away bees, consider carpenter bee traps. Place them near the bees’ nesting sites and the bees will be attracted to the trap. They fly in, but they can’t fly out.

You can place them near places where you have a problem with carpenter bees, or be proactive and place them in places where you are concerned the bees might move in. Usually people just place them where the bees swarm.

For many homeowners, the worst thing about carpenter bees is swarming. If your main concern is simply getting those damn bees away from you so you can sit in peace on your deck, then wooden bee traps are a great option, especially if you’re scared of bees. Set the trap at dusk when the bees are not active and within a few days the swarming problem should subside.

Note, however, that if the bees drill into an important property, you still need to take action to repair the damage they cause. The traps will not prevent more bees from coming back. If you don’t repair and paint the damaged wood, you always run the risk of being infested by a carpenter bee.

What to do about these pesky bees?

If the carpenter bees don’t bother you, then there’s no reason to bother them. I never like harming animals, but when they wreak havoc on your home, sometimes you have no choice. The best approach is prevention. Keep outdoor wooden surfaces well painted or stained and the bees won’t find your space as attractive.

I still have carpenter bees on my property but they have made homes in acceptable areas. I enjoy watching them in spring and summer. I keep a close eye on my patio and house to make sure they don’t come up with any ideas, but other than that I leave them alone.

Like everything else in nature, they deserve to exist.

Do you have a Carpenter Bee problem?

This article is accurate and truthful to the best of the author’s knowledge. The content is for informational or entertainment purposes only and is not a substitute for personal or professional advice on any business, financial, legal or technical matter.

Jacinta crash on July 04, 2020:

I have large black tailed fluffy bees roaming under my patio on steps out front of my back door, started with 2 or 3 now more coming in sequence throughout the day. I’m scared as they approach the house and pass under steps leading to the garden.

frank on 07.04.2019:

A quick partial fix was to put a squirt of very cheap caulk in the holes. I’ve never seen a bee can dig up, but who knows? Wonder if the naphtha in cheap caulk is toxic?

Eric Dockett (author) from USA on May 12, 2018:

@Jenn – From what I can see they stay pretty close to the nest. I don’t know which direction they’re facing, or if there’s even a specific direction. From what I’ve experienced, they run around in a small area until something distracts them, and then scoot after them.

Keeping an eye out for the female might help. If you see one of them landing, pay attention to where it flies. This could point you to the location of the nest. Much luck!

Jenn on May 10, 2018:

I have SEVERAL carpenter bees hovering all over my house…especially by my back door – I can’t even step out without being swoop bombarded! However, with the best will in the world I can’t find out where the nest is! I thoroughly searched my small platform deck in front of my back door and couldn’t find any holes. How far from the nest do they hover? And do they stand in front of the nest or fly in front of it? (In which case it would have to be on my roof or something… help!) This happens EVERY year and is starting to really ruin our beautiful warm days by not allowing us to enjoy our garden without being dive bombed every time to become 30 seconds!

Eric Dockett (author) from USA on 03/01/2018:

@RTalloni – Multiple generations nested in the same piece of wood or structure can actually do a lot of damage as you unfortunately seem to find out. Hope you can do it without much hassle.

RTalloni on February 28, 2018:

Appreciate the helpful information, but face the fact that it’s not very destructive. A painted barn near a tree line has been hit by them and we have a lot of damage to repair. Thanks for taking a look at the options for dealing with these little guys.

Eric Dockett (author) from USA on June 23, 2017:

Hello Sally! I’ve grown fond of you myself. Whenever I see them floating around I try to figure out where the nest is. Depending on what wood they drilled into, I might just let them go. I don’t like harming animals when I can help!

Sally Gulbrandsen from Norfolk on June 22, 2017:

As someone who has a passion for macro photography and nature, I could easily forgive the carpenter bee for making a few holes in my house. They produce only one generation per year and are important pollinators in native plant communities, gardens and in some crops. They visit flowers and feed on nectar and collect and transmit pollen and give me a lot of pleasure when I can photograph them through my lens 🙂

bumblebee nests

We get a lot of inquiries about nests. We hope you find the instructions on this page and our FAQ page helpful.

