Spring Season
After surviving a long winter, as the weather warms up, honey bee hives will start vigorously reproducing and preparing for the spring season. A healthy queen bee will lay a remarkable number of eggs, potentially reaching 1,500 to 2,000 eggs per day as the hive builds up its population. Soon, the hive is buzzing with new bees and with the spring bloom the hive begins to fill with freshly collected nectar leaving the hive without enough space to grow.
Swarming
When a hive becomes overcrowded, honeybees engage in a natural process called swarming. Swarming occurs when the colony creates a new queen, and half of the bees (10,000 to 30,000 individuals) leave the hive with her to establish a new home. Before settling permanently, the swarm temporarily rests nearby—often on trees, homes, or other structures.
During this transitional period, the bees form a clustered ball and remain calm and docile, as they are without a hive to defend. Scout bees venture out from the swarm to locate a suitable new home. This phase typically lasts from a few hours to several days, making it an ideal time for beekeepers to intervene and relocate the swarm safely.
Swarms are generally easy to collect as the bees have not created Comb and are not deep inside a structure.
Scout Bees
Homeowners might notice increased bee activity near a specific area of their home or even find several bees inside. These are likely scout bees exploring potential sites for the swarm to move into. While scout activity doesn’t guarantee that the swarm will settle there, it’s a possible indicator.
To distinguish between scout bees and an established hive their behavior can be observed. Scouts tend to explore and linger, while bees from an established hive move in and out with purpose. If you notice heavy scout activity, a full swarm could move in within hours. Beekeepers can assess the situation and determine the best course of action.
Hive Removal
If it becomes clear that bees have settled inside your structure, professional hive removal is necessary. Established hives contain bees, comb, and honey and are often hidden inside walls, ceilings, or other cavities. Removing them involves carefully opening the structure and extracting all hive components.
Unfortunately, there’s no quick or easy way to remove a hive. Once the bees settle, the hive quickly grows, and the queen starts laying eggs immediately. Simply blocking off the exterior entry point won’t solve the problem—bees will find another way out, often into your living space.
Honeybees can chew through materials like expandable foam, caulking, and wood putty, so they won’t give up or die off if blocked inside.
Accessing the hive
Performing honey bee hive removals can be complex. Even if you see the exterior entry point, the nest can be feet away deep into the structure.
Rockland Bee Removal starts with an initial beehive assessment (with an agreed-upon fee). With the help of a thermal camera, we look to detect heat generated by the bees (around 90°F) to pinpoint the hive’s exact location. Every beehive is unique, and not all hives display a clear heat signature. We also assess the structure—both interior and exterior—to determine the safest and least damaging removal approach.
Performing the Removal
Hives can be built in unique shapes and sizes depending on the space available in the void. The beekeeper will start by opening the structure and getting access to the hive. Once opened, a specialized bee vacuum is used to transfer and relocate the bees.
The beekeeper must remove the full hive with all the comb inside, otherwise the comb and honey will start melting and can attract other bugs. Most removals can be completed within a day, some may take longer depending on the extent of the comb inside.
After the removal the empty void must be filled with insulation or expandable foam to prevent another hive from moving in. The residual smell from the previous hive can attract other nests in the future.
Rockland Bee Removal makes every effort to make this a positive experience as far as keeping your property and things safe and clean.
After the Removal
Once the beekeeper leaves, you will need to have a contactor come and repair the opening where the bees were. The worker must remember to fill the void and seal the exterior entry point as well. If not done correctly a new beehive can move in in the future.
Inaccessible Hive
There are times when the hive is not possible or unsafe for the beekeeper to remove. Reasons for this can be if the hive is deep into a void that is inaccessible to the beekeeper to reach or if high up where a lift cannot reach or be set up safely or properly.
In this case a professional exterminator should be contacted. However there are concerns with treating honeybees.
Once bees are treated, the comb and honey is no longer maintained; this can cause the honey to start dripping down from the nest. Other bugs and robber bees from other colonies will be attracted to the honey and the bees can spread the treatment to other colonies.
The comb should be removed even if the bees are no longer alive.
Contact Us
If any questions arise, feel free to reach out 845.445.8273.
In the event that we do not answer, we are probably in a bee suit and will call you back. You can always message us and we will reply when possible.
Rockland Bee Removal
Call/Text/WhatsApp: 845.445.8273
