Honey Bee Control

First, identify the species of bee. People use the term bee too loosely, in my opinion. You need to know that if the nest is made out of a gray, papery substance, you are dealing with some kind of wasp or hornet. They are even more aggressive, and potentially more dangerous than the most angry guard bee. You need to look at the pictures on this page and do some comparisons online. Bumblebees and carpenter bees are usually plumper, a different color, and have hair in different places. Also, honey bees tend to live up in the air, while other bees live near the ground or in wood holes.

Find a beekeeper. I am a beekeeper, and I think it's important for you to know that this is the perspective from which I am writing this article. As a beekeeper who spends $70–$100 for a couple of pounds of bees and a queen for each new hive I tend, I can tell you that I would welcome the opportunity to rescue a swarm and put it in one of my hives. It is important to note that not all swarms are created equal: if it is a free-formed ball of bees hanging from a tree branch or a fence post, I can deal with that in a minute or two; an established hive is far more difficult to handle.

Remove things that attract bees. If you notice an increase in activity, or if you find you've been getting stung more often, it doesn't mean that there is necessarily a hive of bees nearby. Bees can and will fly several miles in search of food. If you have a good source of food in your backyard, you could just be attracting a lot of attention. If you have a lot of flowering plants or fruit trees, you shouldn't be upset about having bees buzzing around, as those bees are going to improve your harvest! If you have a dumpster which is full of sweet, syrupy garbage, or a hummingbird feeder, bees are probably going to appear there, as well.

Finding a beehive will require some observational skills. I recently found a nest of feral bees, 20 feet up, in a partially dead box elder tree on my property. Most people probably wouldn't have noticed it, but I spend a lot of time looking upwards at birds, which is how I noticed a cloud of activity on a warm, summer day. I decided to leave them there, as I figured they weren't hurting anybody. Finding your nest of bees is going to require that you do something similar, whether it be in a tree, barn, garage, or the wall of your child's playhouse. Look for bees congregating around the hive entrance, especially on warmer days.

Make plans, bee prepared. Is the hive up in a tree? Is it inside of a building? Is it inside of a wall? All of these scenarios require a different set of tools. The first thing you always need to think about is your safety and the safety of anyone who might be in the general vicinity of your bee removal operation. I suggest either buying a bee suit, or fashioning one out of heavy-duty coveralls and mosquito netting or window screen. The important thing is to tape up any openings and keep the screen off the skin a bit, or they will find a way to sting you. A tool like a hive smoker can be useful for calming the bees, as well.

Relocating bees would be the best thing to do. This is easier when the swarm is new and hanging in a clump somewhere. Basically, you just need to cut the branch or thump them into a box. If the queen goes into the box, the swarm will follow her. I would then relocate the whole bunch into a tall hive, brood super box with 10 foundation frames. If the bees are established inside of a building or inside of a wall, salvaging the colony is extremely difficult. Any attempts at removing material will excite the bees, and you could lose or kill your queen in the process.

It's not hard to kill bees; just point and shoot. If it is not possible to relocate the swarm, or if the colony has established itself in a place that makes it impossible, killing the bees might be the easiest and safest thing to do. Attack the nest in evening hours, when the bees are the least active and in the nest. If the hive is exposed, the projectile, wasp nest aerosol spray will work well. If the hive is within a wall, you will want a dust-based insecticide, which you can puff into entrance holes of the hive. Check back the next day for more activity, and treat again if necessary. Be sure to remove dead bees and hive material from your walls.