How to Get Rid of a Beehive

Hiring a Pro to Relocate or Exterminate the Hive

Confirm that you’re dealing with a beehive. Technically speaking, only certain kinds of bees, including honey bees, create beehives. Beehives are waxy (not made of paper-like material), can vary widely in size, and are usually built into an opening of an existing structure (like a tree or house). Wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets, as well as bumblebees and carpenter bees, all build different kinds of nests that aren’t actually hives. Honey bee hives typically house 10,000-50,000 or more bees. Check a reliable online guide to help determine what type of bee or stinging insect you’re dealing with, and if the nest is in fact a beehive.

Leave the beehive alone if the bees aren’t bothering you. Bee populations are currently in decline, for reasons that are not fully understood. So, if the bees in the hive are not bothering you, but are simply in the garden pollinating your flowers, leave them alone. They don't sting unless they feel threatened. However, always call a professional if you're allergic to bee venom. If you’re allergic, a bee sting may cause swelling of the throat or lips, and can in rare cases be fatal. Likewise, if the beehive is attached to your home, you should always take action and have it removed. The bees will probably work their way into your home, and the expanding hive can cause major structural damage over time. Bees pollinate a large percentage of the food crops humans eat, along with thousands of varieties of flowering plants. So, unless you have a good reason to live without bees, try to learn to live with them.

Hire a beekeeper to relocate a troublesome hive. Because honey bee numbers are on the decline, local beekeepers may be willing relocate your hive to their beekeeping operation for free or a nominal fee. And, if they don’t provide that service themselves, they probably know of someone who does. Look online or in a phone book. Search for beekeepers or apiaries in your local area. Ask at locally-owned markets or general stores—especially if they sell local honey—for leads on local bee wranglers or beekeepers. Call your local farmer’s market or plant nursery, as they probably deal with beekeepers.

Call an exterminator if relocation or DIY removal aren’t viable options. In some cases, you simply won’t be able to find anyone who’s willing to relocate the hive for you. If you really need to get rid of the beehive, extermination is your only choice. Unless you’re sure you can safely handle the job yourself, play it safe and call a professional exterminator. Don’t assume a hive is small based on what you can see. Beehives can extend deep into walls, trees, chimneys, roofs, etc. Removing a large or hard-to-reach hive can be very dangerous and requires great skill, training, and experience. The cost of hiring either a beekeeper or an exterminator varies widely based on numerous factors. Generally speaking, expect to pay somewhere between $100 and $1000 USD.

Spraying a Hive with Insecticide

Plan ahead for the extermination, hive removal, and any home repairs. Before you grab an insecticide and douse the beehive, take the time to prepare for the complete process. This is especially important if the hive is built into or onto your house. You should: Prepare to do repairs following the removal of a large honey bee hive from a home. Walls or structure may need to be cut away to gain access. Plan to bee-proof to avoid further infestation in areas where the hive and honey can't be removed (for instance, behind stucco and brick). Consider evacuating those with allergies, children, pets, and the elderly from the immediate area where a hive is active.

Wait for late evening or early morning, and (ideally) late winter. Bees are normally asleep (and thus in the hive) in the late evening and early morning, so these are the best times to spray the hive. In terms of seasons, the best time to remove a beehive is late winter to early spring. During this time the beehive population is smallest. Bees are less active at night, and will likely all be at the hive then. However, it's harder to see and effectively kill bees at night. If you do want to spray at night, use a flashlight with red cellophane covering it—bees can’t see red light.

Put on protective gear like long sleeves, gloves, and a bee veil. Dress appropriately for exterminating a beehive. Clothing is a very important part in the process of removing beehives. Light colored clothing with a smooth texture is best for removing bees. Dark colors and rough clothing are more likely to agitate bees. Choose heavyweight clothing that covers your arms and legs. You may want to invest in a white beekeeper’s suit. You can make a homemade bee suit with a jumpsuit pattern and ripstop nylon material. Wear gloves that offer substantial protection for your hands. Professionals usually prefer leather gloves when removing beehives. Professionals use a beekeeper's veil, which offers great protection while not hindering your vision. Buy one online or at an agricultural supply store. Don’t wear heavy scents like perfume, cologne, or scented deodorant. The bees may confuse your scent for that of flowers.

Choose an insecticide that’s intended for killing bees. While you can find homemade recipes for eradicating beehives online, your best bet is to use a commercial insecticide. Go to a home center and pick out an insecticide spray that is marketed for use on bees. Instead of a spray, you can instead buy an insecticide dusting powder. The application process will be quite similar regardless.

Spray the insecticide right into the main entry hole of the beehive. All beehives have a main entry hole that is usually easy to locate. Hold the nozzle of the spray can right up to the opening and spray for several seconds, until you estimate that you’ve saturated the entire hive interior. If you’re using an insecticide dust, stick the tip of the applicator into the hole and squeeze the bottle to inject the dust into the hive. If you can’t find or can’t access the main entry hole, spray the insecticide all over the outside of the hive. This will do the job eventually, but it will likely take several more spraying applications over a few days.

Repeat the process daily until there’s no more hive activity. Check the hive the day after spraying it. If you don’t see any bees enter or exit over a period of 5-10 minutes, the hive is almost certainly eradicated. Otherwise, spray your chosen insecticide into the hole again and check the following day for activity. Don’t start removing the hive until all the bees are dead. Otherwise, they’ll become very aggressive when you tear into their home! Also, if you’re unable to remove the entire hive, any remaining bees may be able to rebuild it.

Removing the Hive after Killing the Bees

Remove all of the empty hive, or at least as much as you can. Once the spraying is done and you don't see any bees flying in or out of the hive, physically remove the beehive as soon as you can. Removing the beehive prevents other bees from moving in. If the hive is attached to a tree limb or underneath a carport, for instance, it should be fairly easy to pull it all down by hand. If it extends deep into a hollow tree or the side of your house, however, you may have to resort to some fairly significant demolition. Bring in a professional if you aren’t certain you can handle the job yourself. Wear the same safety gear as when you sprayed the hive. There could still be a few angry bees left lurking deep in the hive!

Dispose of the hive in a heavy duty trash bag. Use a contractor-grade trash bag or 2 thick trash bags to to dispose of the beehive. Once you place the beehive (whole or in pieces) in the trash bag, securely tie the bag. Place it in the trash container and put it out for trash pickup. Securely bag up the hive as soon as you can, so other bees aren’t tempted to move in. Never try to collect any honey from a hive after you’ve sprayed it with insecticide!

Scrub away any remnants of the hive, especially against your home. It's important to clean the area once the beehive is removed. Beehives are full of bacteria, and any remaining hive structure and bee corpses will rot and smell foul. Scrub the area with soap and water for the best results. Make sure all of the hive and honey is removed whenever possible. Honey and dead bees may attract other bees, wax moths, or ants. Do not leave sections of a hive within the structure of your home. Even if you seal it off so bees can’t get back in, the hive will rot and smell bad. Also, the wax will eventually melt and can damage the wiring or structure of your home.

Seal off the area so a new hive can’t be built there. If you leave the area open, future swarms of bees may build beehives in the same spot. If the hive was in a tree trunk, for instance, use expanding spray foam, caulk, or even concrete to block off the opening. If the hive was against your home, garage, or other structure, patch up any damage and seal any openings in the area. Hire a professional to repair the structure if you’re not capable of doing it yourself. Unfortunately, large beehives can cause major structural damage to homes. That’s why it’s important to deal with a beehive that’s against your home as soon as you notice it.