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Three Methods:Box Trap Method for Some Bee SpeciesInsecticide Method for Small HivesOne Way Bee Escape MethodCommunity Q&A

Have you got a dangerous beehive near your home? Keep reading for tips to safely removing bees.



  1. 1
    Call a professional if the hive is large or difficult to access
    • Honey bees will typically have from 10,000-50,000 or more bees in a hive.
    • You may only see a small portion but the hives can be deeply hidden in walls, trees, chimneys, roofs, etc.
    • Some bees are more aggressive than others and will swarm or sting if the hive is threatened or if someone gets too close. Yellow jackets, though not a bee, will do this.
  2. 2
    Contact a local bee keeper if the hive appears to contain honey bees. Honey bees are on the decline and they may be willing to relocate the bees for free or a nominal fee.
    • Look online or in yellow pages (Bee keeping may not be well advertised in all areas, you may need to search.)
    • Ask someone at a locally owned market or general merchandise store for bee wranglers or bee keeper contact information
    • Call your local farmers market or nursery as they deal with bee keepers
    • Call a local beekeeper, here is a good source: http://www.honeyo.com/org-US_State.shtml there are many others online, search for beekeepers or apiaries for your local area.
  3. 3
    Limit your beehive removal and extermination to small hives that can be easily managed with widely available spray insecticides. Avoid large hives and honey producing hives.
  4. 4
    Call a professional. Even novice bee handlers won't remove a large hive. It can be very dangerous and requires great skill, training and experience. If a bee handler doesn't remove bees they probably know of someone who does.
  5. 5
    Prepare to have 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
  6. 6
    Plan to bee proof to avoid further infestation in areas where the hive and honey can't be removed (behind stucco and brick)
  7. 7
    Make sure all of the hive and honey is removed whenever possible
    • Honey and dead bees may attract other bees, wax moths or ants
    • Scout bees will find old hives and a new colony will move in if not removed.
  8. 8
    Consider evacuating those with allergies, children, pets and elderly from the immediate area where a hive is active.
    • Never attempt to move a large hive and only disturb hives when small enough to eliminate with household chemicals
  9. 9
    Wear shoes, socks, long sleeves and other appropriate clothing when going near a hive
  10. 10
    Attempting to kill bees at night has pros and cons
    • Bees are less active at night
    • Bees will likely all be at the hive
    • It's harder to see and effectively kill bees at night
    • You may miss bees or smaller hives nearby

Method 1
Box Trap Method for Some Bee Species

  1. 1
    Get a cardboard box, about medium size. Buy some sticky traps and place them inside.
  2. 2
    Take the center of a few flowers, (pollen works best) and sprinkle on the sticky traps.
  3. 3
    Cut a hole, about 3 inches (7.6 cm) around, just enough for those bees to come charging in.
  4. 4
    Try pouring some honey on the sticky traps as well, to lure more bees.
  5. 5
    Place the cardboard box close to the hive, about 5–10 feet (1.5–3.0 m) away.
  6. 6
    Wait. Pretty soon, many of the bees will be stuck in the box, and you can call someone to haul them away. Use extreme caution as many bees will still be alive and angry. Don't go near the box.
  7. 7
    Use an insecticide to kill any residual bees and a queen if she didn't leave the hive.
  8. 8
    Seal all access to the hive so future swarms don't find it and take up residence.

Method 2
Insecticide Method for Small Hives

  1. 1
    Purchase a can of insecticide.
  2. 2
    Look for cans which offer long range spraying
  3. 3
    Spray the nest and poison the bees and the nest.
  4. 4
    Avoid falling bees and bees that escape the spray.
  5. 5
    Once it is inactive and safe to go near, knock down the nest
  6. 6
    Use caution the bees may still be alive!
  7. 7
    Carry the nest to a safe area where it can be burned (optional)

Method 3
One Way Bee Escape Method

This method takes longer and can be used in non-populated areas, old structures, and when the owner isn't rushed to have bees removed. This method takes a while. It requires the assistance of a bee wrangler.

  1. 1
    Make a cone shape with a large piece of screen
  2. 2
    Leave a 1" hole in the tip of the cone
  3. 3
    Attach the large end of the screen cone to the area over the bee entrance.
    • Bees will fly out through the cone
    • Bees will try to access the hive by going to the base of the cone and not through the small opening at end of cone.
  4. 4
    Seal off all other bee access points to hive
  5. 5
    Contact a bee wrangler, they will bring a new queen over to attract the misplaced bees
  6. 6
    Wait. After most of the hive has left for the new queen the new colony will grow and the old queen will leave as the original colony weakens.
  7. 7
    Apply a recommended, non-residual insecticide to area
  8. 8
    Wait a week
  9. 9
    Remove the cone and allow the bees to remove the honey and take to new hive.
  10. 10
    Seal the area and all access points
  11. 11
    Use an expanding foam insulation

Community Q&A

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    • If you go outside and seem to be dived and "pinged" by bees you should get away. Walk away slowly without swatting. Take shelter. They "ping" or dive bomb you when you get too close. It's the first step before they sting in many cases.
    • Honey bees can be a gift to a beekeeper. Always contact your local beekeeper to let them help you. They can determine if the bees are salvageable.
    • Swarms sometimes seem to appear out of the blue. Just because it wasn't there yesterday doesn't mean you don't have 20,000 bees today.
    • Large hives may require you to evacuate your home until it can be controlled.
    • You may be required to call an exterminator or other professionals. Be upfront on the phone. A large hive may be outside their scope of treatment. They may recommend another company to try.
    • The pollination from bees are an important economical factor for fruit farmers.
    • In some jurisdictions it is illegal to kill honey bees. Check with your local authorities first. They may also be able to assist with removing the bees or helping find a professional to remove them for you.


    • Some bees are attracted to sweet food others merely to flowers.
    • Bees don't usually sting unless threatened. Keep in mind your proximity to hive may be sensed as a threat.
    • European bees swarm once a year. Africanized bees swarm several times a year. They're looking for new hives to take over.
    • Populations of honey bees have dropped drastically in recent years. Hive collapse can have worldwide impact on food, crops, livestock and human survival. Always contact a bee wrangler for honey bees in hope to safely relocate and protect the hive.
    • Watch out for aggressive bees.
    • If you are allergic to bees don't attempt to remove the beehive by yourself.

    Sources and Citations

    Article Info

    Categories: Garden Pests and Weeds

    In other languages:

    Español: eliminar una colmena, Italiano: Eliminare un Alveare, Português: Se Livrar de uma Colmeia, 中文: 摆脱蜂巢, Русский: избавиться от пчелиного улья, Deutsch: Beseitigung eines Bienenstocks, Français: déplacer une colonie d'abeilles

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