Please note: Bumblebee Conservation Trust staff do not move bumblebee nests.

If you have bumblebees that nest in the eaves of your roof, in your attic, or in a nest box, click here to learn more about tree bumblebees.

What bumblebees look for in a nest site

Nesting sites vary between bumblebee species. Most of the more common species prefer dry, dark burrows, and nests can appear in a variety of unexpected locations.

Some nest underground, in places like abandoned rodent burrows, under sheds, and on top of compost heaps. Of those that nest above ground, some build nests in dense grass, while others nest in nest boxes, lofts, and trees. One of the species that nest in nest boxes and attics is the tree bumblebee (Bombus hypnorum). In this species you can often see “swarms” of bees flying around the nest (visit our YouTube channel to watch some videos). This is perfectly normal, and these are male bees that often fly around nests waiting for queens to come out so they can mate. Male bumblebees cannot sting, so please do not be alarmed if you see this.

When searching for a nest, the queen examines the surroundings by sight and smell. When she finds a potentially suitable location, she will investigate by going into the hole. If it proves unsuitable, she will keep searching until she finds a nesting site. The low-flying zigzag flight of a nest foraging queen can be seen in spring and is very distinctive.

In gardens, bumblebees are more likely to nest in relatively undisturbed areas such as shady corners. Some also nest under structures such as sheds. They do not like to nest in areas with prolonged sun exposure as this can overheat the nest.

Bumblebee nests vary in size depending on species and season. A well-established nest can contain up to 400 bumblebees. Honey bee hives typically contain 50,000 bees, so bumblebee nests are very small in comparison.

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How do I provide nesting sites for bumblebees?

You can help bumblebees by providing them with a nesting site. The first step, of course, is to provide the right types of flowers in the spring. At this time of year, the nest-seeking queen is drawn to gardens where she can find plenty of food to help her produce her first eggs. For information on the best flowers for bumble bees, check out our free Bee the Change resources, including monthly planting guides, or visit our bee kid tool.

As soon as she is ready to lay eggs, the queen will start looking for a nesting site. It flies low over the ground in a zigzag pattern, pausing to examine holes in the ground or piles of leaves. Getting bumblebees to nest in a specific location can be quite difficult – even specially designed nest boxes have had limited success. Download our free Make Room for Bumblebee Nests guide to discover some quick and easy ways to make your outdoor space more attractive to nesting queens. Alternatively, here’s a design to build a suitable nesting site if you want to try.

What you need

A flower pot (> 20 cm diameter), a piece of slate/tile and a piece of cane or pipe.

instructions

Sink the upside down flower pot into the soil and use the slate/tile to cover any drainage holes to keep out the rain. Run a hose or pipe underground to the pot, leaving a prominent entrance. Be sure to drill drainage holes in the pipe. Finally, fill in a generous handful of nesting material, e.g. B. Old bedding from a pet mouse, guinea pig, etc.

Download the full guide for this DIY nesting site activity:

Illustrated step-by-step instructions (ideal for children)

You can also find instructions in our Make Room for Bumblebee Nests guide (part of our Bee the Change online resources).

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In a bumblebee’s nest

In a bumblebee nest there is a queen who lays almost all the eggs. Around her she will have a number of worker bees that will help tend to the nest, gather food and raise new offspring. Unlike the characteristic honey bee nest, which has densely packed hexagonal cells for raising offspring and storing honey, the interior of the bumblebee nest can appear quite untidy and disorganized.

You may also find a number of dead bees and maggots near the nest entrance. This is because worker bees remove dead and dying bees from the nest to keep it clean and disease free.

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What to do if you find a bumblebee nest

If you find a bumblebee nest, consider yourself very lucky! They are not very common and can be difficult to find. Download our basic bumblebee nest guide here.

We recommend that if you find a bumblebee nest, it’s best to leave it alone and not disturb it. If you approach it, be careful not to breathe on the nest as this can cause the bees to become defensive and sting. Please note that while bumblebees are not generally aggressive, they can become annoyed if you encroach on the nest itself. They don’t flock, but you can see a cloud of male bumblebees flying outside the nest, as in the video below. They should just get on with their lives and do their own thing – doing a wonderful job pollinating plants, wildflowers and your veggies. Even the largest nests generate very little ‘entry and exit’, so you won’t see threatening numbers of bumblebees at any time during the summer.

