You normally won’t need to pay a beekeeper to remove a hive. If you do, the fee won’t be particularly high, although it depends on where you live.
If the hive is easily accessed and the swarm isn’t particularly big, bee removal will cost $75-200. If drywall needs to be removed or the hive is in a tricky location, like a roof, it may cost up to $1,500.
An exterminator will cost roughly $200-300, but a new colony is more likely to return if the exterminator doesn’t remove the hive or handle it properly. Make sure that you hire an exterminator with experience removing bees. If a large number of bees die and their corpses are not removed, they will break down and leave a particularly funky odor behind that will take some time to get rid of.
Between the beekeeper’s outfit, the tools you’ll need, and the vacuum, expect to spend $100-300 on a DIY removal. It might be cheaper to hire a professional, and it’s definitely safer for both you and the bees. It’s important to make sure that you’re not dealing with wasps or hornets. Bees are valuable pollinators and are not aggressive or dangerous (unless someone in your family has an allergy), so killing them should be avoided whenever possible. Many hornets and wasps are extremely aggressive, so do not get closer if you suspect it isn’t a bee.
Some species of bee burrow underground. Ground bees should be fairly easy to identify since you’ll have lots of bee-sized holes in your garden or yard. You can remove bees from a wall or hidden area on your own, but it’s a lot harder to do and can take quite some time. It’s best if you can rely on a professional to do this.
This is generally not a good idea unless you have experience working with stinging insects or you have no other way to handle the problem. This process can be quite time-consuming and it may get kind of complicated depending on the size of the colony. A professional-grade beekeeper suit will cost $50-100. You typically can’t rent one of these, so you’ll need to purchase one at a gardening store or online.
There is a way to remove a colony naturally using a wire cone and an empty box, but this process takes 3-4 months and requires an extensive knowledge of hive behavior. This is not a reasonable way to remove bees if you’ve not a professional beekeeper. You can use a regular vacuum for this so long as it’s the type with a bag. Clean the bag out thoroughly before doing this to ensure that the debris in the vacuum doesn’t kill the bees.
Get as many of the bees as possible. You’ll need to destroy the hive afterwards if there is one, so do your best to save as many bees as you can. Bees typically swarm when they’re looking for a colony, so there may not be a hive if they are swarming on a solid surface. If the bees are swarming on a branch, you can simply cut it off and transfer the bees somewhere else.
The bees should be able to survive in the bag for 2-3 days. The sooner you can get rid of them, the better.
If the hive is in a hard to reach location or you’re worried about getting stung, use a sprayer to apply the peppermint soap. [12] X Research source If you’re dealing with ground bees, pour a little bit of the mixture into each hole in the garden. You can also use a 1:1 ratio of hot water and white vinegar if you prefer. Peppermint is a proven irritant to bees though, and will surely keep the bees from coming back.
With a trapped or hidden hive, you will not be able to remove it. The ficam dust will render the hive inactive and it will break down over time. Alternatively, you can hire a contractor to open up the wall or brickwork to access the hive, although this may cost $200-1,000 depending on what’s behind the wall.
Removing the bees, honey, and hive will ensure that no other bees get the idea that this is a good place for setting up a colony.
You can fill the inside of the opening with expandable foam if you prefer, but the window screening should be more than enough to keep pests out if the hive has been dealt with.
There is some evidence that marigolds will work as well, although some species really enjoy pollinating marigolds.
You don’t need to work the cinnamon into the soil. It’s fine to simply let it rest on top of plants and dirt.
This will keep bees from setting up a colony in your chimney, roof, or garden. The odor from the mint and soap will linger for a while, and the bees that seem to be frequenting your home will look for somewhere else to set up shop.
If you live in an area where the temperature gets below 50 °F (10 °C) during the winter months, the hive may leave on their own. You may be able to simply wait them out.
