Though they are invaluable to agriculture and the production and storage of honey, bees are still insects. And as all insects, they tend to infest buildings, cars and pretty much any area they can find, regardless of human presence. Bees, while not aggressive on their own, can be drawn to anything that smells sweet and become aggressive if they feel threatened by people who try to drive them away.
Bees establish new colonies by forming swarms which then travel in search of a new location to establish a hive. You will be able to recognize bee hives by the hexagonal shapes of their holes and by the paper-thin material from which they are built.
Consider Professional Help
If you ever find a that a swarm of bees has just landed near your house, or if you have a colony of bees inside the walls of your home, or in the attic, it’s always a good idea to contact a bee removal service near you and have them remove the bees for you. While you can do it on your own, you run the risk of getting stung or even enraging the bees to the point where they might sting your family. An enraged colony of bees can be a danger not only to your home but also to your neighbours and to any passers-by.
By hiring a bee removal service, you will be able to relax knowing that a professional team will remove the bee colony without any harm to you, your family and as possible, to your property. Generally, as efficient as these services are, they sometimes imply killing the bees and damaging your property to some extent. Depending on the location of the bee hive, drilling holes through the walls of your house, taking floors out or even tearing down portions of walls might be needed.
More Than One Option
When the colony is smaller, a good choice is to contact any local beekeepers in order to take care of your problem. Most of the time the bee removal will be free and the bees will not be harmed. Do take in consideration that this is a good alternative as long as the infestation is not too widespread.
If you do have a serious bee infestation or a bigger colony of bees inside or near your house, then an easy way of finding bee removal services is through “Yelp!” or by using the map below in order to automatically find nearby services, based on your location.
Pricing
Prices of bee removal vary. While most beekeepers will solve your problem for free, sometimes only charging you the cost of travel to the site. They will also charge you if the hive has been sprayed with any kind of pesticide, as the bees will no longer be healthy and will probably not be able to adapt to a new environment, thus rendering the colony useless to the beekeeper.
Companies will usually charge between $70-$300 for the capturing and relocation of swarms; up to $700 for removing a nest, based on the number of bees, its location (for example, if it’s in the walls of your house, beneath the floor or immediately under the roof).
In case there is no other way than to exterminate a hive, professionals will charge you up to $300, though this should always be used only as a final solution due to their importance to the ecosystem.
Consider the Dangers
You may be tempted to try and get rid of the bees on your own, but apart from putting yourself and your family at risk, there is also the possibility that you will not be successful and will simply manage to stir things up, making the bees more aggressive in the future.
If you manage to get rid of them there is also the chance that they will return. Hiring a bee removal service not only guarantees success, but will also help you patch up any vulnerabilities that your home may have, so that other swarms of bees won’t be able to establish colonies in the area.
Always seek professional advice and consider hiring professionals in order to keep your home and your family safe from bees, before attempting to do it yourself.