If the bumblebees live under your shed and can get through holes in the ground, it’s probably because it’s the easiest way for them to get in and out. If you make another hole, from the outside of the shed, and then block the hole you used, then you should happily go to your new route.

Bumblebee nests don’t live long, so the nest should die naturally within a few months. After this time, the new queens will have flown out of the nest to winter elsewhere in the ground.

It is possible that next year another queen bumblebee will find and use the same hole. However, the old nest will die by fall, and all the bumblebees will be gone or dead. If you don’t want bumblebees to be in the same spot again, you can block the entrance to the nest after it dies to prevent a new queen from finding the nest site in later years.

The video below shows a “drone cloud” – a group of male bumblebees hovering outside a nest, waiting for females to emerge so they can mate. This behavior is found only in the tree bumblebee (Bombus hypnorum). The males don’t have a stinger, so please don’t be alarmed if you see this.

If you have bumblebees nesting in your attic or in the eaves of your roof, please see this article for tree bumblebee information and guidance.

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Movable bumblebee nests

We really hope that people will only try to move nests that are in particularly inconvenient places. Underground nests are difficult to move, causing a significant amount of disturbance when digging to the nest. These nests can also have long tunnels leading to the nest, so finding them can be difficult.

Bumblebee Conservation Trust employees do not move bumblebee nests. If you need to move a nest, you must either do it yourself or have someone experienced do it for you. Please note that female bumblebees can sting and are more likely to do so when their nest is disturbed. If you decide to move a nest, you do so at your own risk. Some honey bee keepers may have experience moving bumblebee nests. You may also find a commercial organization that specializes in nest relocation.

To move a nest safely, it’s best to do it in the dark – when all the bees are in the nest and docile. They can buzz a bit, but they won’t fly in the dark, so it’s safest to do it then. They don’t see red light well. So if you need to see what you’re doing, put a red plastic sheet/acetate over a flashlight or use a red LED. Rear bike light.

security

Bumblebees sting less frequently than honeybees and wasps. However, disturbing the nest may cause them to behave defensively and precautions should be taken to avoid bites. A full beekeeping suit, while helpful, is not required. As a minimum, a person moving a nest should wear full-length rubber washing-up gloves and a long-sleeved top, and cover any exposed skin as much as possible.

Bumblebees have also been found to become alert to the presence of an intruder when breathed on. Accordingly, it is best to try to avoid breathing onto the nest.

Moving nests in nest boxes

Some bumblebees, particularly the tree bumblebee (Bombus hypnorum), nest in nest boxes and attics. Follow these instructions to move a colony into a bird nest box:

Wear protective clothing, especially gloves.

Make a note of where the nest is and how to reach it when it’s dark.

Wait for all or most of the workers to return—that’s often well after dark.

When activity subsides, block the entry hole with flexible foam (such as a sponge or scouring pad).

Seal any holes you find around the box with duct tape as bumblebees can easily use these to escape from the box if it is moved.

Without tipping over, take the crate down and leave it on a flat surface until you’re ready to move it.

Carefully move the crate to its new location, which should ideally be within a few meters of the old location or more than 1km – see our Nest FAQ

Remove the bung the next day and the bees will leave to explore their new territory. It’s best to leave it until after noon to remove the bung.

You can read more about the fascinating life of tree bumblebees in this article by Clive Hill. Click here to read it.

nests elsewhere

Bumblebees sometimes nest in places from which it is difficult to remove the nest without killing it. Porches, wall voids, vents, eaves, and eaves were all recorded. Due to the difficulty of getting to these spots, removing the nests cannot be done without the help of a person experienced in moving bumblebees.

In these cases, it is important to remember that bumblebees do not cause any damage to homes. They don’t eat wood (like wasps) and don’t leave a big mess. If you can bear to live with the nest nearby, it should die naturally within a few months and the bees will all leave or eventually die. If you don’t want bees to nest in the same spot the following year, block off all entrances to the nest and other suitable nesting sites nearby. If the bees are a nuisance when entering and exiting the nest (e.g. in canopies where they normally fly at head height) you can try to divert the entrance to the nest using our advice below.

