Do you have a dangerous beehive near your home? Read on for tips on how to remove bees safely.
Note: Bees play a vital role in human survival. Your first instinct may be to kill them, but do your research and try to have them repositioned by a professional.
Steps
Step 1. Call a professional if the hive is large or difficult to reach
- A hive is generally home to 10,000 to 50,000 bees.
- You may only see a small portion of a beehive that can be hidden in a wall, tree, chimney, roof etc.
- Some insects are more aggressive than others, and will swarm and sting if the hive is threatened or if someone gets too close to it. Wasps are an example of a very aggressive insect.
Step 2. Contact a local beekeeper if the hive appears to contain honey
The bee population is declining and they may agree to transport bees for free or for a small fee.
- Search the internet or the yellow pages (beekeepers won't get much publicity, so you may need a more in-depth search).
- Ask people you know if they can recommend a beekeeper or exterminator to contact.
- Contact a local grower.
- Try searching online to find a beekeeper in your area.
Step 3. Try to remove and exterminate only small hives that can be affected with spray insecticides
Avoid large hives and those that produce honey.
Step 4. Contact an experienced professional
Removing a large hive can be very dangerous indeed and requires training and a lot of experience.
Step 5. Be prepared to perform repairs after removing a large beehive from your home
It may be necessary to drill holes in walls or structures to gain access to the hive
Step 6. Be prepared to take steps to avoid further infestation in areas where hives cannot be removed (behind stucco and brick)
Step 7. Make sure the hive and honey are completely removed
- Honey and dead bees may attract other bees, moths or ants.
- Scouting bees will find the old hive and a new colony will move into it if it is not removed.
Step 8. Consider evacuating people with allergies, children, pets, and the elderly from the immediate vicinity of an active hive
Never try to move a large hive, and it only disturbs those that are small enough that they can be eliminated with the chemicals you may have at home
Step 9. Wear shoes, socks, long-sleeved shirts, and other appropriate clothing when approaching a hive
Step 10. Trying to kill bees at night has advantages and disadvantages
- Bees are less active at night.
- The bees will probably all be in the hive.
- It will be harder to see well and kill bees effectively at night.
- You may not see bees or small hives nearby.
Method 1 of 3: Box-Trap for Certain Bees
Step 1. Get a medium sized cardboard box
Buy sticky traps and place them inside.
Step 2. Take some flower pollen and sprinkle it on the sticky traps
Step 3. Drill a hole of about 8 cm, large enough for the bees to fit into the box
Step 4. Also pour honey over the traps to attract more bees
Step 5. Place the box next to the hive, about 2-3 meters away
Step 6. Wait
Soon, many bees will be trapped in the boxes, and you can call a beekeeper to take them away. Be very careful as many bees will still be alive and angry. Don't go near the box.
Step 7. Use an insecticide to kill any remaining bees and the queen if she hasn't left the hive
Step 8. Seal the entrances to the hive so that it cannot be inhabited by other swarms in the future
Method 2 of 3: Small Beehive Insecticide
Step 1. Buy a spray insecticide
Step 2. Look for insecticides with a long distance spray
Step 3. Spray the hive and poison the bees
Step 4. Avoid the bees that fall and those that avoid the jet
Step 5. When the hive is no longer active and you can safely approach it, drop it
Step 6. Be careful because some bees may still be alive
Step 7. Take the hive to a safe area where you can burn it (optional)
Method 3 of 3: One Way Escape
This method is more time consuming and can be used in unpopulated areas, old structures and in cases where the owner is not in a hurry to remove bees. Professional assistance is required.
Step 1. Make a cone with a net
Step 2. Leave a 2-3 cm diameter hole at the tip of the cone
Step 3. Attach the large part of the cone to the entrance area to the hive
- The bees will fly out of the cone through the hole.
- The bees will try to return to the hive by passing through the base of the cone and not through the hole.
Step 4. Seal all other access points to the hive
Step 5. Contact a professional, who will bring a new queen to lure any remaining bees out of the cone
Step 6. Wait
After most of the hive leaves it in favor of the new queen, the new colony will grow and the old queen will leave the hive when the original colony weakens.
Step 7. Apply a recommended non-residual insecticide to the area
Step 8. Wait a week
Step 9. Remove the cone and let the bees remove the honey and transport it to the new hive
Step 10. Seal the area and access points
Step 11. Insulate the area with fast-expanding foam
Advice
- Swarms in some cases can come out of nowhere. Just because the hive was empty yesterday doesn't mean it can't house 20,000 bees today.
- If when you go outside you feel like you are being attacked and pointed by bees, you should move away. Walk slowly away without chasing them away. Find shelter. They point at you and throw themselves at you when you get too close. The next step is the puncture.
- Bees can be very valuable to local beekeepers. Always contact beekeepers and ask for their help. They can determine if bees can be saved.
- Large beehives may force you to evacuate the house until they are brought under control.
- In some countries it is illegal to kill bees. Learn about the laws in force. They might help you remove the bees or find a professional who can do it for you.
Warnings
- The bee population has dropped dramatically in recent years. The disappearance of bees can have a devastating effect on crops, livestock and human survival. Always contact a beekeeper in hopes of repositioning and protecting the hive.
- Some bees are attracted to sweet foods, others just to flowers.
- Bees usually sting if they feel threatened. Remember that getting close to a hive could be considered a threat.
- European bees swarm once a year. Africanized bees swarm several times a year. They are looking for new hives to colonize.
- Bees can be dangerous. If you're not sure what to do, or don't have the right equipment, call a professional.
