What Happens During a Bee Removal, Step by Step

If you’ve never had bees removed from a house, it helps to know what the job looks like. Here is how a typical honey bee removal goes, from the first look to the final repair.

1. Free estimate and inspection

We start with a free estimate. We look at where the bees are going in and out, how big the colony is likely to be, and what we need to open up to reach it. If the bees are hanging in a cluster in the open, that’s a swarm, not a hive, and the job is much simpler. See how bee swarm removal works.

2. Finding the colony

Bees often go in through one gap while the hive sits somewhere else inside a wall, soffit, roof or ground box. We pinpoint the hive before cutting, sometimes with small pilot holes or an endoscopic camera, so the opening is as small as possible.

3. Opening the area carefully

We open only what we need to reach the comb, whether that means a wall panel, a soffit board or a meter cover. You can see more about this part of the job on our bee hive removal page.

4. Removing the bees and the comb

For a live bee removal, we collect the bees with a bee vacuum into a hive box, then cut out all of the comb. Taking out every piece matters: leftover honey and wax attract new swarms and pests.

5. Relocating the colony

We relocate the bees instead of killing them whenever we can. When a live bee removal isn’t possible, we explain the bee extermination option before doing anything.

6. Cleaning, sealing and repair

We clean out the cavity, seal the entry point so bees can’t move back in, and repair the area we opened when the job calls for it. Our work on the treated area comes with a 100-day warranty.

How to make a return less likely

• Check your property now and then for bees going in and out of gaps.
• Seal open cavities, such as gaps in soffits, walls and meter boxes, before a swarm finds them.

More reading: our honey bee tips for homeowners.

Have bees in a similar spot? Call Miami Bee Removal at 786-554-0245 for a free estimate. We serve Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.