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Relocate bumblebee nest entrances

It is much easier to relocate bumblebee nest entrances to allow the bees to enter and exit a different location than to relocate the nest entirely. This is especially handy when the hive hole brings the bees close to people. To do this, get a flexible hose with a diameter of at least 2 cm. The kind of hoses used in sink drains work perfectly. Then attach the hose to the nest entrance. Make the connection between these as tight as possible to avoid bees coming from the wrong place. Gaps can be filled with soil. Then place the other end of the tube where you want the new entrance. Secure it as best you can and place some “landmarks” around it. The bees use landmarks to navigate, and when they leave the nest they fly around the hole to take note of features surrounding it. Anything can serve as a landmark, but pebbles, flower pots, etc. all work well.

Now all you have to do is sit back and enjoy the bumblebees in your garden!

Bees and wasps belong to the insect order Hymenoptera, which is considered the most useful and one of the three largest orders. They build nests and hives to live in, typically foraging for overhangs and cavities. Because of this, many homeowners find themselves in a situation where bees and wasps are invading their homes.

Your home can attract bees and wasps because of convenient entrances, the scent it emits, bright colors, discarded fruit or trash, and damp areas. Unfortunately, areas like your chimney, walls, fences, and under your patio are common areas that are prone to bees and wasps.

So before we get into the details of why we have these bees and wasps in our home, I think it’s important to know the difference between the two. What is the difference between a bee and a wasp and how can I tell at a glance?

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Understand the differences between bees and wasps

Well, for starters, there are a lot of bees. Over 20,000 different ways if you want to talk about details. The bee in question is a common honey bee, and it’s much less aggressive than the average wasp.

The tasks of these flying insects are also different. Bees are pollinators, they pollinate plants and flowers. They mostly just want to make honey, protect their queen and find a good place to live.

Wasps, on the other hand, are hunters and the main purpose of their lives is to keep the insect populations small in our area.

Ohio State University explains that honey bees are much more docile and their bodies are hairy so they can collect pollen. A wasp is much more likely to use its sting and is much slimmer and thinner than a bee because its job is to hunt. Different uniforms for different jobs, if you will.

Honey bees are also usually darker in color and can even be completely black in some cases. Some honey bees are brown with lighter stripes, while wasps often have bolder colors.

There are different types of wasps that look like honeybees, which can be confusing. A yellow jacket can resemble a honey bee due to similar stripes. This is where looking for the hair on the legs and body shape comes into play.

Longer, slimmer insects are wasps. Dumber, hairier insects are bees.

Another difference between bees and wasps is that most species of wasps do not actually produce honey, but some do. You can read more about this in our article: Do wasps make honey? 5 Interesting Ways Wasps Eat

When do bees and wasps usually dig and build nests?

Bees and wasps typically look for their new homes in spring and early summer. Most of the time, they don’t stray far from their original homeland. They typically only stray more than 200 meters from their previous home when looking for a new home.

When bees move, they often swarm. According to the University of California Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, bees swarm to their colony to reproduce. A single swarm of bees can range from 5,000 to 20,000 bees, which can look quite intimidating.

Normally, bees fly in a dense swarm. The buzzing sound coming from the swarm is intense and can sound scary if you’ve never heard it. When bees are looking for a place to move, they will send out a few scout bees ahead of their swarm to look for places to build a nest before the swarm moves together.

When bees swarm and enter a new hive, they will not be very defensive at all because they are moving their most prized possession, their honey. They move slowly and almost methodically so they can keep their valuables safe during the move.

You can keep an eye out for male bees who are also looking for female bees when the first hives are forming. These bees are looking for newly built and established hives to live in when spring arrives.

Now that we know what to look for when bees are out and how bees move, it’s time to ask:

Why do bees and wasps keep coming into my house?

There are a few reasons why your home in particular could be a favorite haunt for bee and wasp colonies. Something about your house has to draw her in. It could be the look or smell of your home, or even just the accessibility.

