If you have a honeybee hive in your home's walls, you have a major reason to be concerned. You don't want to harm the bees, as they are important pollinators. Professional bee relocation is the best option to pursue. Here are the five steps of honeybee relocation.
1. Location Inspection
A removal service will begin by pinpointing the location of the hive along with the various access points used by the bees. This serves two purposes — it minimizes damages if the walls must be cut into for removal, and it ensures that the entire hive is located and removed. This process may take some time, but you can help speed it along by monitoring the suspected hive location and making note of any areas where the bees seem to congregate near the wall.
2. Bee Removal
Once the hive is located, the removal expert will remove the bees. This is usually a minimally invasive procedure. Several different techniques may be used, but smoking out the bees is the most common. They will have a travel hive on hand to keep the removed bees in. This process causes minimal damage to the bees and allows the removal technician to save the honeybees and move them to a safer and less invasive location.
3. Comb Cleanup
It's imperative that the honeycomb is completely removed from your walls. Otherwise, it will melt and lead to mold growth in the walls. Honey also attracts all manner of pests, from insects to small rodents and other animals. This can be the most invasive part of the removal, as the wall may need to be cut into so that the comb can be cleaned and all residue removed.
4. Repair
Only after removal is complete can repair begin. A bee relocation service will typically handle the removal of the bees and comb, but they may not offer repairs afterward. If repairs aren't offered, they may still be able to provide a referral to a repair service. The repair depends on where the hive was located. Wall hives, for example, may require drywall and paint repair. If the bees entered through a roof eave, you may need an eave replacement.
5. Access Seals
Sealing up any future access points is a must. Bees rarely return to an old hive location, but that doesn't mean that new bees won't be attracted to your home for the same reason as the last hive. Thoroughly inspect the exterior of your home and use caulking or a similar sealant to close up any cracks or holes in the walls, roof structure, and foundation.
Contact a honeybee relocation service if you suspect a hive has begun inside your walls.
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