How Much Does Bee Removal Cost? [2024 Data]
Normal range: $150 - $500
The average cost of bee removal is $150 to $500, with a national average of $180. If you need to rebuild a ceiling or wall, plan on spending more.
Removing a beehive doesn’t have to sting—both literally and when it comes to your wallet. The average cost of removing a bee colony ranges from $150 to $500 on average, though this cost will vary depending on the type of hive. If removing the bees from a hard-to-access location, you may have to pay up to $2,000 with the additional carpentry costs.
In some lucky cases, a beekeeper might remove your bees for free. That’s usually not the case, though, so here’s what you can expect to pay for bee removal or relocation and what factors into the cost.
- Average
- $180
- Low end
- $75
- high end
- $2,000
How Much Does Bee Removal Cost by Type of Bee?
Bees come in a variety of species—some are no more than friendly garden buddies, while others can be quite dangerous. Consult with a professional beekeeper to identify the type of beehives on your property. The removal costs will differ depending on the type of bees, as each requires special considerations.
| Bee Type | Cost |
|---|---|
| Honeybees | $75–$2,000 |
| Carpenter Bees | $75–$500 |
| Bumblebees | $75–$500 |
| Africanized Honeybees | $100–$1,000 |
| Bee Swarms | $125–$200 |
Honeybees
This is one of the most common types of bee colonies found in residential areas. Honeybee hives often contain honey and honeycombs, so be sure to ask your pro if they will be removing those (honey can attract other pests if left unattended). Honeybee hive removal will cost $75 to $2,000, as some colonies can include up to 50,000 bees and require a heavier lift for removal.
Carpenter Bees
These bees do not live in large hives, but they do burrow into wood to make their home. The damage to your home’s structure is small at first, but will worsen if left untreated. Luckily, carpenter bees rarely sting and are rather docile, so the cost to remove them is $75 to $500.
Bumblebees
A professional beekeeper may actually encourage you to keep a bumblebee hive, as these buzzy buddies rarely sting, are very docile, and live in small colonies of 50 to 150 bees. They’re also incredibly effective pollinators and your garden will thank you for keeping them around.
Certain regulations exist to protect various bumblebee species, so a specialist will have to relocate the bees to adhere to local guidelines. Bumblebee removal costs $75 to $500.
Africanized Honeybees
The Africanized honeybee, otherwise known as the “killer bee,” can be extremely dangerous if provoked. Do not try to remove this type of bee colony yourself, as they will chase people up to a quarter mile to defend the nest. Because they’re armed with a temper along with their stingers, hiring a pro to remove killer bees will cost $100 to $1,000.
Bee Swarms
A swarm is a group of bees without a nest or hive, typically led by a queen as they search for a new home. Bee swarms are relatively docile and easy to control, so removal tends to be on the cheaper side. Expect to pay $50 to $200 to remove a bee swarm from your property.
Bee Removal Cost Factors
Though removing the hive itself can be a relatively quick and painless process, there are a number of other factors to consider when sourcing a pro to identify, relocate, or exterminate an active bee colony. Here’s a breakdown of how you can expect to spend your money.
Location in Home or Property
Where bees are located in your home can drive up the price you pay for removal.
For example, bees that have festered in a structural wall of your home will likely cost more to remove than a hive attached to a gutter outside. At that point, you also have to figure in repair costs, such as installing new drywall, repairing a deck, or fixing parts of your roof that must be removed to gain access to the bees.
There are no hard and fast rules, but here are some cost guidelines based on location:
| Location | Cost |
|---|---|
| Roof/attic | $200–$1,100 |
| Inside of wall/ceiling | $200–$750 |
| Chimney | $200–$1,500 |
| Tree | $200–$650 |
Identification
You’ll need to hire a professional beekeeper to identify the type of bees on your property. This typically costs $75 per hour, but could increase depending on the hive’s location and the infestation’s severity. Be on the lookout for companies that offer free inspections and quotes.
Size of Infestation
Bees live in colonies that can range from 20,000 to 80,000 critters in one hive. If you have a large hive or multiple hives, this will impact the price as a professional bee removal expert will have more work to do to get rid of them.
Expect to pay around $600 to $1,000 for a large nest removal—more if there are multiple, though each won't cost this much because the initial price likely includes labor, such as cutting into a wall, to gain access. A small, singular hive might only cost {{nationalAvgCost}} or less depending on location.
Professional Removal
Hire a bee removal specialist to take care of the problem. Removing a hive will cost $75 to $1,000, depending on the size of the colony, the location of the beehives, and where you live.
Relocation or Extermination
Relocating bees involves safely removing a bee colony and transferring it to a more suitable habitat, while extermination refers to the process of killing the bees, often using pesticides.
Bee removal specialists often offer a steep discount if you opt for removal instead of extermination. That’s because bees play a crucial role in pollinating plants and supporting ecosystems, so preserving them helps maintain agriculture and biodiversity. It also prevents the release of harmful chemicals used in extermination. Relocation will cost $100 to $800.
If the situation is more urgent, such as if you’re highly allergic to bees or it’s an invasive species, extermination may be necessary, which costs $150 to $1,000.