According to the University of New Hampshire, bees and wasps can easily slip through small spaces to get to a larger cavity or crevice on the other side. They only need about 3/16 inch opening to get into your house from the outside. Some people say to look for an eraser-sized opening because it’s more than enough to squirm through a bee or wasp.

Bees and wasps usually enter houses in spring

The University of California also says that in the spring, wasps look for places to build nests after emerging from their winter ground nests. They look for things like under slopes (like on your porch or garage) or even places like under your patio.

Growing up we had several wasp nests on the gas tank in our backyard as well as at my grandparents house where it was under the cover for the ad. They like anywhere they can find space and most of them tend to make a nest out of paper as they don’t need comb like a honey bee would.

There are certain types of wasps, like the brown paper wasp, that will look for a place to live in spring when they emerge. They like to go into places like attics and can do a lot of damage there by chewing on the wood.

Bees look for a cavity that is at least 4 gallons, but they would much rather have up to 9 gallons to work with. Honey bees want dark and damp places to build their new roosts. They want their entrances to be positioned in an easy-to-guard location, preferably a small entrance.

Honey bee colonies do little damage to their habitat as long as the structure is solid. If they were to move into an old, abandoned house, or even a poorly maintained home, the outcome might be different.

Now that you’ve got a good base on where bees and wasps make their nests and why it’s important to know the answer to the question…

How do I get rid of wasps and bees in my home?

When it comes to removing wasps and bees, it’s important to understand that most of us are not professionals. While a can of RAID to eliminate bees may seem like a good idea, it could actually be harmful not only to the bees, but to our homes and ourselves.

One method we like to use is to test scents that bees and wasps hate and use it to keep them away. Read more in our article: 8 Scents Wasps Hate (And How To Use Them)

Many home improvement bug sprays are pesticides and can be harmful if sprayed in an enclosed space such as a home, attic, crawl space, etc. To understand that while this may seem like the easiest way, it may not be the safest or the wisest.

If possible, it’s best to just stay away from the bee and wasp hives until you have a plan of action. In many cases, reacting out of fear of what they might do ends up making the situation worse than it should have been to begin with.

Penn State has a great 5 step method for removing bees and wasps. It is to judge, identify, understand the season, choose a removal method, and repair after the removal is complete

Assess the damage

The first thing we should do is assess the threat and decide what kind of insect we are dealing with.

Is it safe to remove the bees or wasps from the structure they are in without causing structural damage? They often work their way into small cavities. You may have to tear down a wall or open a hole in your ceiling to bring out a large colony.

The type of insect you are working with will also affect this situation. Use the information at the beginning of this article to help you decide if it’s a bee or a wasp and decide how to handle the situation from there.

Understand the season

Next we need to look at what time of year it is. If possible, move bees and wasps in winter or early spring, as this is when they are calmest and easiest to remove.

Remember, bees don’t want to harm you. All they want is to make their honey in peace. While you might think they pose a threat, they are an important part of the ecosystem.

Next we can then move on what is the best option to remove these bees or wasps.

Call an exterminator

For wasps I would immediately recommend calling an exterminator as they are noxious and difficult to remove.

However, for honey bees, try asking a beekeeper for help. A beekeeper can help you extract the bees while making sure it is done as safely as possible.

While this is the safest method for everyone involved, getting to the bees in their hiding spots can be a challenge. Often carpenters and beekeepers are involved in larger cases to help remove or move structures to make bee nests accessible to the keeper.

The Tennessee Department of Agriculture states that not only must the bees be removed, but the comb as well. Combs are made from beeswax and filled with honey, making them the deadly duo of sticky and waxy. They’re also incredibly flammable since they’re made from beeswax, so removing them is an incredibly important step.

The pros from before can help with this, or you can remove them yourself, but make sure you get everything. These sticky and sweet honeycomb leaves can attract more bugs than you originally had on your hands, which is not what you want. Many bees want to use the previous comb because it’s easier for them to move around, so make sure it’s all gone.

