Honey Bee Removal | Akron, Canton, Kent
Do you have a honey bee problem? If so, and you live in the Akron, Canton, Kent, OH area, we can help.
Frontline Animal Removal offers honeybee removal services and consultation. We offer hive removal from structures and swarm pick-ups.
A Note About the Bees
From the beginning, know that we like honey bees. We like honey and understand the huge benefit honey bees provide as pollinators. With that being said, please know that in removing them from a structure we do not destroy honey bees and try to give the colony every opportunity to survive. Honey bees have had it rough lately with massive declines in their numbers. We want to give them a fighting chance.
How Honey Bees are Sometimes a Problem for Homeowners
Honey bees are cavity nesting insects, and are often drawn to man-made structures. If they end up in your house, it is not something you should just live with. The typical 2×4 stud wall construction creates an excellent habitat for a bee colony.
A honey bee colony often starts out small, but given time and the right conditions, can take up residence in the entire side of a building.
Inside the walls they now occupy, bees build wax comb and fill it with honey, pollen, and bee larva. This leads to a couple of problems. First, this honeycomb can become quite heavy over time and cause structural problem. Second, wildlife and pests (such as skunks, rodents, and ants) are attracted to the hive looking for meals of sweet honey, and protein rich larva. That means more animals be attracted to the inside of your home.
How Do We Remove the Bees?
Frontline Animal Removal practices chemical free, live honey bee removal.
In removing bees we use two different methods to remove the colony from a structure based on the colony’s location within the structure.
1) In most cases a “Cut-Out” bee removal is the best course of action. It is called a “cut-out” because either the interior or the exterior wall is removed exposing the bees and comb. The bees are sucked out using a bee vacuum and the comb is cut out. After the cavity is free of bees and comb, the wall is put back, repaired and sealed.
The cut-out is the preferred method because:
- It is easy to verify all bees and comb have been removed.
- It takes a day or less to perform.
- There is very little risk of wax or honey being left behind as an attractant.
2) In some cases a cut-out is not possible or practical, so a “Trap-Out” is performed. A “trap-out” is utilized when the wall of a structure cannot be opened up to extract the bee and honeycomb. During a trap-out the hive is sealed except for a one-way door. The bees can leave but can’t get back into the hive. A new hive (like what a beekeeper uses) is set up just outside of the one-way door to give the bees somewhere to go. It will take several weeks for the honey bees to establish the new hive and build strength. Once it is determined the old hive is abandoned and the new hive is strong, the honey bees are allowed 48 hours to reenter the old hive and remove all of the old honey. It is important to let the bees rob out the old honey to reduce the chances of rodents or insects infesting the old bee colony. Once we are satisfied the bees are out of the structure, we permanently seal the structure and remove the new hive.
A trap-out can be the best course of action if the walls cannot be opened, but there are some drawbacks:
- A trap-out can take weeks to perform.
- There is no guarantee that all of the honey, or bees will be removed.
- The comb will be left behind.
Interested in more?
Then you owe it to yourself to see some of the videos Ryan has made on honeybees. Find them here.
If you are experiencing honey bee problems and would like to know more about our services, please contact us today!
For more pictures and examples of honeybee removal, check out