Rebuilding
If the bee colony has made its home behind a wall or in your ceiling, a beekeeper will have to perform some demolition before removal. After the bees are gone, you may have to hire a local carpenter to rebuild the damage.
Here are some of the rebuilding costs you may encounter:
Drywall: If a bee removal expert knocked out some drywall, you will pay $275–$750 to get it replaced.
Ceilings: Bees are occasionally attracted to ceilings. If a specialist had to destroy some portions of your ceiling to get at a hive, expect to pay $300–$1,000 for repairs.
Decks: Some types of bees like to make their home under or inside of a deck. Deck repairs will cost $250–$2,500 depending on size, type, and accrued damage.
Soffit: This is a board that is often located on the underside of a roof eave, helping to bridge the gap between siding and the outer edge of a roof. Unfortunately, the location of the soffit makes it a likely target for beehives. Repairing the soffit will cost $6–$20 per linear foot to repair.
How Much Does It Cost to Remove Bees Near You?
The cost of identifying and removing an active beehive varies depending on where you live, so talk to a local bee remover to get an accurate quote. Typically, removing a live bee colony will be slightly more expensive in heavily populated areas due to regional inflation. Local weather conditions, the number of professional beekeepers in the area, and other factors can also impact the overall cost.
Here are some price estimates for bee removal services in cities throughout the U.S.
| Location | Average Cost to Remove Bees |
|---|---|
| Minneapolis | $160 |
| San Francisco | $240 |
| Denver | $130 |
| Chicago | $160 |
| Los Angeles | $240 |
| Phoenix | $110 |
| Baltimore | $230 |
What Does Bee Relocation Involve?
Bee removal is the process of safely and humanely relocating bees from an unwanted location to a more suitable one. Bees are crucial pollinators, and harming them can have unintended consequences. When bees are disturbed or killed, they leave honey behind that may seep down and damage your home, leading to unexpected expenses. In a nutshell, protecting bees with proper and professional relocation is a wise ecological and financial move.
Here's a basic overview of the bee removal process.
Assessment
The first step is to assess the situation. A professional bee remover will identify the type of bee species, the size and location of the hive, and any potential risks involved.
Hive Relocation
The main goal is to remove the entire hive, including the queen bee and her colony. Depending on the location and accessibility of the hive, different methods may be used, such as vacuuming, smoking, or carefully cutting and extracting the hive.
Bee Transferral
After removing the hive, the next step is transporting the bees to a safer and more appropriate location, such as a beekeeping facility or another bee-friendly environment.
Repairs
When damage occurs during removal, such as cutting through walls or ceilings, the bee removal team may also be responsible for making necessary repairs. In some instances, you may need to hire a local carpenter.
Prevention
To prevent future bee infestations, experts may offer advice on sealing entry points, removing attractants, and taking other measures to deter bees from returning to the exact location.
It’s best for professionals with experience in handling bees to remove them for safety and to disrupt the environment as little as possible. Attempting to remove bees without proper knowledge and equipment can harm bees, people, and the ecosystem.
Do Beekeepers Ever Remove Bees for Free?
If the beehive is easy to get to (in other words, it doesn’t involve tearing down any walls), some beekeepers may offer to remove the bees for free or for a donation. It’s more likely that you’ll find free removal for honeybees, as those bees can then work on a honey farm. It’s also more likely to get free bee removal for swarms rather than established hives since they’re relatively easy to capture and relocate to a new hive.
Removal that requires more specialized equipment and expertise will most likely come with a cost, though. Expect to pay somewhere in the $150 to $500 range for established hives, especially if demolition or repairs are necessary.
How Much Does It Cost to Remove Bees Yourself?
You may not have to hire a pro to remove bees, as some species rarely sting and are relatively docile. Carpenter bees, for instance, will sometimes leave an area if you play loud music. Be aware, though, that some bee species are simply too dangerous to handle on your own, such as Africanized honeybees.
If you do decide to remove pests yourself, you will save the $100 to $500 cost for labor but may still have to hire a contractor to repair anything you damaged to reach the hive.
Bee colonies are on the decline due to Colony Collapse Disorder, so it’s a great idea to opt for relocation. Bees are responsible for more than 80% of pollination worldwide, and one-third of the world’s crops depend on them.
Deirdre Sullivan contributed to this article.
Frequently Asked Questions
To choose a reliable and reputable bee removal specialist, you could start by searching Angi’s database of bee removal specialists. Also, look into local organizations and beekeepers associations.
To make sure the removal process goes smoothly, try asking your pro the following questions:
Are you licensed and insured?
How much experience do you have with relocating beehives?
Do you remove the honey and honeycomb?
Do you relocate the bees alive?
Do you have any references from previous clients?
Some bees may come back after removal. Typically, these straggler bees are worker bees who leave the hive before extraction to forage. They may attempt to reoccupy the hive's former location for about a week or two before they perish, depart, or try to raise a new queen. However, in other cases, worker bees may not be able to find their way back once the scent and pheromones left behind from hive extraction dissipate. Since bees are a valuable resource, many bee removal pros prefer handling hive removal early in the morning to avoid stranding working bees.