One of the most frequently asked questions we get when someone calls our office is “Why do you need to open the wall or roof of my home in order to remove the bees?” It’s a good question that has many answers. Let me explain.
Whenever bees get inside a roof, wall, or chimney, its likely the bees will eventually build a hive. As we have said many times before, time is of the essence when bees enter a structure. The sooner you resolve the problem, the less costly it will be.
So how do you know if there is a hive in your roof or wall? How do you know how big the hive is? It’s important to know this information because it is key to whether or not the wall or roof needs to be opened. Why pay someone to open up the roof or wall of your home if you don’t need to?
Bee Swarm – No Honeycomb
So how do you know when it is (or isn’t) necessary to open the wall or roof in order to get the beehive out? The main factor that determines this is the length of time the bees have infested the wall or roof void. Here is what you need to know:
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- If the bees have been there less than a week or two, we almost always advise the homeowner NOT to open up the structure. This is because if the bees have only been there a short amount of time, they haven’t had a chance to build a fully established hive yet. In this scenario it is way less expensive to perform an elimination. It kills the bees before they have a chance to build a hive. Because you don’t need to open the structure in order to perform an elimination, its will save you a heck of a lot of money. *Note: Normally we prefer to remove the bees alive and relocate them humanely. In situations where bees get inside a wall or roof void however, smoking or trying to lure the bees out rarely works. Smoking bees in a structure usually makes it worse because it pushes the bees further into the structure, instead of driving them out. Trying to use a lure to coax out bees rarely solves the problem and often makes it worse. Read more about Bee Luring Here
2-3 Weeks – White Honeycomb
- If the hive has been there 2-3 weeks, you are in a grey area. Sometimes there is enough hive material that would make it necessary to open the structure. Sometimes it isn’t necessary. There are times when one of our technicians will look at a structural job, and based on what he observes, it may be undetermined whether or not it is necessary to open the wall or roof. Whenever one of our technicians isn’t absolutely sure if there is a hive, he will usually advise the homeowner not to pay the additional money to open the structure. In these cases, he will tell the customer that it is better to start with the elimination only and see if that works. If the bees return quickly (or year after year) in the same location, then it will be advisable to open the structure.
A Month or longer – Yellow, Brown and Black Comb
- If the bees have been there for more than four weeks, there will usually be obvious signs that there is a hive that needs to be removed. In this situation the technician will likely advise the homeowner to have the hive removed. There are a number of reasons why you should not leave a hive inside of a roof. The main reason being that eventually a new swarm is likely re infest the same area, year after year.
It’s important to note that a reputable bee removal company will never advise you to open the structure if there isn’t a hive. Unfortunately there are some less than honest companies that will advise the home owner to open the structure when it isn’t needed. Why do they do this? Usually because they can charge more for the job, or they are unlicensed with the structural pest control board. The best way you can protect yourself from being scammed into necessarily opening a structure is by asking for the company to take photos. Have them take a photo of the hive before it is removed, and another photo after it is removed. Not only does this protect you from having to open the structure unnecessarily, it also provides proof of a thorough clean out of the hive.
In the past we have elaborated on various points within this article. Please see related articles below for more info.
