A website from UGA Cooperative Extension

Honeybees are a huge resource and are very important in agriculture. The pollination that they do is worth over $14 million dollars annually in the U.S. However, there are times when honeybees get a little too close for comfort. I have gotten several calls from people saying that a beehive has moved into a rock wall on the side of their house, or perhaps under a deck. Let’s talk about why bees do that, and what your options for management are in that situation.

Honeybee colonies reproduce by swarming. In the mid-winter, the queen will begin laying eggs. In the springtime, the hive will be filled with new bees. The colony will then raise a new queen. The new queen will remain in the hive and the old queen will leave with more than half of the bees. They will usually find a branch to temporarily cluster on while they send out scouts to find a new location for a hive. This stage is called a honeybee swarm. Swarms are usually not very dangerous so long as you don’t provoke the bees. Honeybees will generally swarm for about 24 hours before finding a new permanent home. That permanent home could be an abandoned hive, a hollow tree, or unfortunately a hollow spot on your house.

Having a beehive inside your house can be problematic. They can pose a sting hazard, the buzzing noise they make can be audible inside the house, and if the colony dies you can be left with a mess from melting and rotting combs that may attract other critters and start to smell bad.

If you find a colony has moved into your house quick removal will be the best option. If you are able to find the nest within a day or two an exterminator can use an insecticide to kill the bees before they make combs and are established. If the colony is already established then the entire nest must be removed. Often times pest control companies will avoid these kinds of jobs because they involve unusual expertise and liability. The best option may be to hire a local beekeeper to remove the nest. That beekeeper may be able to salvage the nest for their own collection. They may need to work in conjunction with a carpenter or mason to get to the cavity where the bees are nesting. Typically this is done in the evening because the bees are all back in the hive.

Sometimes the beekeeper is able to trap the bees and remove them. This process is not always practical. Other times people and bees are able to live harmoniously and removal may not be necessary. This may be the case if the hive is in an area away from human and animal traffic such as a the peak of a roof.

Honeybees are a very important nativized part of our ecosystem. We certainly want to do what we can to protect pollinators, but if they are inside your home, they can present a hazard. If you have questions about honeybees inside your home contact your county Extension Office or send me an email at Jacob.Williams@uga.edu.

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