Who to Call for Bees: Your Hiring Guide for Bee Removal

Hire a local bee removal specialist for bee removal

bumble bee feeding on lavender plant
Photo: MattHorne / iStock / Getty Images
bumble bee feeding on lavender plant
Photo: MattHorne / iStock / Getty Images
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Wondering who to call for bees when your home or yard has an unfortunate infestation? Since bees are crucial to the environment, hiring a bee removal pro ensures the bees are safely relocated with minimal harm to the hive. Many states require bee removal specialists to hold specific certifications or licenses, especially if they use chemicals or pesticides, so it’s important to check local laws before hiring. If they’re not posing an immediate risk, you should consider letting these beneficial insects “bee,” but if they’ve got to go, this hiring guide will cover who to call for bees.

Benefits of Hiring a Bee Removal Specialist for Bee Removal

Hiring a local bee removal specialist offers many advantages, including:

  • Knowledge of bee behavior: Bee removal specialists have extensive knowledge of bee behaviors, which helps them remove bees safely without causing harm to the colony or your property.

  • Avoiding stings: Many people wonder whether honeybees sting, likewise with other species such as carpenter bees and bumblebees. While it’s rare, they can sting to defend their nest, so it’s best to hire a pro (especially if you’re allergic to stings).

  • Safe, humane removal: A professional bee removal specialist uses specialized tools and techniques to relocate bees humanely, rather than killing them. This helps preserve bee populations and ensures that no harmful chemicals are spread into the ecosystem.

  • Specialized equipment and techniques: Bee removal specialists have the proper equipment to reach and remove hives in hard-to-reach places, minimizing the risk of property damage and personal injury.

  • Preventative measures: Professionals can identify ways to prevent bees from returning, which saves you from future infestations.

Can I Hire a Local Beekeeper for Bee Removal?

beekeeper collecting bees
Photo: Frazao Studio Latino / Getty Images

If you’re wondering how to get rid of honeybees, a local beekeeper may be able to remove them, often at little to no cost to you. Beekeepers are well-versed in the behavior of bees and are often passionate about relocating bees to ensure their continued health and presence in the ecosystem. However, if you’re dealing with a wasp problem, or if the hive is difficult to access, you’ll likely need to contact a professional bee removal specialist instead.

Can I Hire a Pest Control Professional for Bee Removal?

The answer varies for wasps versus bees. While most pest control services offer effective wasp removal, they’re not always the best option for bee removal unless they offer specialized bee services. General pest control services often lack the knowledge and techniques to remove the entire hive successfully, plus they can harm the bees and the surrounding environment with unnecessary chemical treatments. If you need bee removal, it’s best to leave the job up to a local bee removal service or beekeeper. 

How Do Bee Removal Specialists Remove Bees? 

The safety of the bees and the hive is the priority when it comes to bee removal. Bee removal specialists use a bee vacuum to gather the bees so they can be safely moved. They may also remove individual sections of comb and place them in a container along with the queen bee, which naturally leads the rest of the hive to follow. If necessary, they will use smoke to coax out the rest of the bees so they can be safely relocated. 

How Much Does Bee Removal Cost?

7 factors that impact the cost of bee removal, including bee type, hive location, and professional removal
Photo: Ekaterina Korzh / iStock / Getty Images Plus / Getty Images

The average cost of bee removal is $180, but prices vary based on factors like the hive’s location, the size of the bee colony, and the complexity of the job. If you’re wondering how to stop carpenter bees, for example, this service has a higher cost since the bees bore and nest within wood and are more difficult to access. Professional bee removal is often worth the investment, as it ensures a safe, effective removal with minimal harm to the bees.

DIY vs. Hiring a Pro

You should never attempt DIY removal of bees, as they are extremely important to the ecosystem and should be kept alive and safely relocated where possible. DIY removal also puts you at risk of injury, especially if you’re allergic to stings, not to mention you may not successfully remove them all. Hiring a local bee removal pro ensures the issue is taken care of, plus it supports bee conservation, as most bee removal specialists are trained to relocate bees to safe environments where they can continue to thrive. 

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