While calling a beekeeper to remove bees is the most ethical way, you can also call an exterminator to help you. Do not remove the bees alone if you are inexperienced. While they don’t pose an immediate risk, they can still sting you.

Repair bee or wasp damage

Next, you need to repair any damage that occurred during the removal. While you’re doing this, you can take preventive measures.

How to avoid bees and wasps living in your home

When repairing your house after a bee removal, make sure you close all entrances tightly and leave no gap. Remember that bees and wasps only need about 3/16 of an inch to get into a cavity, so it’s important to seal all openings, no matter how small.

Plug up all the holes and voids in your home

To close holes and voids in your home, you can use expandable foam, plumbing, caulk, wood, etc. Anything that can patch the opening or fill the cavity will work.

For smaller gaps of about 1 inch, you can use Loctite TITE FOAM Insulation Foam Sealant. It’s an expanding foam that can seal and insulate materials like concrete, wood, metal, brick, stone, PVC and more.

You should also make sure that all of these holes are plugged, as bees operate on a cognitive map and can often shift their previous locations. Their eyesight is so good that they can also retain visual memory. Therefore, it is best to make the cavity inaccessible to discourage bees.

If you’re doing maintenance to ensure bees and wasps stay away from your home without paying rent, it’s important to make sure you know how to make your home unappealing to them.

Remove light colors in your home that might attract bees or wasps

Things like bright colors and patterns, fruits, and discarded trash attract bees and wasps. Bees in particular are very attracted to wetlands. Leaky faucets or places where puddles collect are prime real estate for them.

The Washington State Department of Health and Human Services states that you must make sure you close trash cans tightly. Bees and wasps love leftovers and sweet smells.

Hummingbird feeders can attract bees and wasps with their bright colors and sweet smell. Removing these from your home can help you in the long run, although they’re fun to look at through windows.

Learn more about keeping bees and wasps away from your hummingbird feeders in our article: 8 Tips to Keep Bees and Wasps Away From Hummingbird Feeders

Remove excess food

Also make sure you don’t leave any excess food outside and keep your area clean and dry so the bees know not to move in. Also, brightly flowering plants around your home can attract bees.

Try things that don’t bloom if you still want the plants without the bees, like ferns. Things that bees can’t pollinate, they won’t attract.

summary

While these are great steps to keep bees and wasps out of your home, the best thing you can do to prevent them is to make sure they can’t get in. So check your chimneys and walls and watch out for swarms in your home. Finding clues as to where a bee might be moving in is the first step in preventing it.

While bees and wasps both play important roles in our ecosystem, they can both potentially harm us. While it may seem like the end of the world once the bees and wasps fly in, you have options.

Remember to look and decide what kind of bugs you are working with, make a plan on how to get rid of them. Then find out how they get into your home and take action. Take preventive measures to keep them out and protect yourself, your family and your home.

References:

Alcock, Barrows, Gordh, Hubbard, Kirkendall, Pyle, Ponder, Zalom. (2008). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society.293-326.

Cheesman, Gallistel, Greggers, Lehmann, Menzel, Miller, Pawley, Warman. (2014). Wayfinding in time-shifted bees proves that bees use a cognitive map.

Kelber, Voss, Zeil. (1996). Structure and function of learning flights in ground-nesting bees and wasps. J Exp Biology. 199

https://dZeil, J., Kelber, A., & Voss, R. (1996). Structure and function of learning flights in ground-nesting bees and wasps. The Journal of Experimental Biology, 199(1), 245-252.

Morse, Seeley, Visscher. (217-220). When choosing a location, honey bees prefer previously inhabited cavities. insect socials.

Prezoto, Macial, Detoni, Mayorquin, Barbosa. (2019). v. B.C. Pest control potential of social wasps in small farms and

Prezoto, F., Maciel, T.T., Detoni, M., Mayorquin, A.Z., & Barbosa, B.C. (2019). Pest Control Potential of Social Wasps in Small Farms and Urban Gardens. Insects, 10(7), 192.

Summer. (2018). Why we love bees and hate wasps. Ecological Entomology. 836-845.

Sumner S, Law G & Cini A (2018). Why we love bees and hate wasps. Ecological Entomology, 43(6), 836-845.