Bee Removal and Relocation

Bumblebees require some sort of insulation for their nests.  Therefore, they are often found living in birdhouses (after nesting birds vacate them), compost piles, house insulation, thick ornamental grasses, and in old rodent nests. Early season bumblebees will often die off naturally in early summer while other species will carry through for a few more months. It is often an option to simply leave these nests alone and allow nature to run its course. When this is not possible, The Wild Bee Co offers the safe removal and relocation of bumblebee colonies. Bumblebee nests are located, gently removed, and given a new home in a nesting box. They are then brought to my yard, or delivered to people interested in having these pollinators in their yards, to live out the rest of the season.

Watching a honeybee swarm pass overhead or settle on a tree branch is a fascinating experience not soon forgotten. Watching many thousands of honeybees enter a hole in the wall of your house or head down your chimney is even more memorable. Honeybee removals are the most difficult and time consuming removals I do. While new infestations are relatively straight forward, colonies that have spent a season or more in a structure can be a lot of work to remove. Nests must be fully exposed and removed. Comb is then tied into frames that fit into a wooden hive box. Bees are gently moved/coaxed into their new home and then moved out to one of my apiaries. When the transition is completed, the void must be cleaned and made inaccessible to future swarms. The smell of old comb is very attractive to other bees looking for a new home. Killing a honeybee colony with insecticide is a terrible idea. Not only is it frowned upon, it is an unbelievable mess that attracts all sorts of other pests, and often causes damage when the stored honey leaks out of the combs. This results in a lot more work in the long run.

While removal of honeybees can be fairly invasive and messy, my years of experience as a carpenter help it go as smoothly as possible with the least damage to your home.