Stinging insects like bees, wasps, hornets, and yellow jackets are most active during the summer months. They can become a nuisance or danger when their nests are unavoidable. Stinging insects can build their nests inside wall cavities, in your ceiling, near doors or windows, and under roof returns.

Pest exterminating is not an adequate solution. An abandoned nest or hive can attract other pests like roaches, ants, raccoons, and rats. When the nest is built inside your home, we have to physically remove it which can include significant carpentry skills a pest control expert might not have.

When to consider hive or nest removal

Typically, the formation of a beehive in your home or in your backyard is cause for concern. After all, these are stinging insects taking up residence in your space. 

Importantly, there are several different types of bees that you might encounter. The most common include European honeybees, bumblebees, Africanized bees, and ground bees. 

Typically, bees will only sting if their hive is threatened. But Africanized bees, otherwise known as killer bees, are known for aggressive behavior and may attack unprovoked. 

Unfortunately, it can be difficult to distinguish between a European honeybee and an Africanized bee. With that, removal is the safest course of action. This is especially true if the hive has made its way into your house. 

But even beehives on the outside of your home could warrant removal. It is possible to provoke bees and incur a sting. Although a simple sting may not affect you too much, 5-7% of the popular are highly allergic to stinging insects. What’s worse is if you stumble across a hidden hive in the ground or one camouflaged in a tree, you could get attacked by a swarm.

If the entire hive feels threatened, they will swarm together, fly after an intruder, and attack all at once. This is a very dangerous situation for anyone—with or without a bee allergy—and can potentially be fatal if the swarm is big enough. If there’s a high risk of this happening, seek shelter immediately and call us. Getting rid of bees is important to avoid these risks. Remember, it’s always better to be safe than sorry!

Can I remove a beehive myself?

The only way you can get rid of the bees on your property is to remove the hive. You should know that you run a risk of getting injured if you attempt to remove an active hive (one that has bees traveling to and from it on a daily basis) on your own.

A beehive holds an average of 30,000 bees. Although many bees are passive creatures, they will sting if you threaten their hive. It is easy to appear like a threat when you are removing a beehive. That could lead to 30,000 bees chasing you down!

 Of course, you could take a different tactic and attempt to exterminate the bees entirely.  However, that may not be a long-term solution if you are unable to find and eliminate their point of entry. 

Why do you need to remove the entire hive and sanitize it?

After the bees are taken care of, the entire hive must be removed. An old hive left in your home could attract a new colony of bees. It’s easy to see how this old hive would attract new bees. 

Additionally, the hive area must be sanitized to remove any honey. Otherwise, leftover honey could attract other pests, including ants, cockroaches, rats, or raccoons. 

After the technician removed the bees from the Austin hive, they cleaned the area to ensure the hive could attract no other pests.

Benefits of using Critter Control for Stinging Insect Control Services

Depending on where you live, you may be able to find a local beekeeper willing to do the job for free. However, their availability may be limited. 

Critter Control technicians have the resources and experience to remove a beehive safely. When you work with Critter Control, we can start service relatively soon and solve the problem quickly. When you choose other control methods, it may take weeks or months to accomplish the same goal.