Careful Bee Removal – Bee Hive – Honeycomb Cleanup

Bees Are Essential – Certain Bee Removal Requests NOT Accepted

Bees have an indispensable role in nature that Hearts Pest Management respects. Honey bees are essential. We accept calls for bee removal only when they pose a serious threat to human health. We have set guidelines to avoid harming bees needlessly.

When should I NOT worry and NOT call?

If you are worried, be my guest and we will be happy to answer your questions. But don’t worry about bees if:

• bees are simply pollinating in a flower bed, ice plant or nearby tree.
• bees are over 40 ft high or 100 ft away from humans and pets at ground level.

These are our basic guidelines for saving bees, but each situation is unique.

Bees only get aggressive when defending a queen or hive.

Where Bee Hives Are Found In and Around Homes

Where do bees form hives? Most anywhere they feel safe and secure.

Bees form hives near sources of water and pollin.

In homes, common bee hives zones – Pictorial Examples:

• attics – near vent holes
• attics – accessible joints (by chimney)
• chimney tops
• A/C and bathroom vents
• crawl spaces
• under roof tiles
• hollowed collumns
• open boxes
• electrical and plumbing openings to voids

 

These are all areas for exclusion to stop bee entry.

Outside homes, common bee hive zones are in and around:

• garbage cans… especially those with moisture
• under sheds
• bird houses
• owl houses
• irrigation boxes
• low lying shrubs
• and the obvious – trees and tree hollows

These are all elements in the landscape that may need some re-thinking to avoid attracting bees.

Africianized Honey Bees (AHB)

Approximately one-hundred people die from bee stings each year. The threat of Africanized honey bees (Killer bees or AHB) is over-hyped. We believe that rather than the AHBs turning the vast majority of non-aggressive bees into aggressive killer bees, the opposite is true. Although more bee colonies may have some AHB DNA, our perception is that the AHB treat is weakening. With time there should be fewer pure AHB and aggressive bee colonies.

That being said, the threat is real. If you notice aggressive bees, you must assume they are Africanized and dangerous. Your first action should be to back off and call a pest control professional who has the proper safety gear to handle the situation.

Foolish Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Bee Work

Quick solutions can lead to increased danger to family members and pets. DIY solutions and half-baked plans can cause substantial structural damage, discoloration and mold. More importantly, they can lead to serious injury and death.

Bee Removal – Hoenycomb Cleanout and Bee Exclusion to Stop Entry – A Complete Solution

Bee hives contain honey that must be removed after the bees are eliminated. Otherwise the honey will drip, rot and attract secondary pests, such as rats. Looking for bee removal – find a bee removal service to scope and solve the whole problem – safely.

After bee and honeycomb removal, we will secure the entry from re-infestation of bees.

• Bee eradication by professional bee exterminators.
• Careful area prep-work to keep your home or business clean.
• Honeycomb removal and deodorizer to drastically reduce bee pheromone and attractiveness of the area to bees and other pests, such as ants and rats. If left in your walls, the honeycomb will generate intense odors and may cause damage to walls and ceiling.
• Bee exclusion to eliminate wall, eave, attic and roof access points.
• Minor repairs.

The prior bee exterminator, who killed the bees in the wall of this home, either neglected to follow the standard recommendations of the Pest Control Operators of California to remove the honeycomb, or the homeowner ignored sound advice.

A large bee colongy had been present above a second floor window of this home. Once the bees were eradicated, the temperature of the honeycomb could not be maintained. The honey comb melted and honey oozed down the wall, creating a odorous mold extending to the base of the building. Don’t let this happen to you!

Preventative Measures – Delaying Bee Removal When It’s Needed

Problems with bees only get worse as the hive grows.

A few tips to help prevent extensive structural damage from bees:

• Take periodic strolls around your property, observing sub-areas, eaves, and roof lines.
• Look ahead, around and down. Never walk in the path of bees.
• Pay particular attention to areas infrequently utilized and away from heavy human traffic, such as this shed.

Carpenter Bees

You might want to check out this page if you think you might have Carpenter Bees. The characteristics and potential harm from carpenters bees is very different – much more so a structural risk than a risk of stings.