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Bee Removal Frequently Asked Questions

How does bee removal work?

To get the job done you must remove the honeycomb as well as the bees.  There are several important steps in this process.  We first inspect the entrance area with a FLIR thermal imaging camera to approximate the size of the hive and mass of bees in the structure, and then confirm it by drilling a small hole and viewing with an endoscope camera.  Afterward we carefully access the area, remove the bees and hive without harming them, and in most cases repair the area.


Do I have Honeybees or something else?

Take a look below.  We do removals for any of them, but we can only re-hive the honeybee.

Will you cut a hole in my wall?

It depends but more than likely YES.

Will you repair the area after you’re done?

In most cases, yes.  We have construction and carpentry knowledge.  We carefully remove siding, floors, walls, or soffit where the bees are located, remove the hive and bees, and insulate or seal off the area, and put it back together as we found it.  Every bit of work is done with your approval.  In cases where we must access certain wood, tile, brick work, stone, etc, we may not be able to repair exactly as we found it, in which case we will agree beforehand.  In such cases we have people we can recommend for repairs to speed up the process.

Where are the bees relocated to?

I’m a skilled woodworker; each hive I capture is kept in a custom-built, 48” Layens Hive near Versailles, MO where the bees have plenty of wilderness for forage.  The Layens hive is more common in Europe and is better suited to the bee’s natural conditions, and to their survival.  We are committed to Natural Beekeeping: a drug-free, treatment-free approach. We will not keep rescued bees on life support.

Can we just spray them?

No!!!  First off you will still have a big, stinking, gooey mess in your walls with tens of thousands of dead rotting bees and their larvae.  It will smell like a dead animal in your walls. Not to mention, using off-label pesticides on honeybees is a $120,000 EPA fine.  Irresponsible pest companies using termite spray on bees are still the primary cause of colony collapse.  Bad for you, bad for the bees.


How do you prevent the bees from coming back?

We guarantee that bees will not return to the location in which we did the removal, or we will return and remove the next hive free of charge.  We ensure this by fixing the carpentry work in that location that allowed the bees to get there in the first place.  We add insulation to make the void inaccessible, and seal off the area with caulk, wood etc.

Can I do it myself?

It is not safe to attempt to access the hive yourself without very expensive tools, experience, and a bee suit. You might end up seriously damaging your structure.


Established Hive versus Swarm

A swarm is a big cluster of bees looking for a home, typically on an exposed tree limb, house etc.  While they are at their most docile when swarming, do not attempt to mess with or capture them.  A hive on the other hand is where bees live, and keep their wax comb, honey, etc.  When you see bees flying in and out of a structure, typically that is a sign of a hive.  Even a few bees outside can be a sign of a large hive.


I found a beekeeper who will take them for free

Not out of my walls!  Make sure whoever you hire is a professional with the training to ensure the job is done right. It takes fuel, time, expensive equipment and labor.


If I Seal the Gap will the Bees Leave?

Bees do need an entrance to get in, however it’s likely the bees will find a gap you did not know about.  Plus, if you manage to seal every hole, the bees will die, leaving a big, gooey, smelly mess in your walls or floor.  The smell is similar to a dead animal.