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Honeybee Swarm Removal

At Beegone, we understand the urgency of dealing with honeybee swarms, especially when they settle in inconvenient or potentially hazardous locations. However, as advocates for bee conservation, we recommend that if you encounter a swarm, your first step should be to consult the British Beekeepers Association (BBKA) Swarm Collection page, which will open in a new tab.

 

The BBKA can connect you with local beekeepers who may be able to assist in removing the swarm free of charge, provided it’s accessible and outside the structure of your building.

 

If the swarm has entered a building, or if you’re unable to find a beekeeper to remove it, we are available to assist with professional swarm removal for a fee. Our team will ensure that the bees are relocated safely and in an environmentally-friendly manner, with minimal disruption to your property.

 

While we always encourage natural bee relocation services, we are here when professional help is required, offering a safe and efficient solution to your bee swarm issue.

 

Contact us if the bees have settled in a building or if you’re unable to secure help from a beekeeper, and we’ll arrange a swift removal with the utmost care.

We're here to provide swift and effective solutions:

We deliver expert live honeybee removal services across the UK, guaranteeing safety for both the environment and our clients’ properties. We cater to both commercial and residential sectors, ensuring that our humane removal techniques are tailored to the unique requirements of each site.

Our clients are assured of a range of guarantees, including up to 15 years against re-infestation, asbestos survey inclusion, and the use of no harmful chemicals, reflecting our dedication to excellence and environmental responsibility.


Look below for how to get started ▼

 

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Where are the bees located?

Our Work Process

Our Pre-planning steps:

1

Initial Consultation

Connect with our bee specialists for a detailed evaluation of your bee issue. We'll understand your concerns, offer immediate advice, and arrange for a bespoke site survey

2

Strategic Planning

Our experts devise a tailored plan ensuring the safe removal and relocation of bees. We consider the best access points, the health of the colony, and your property's specifics.

3

Project Execution

We carry out the bee removal with utmost care for both bees and your property. Our team follows through with bee-proofing and a final site check to ensure a lasting, bee-free environment.

Swarm removal process

Swarm Removal Process

 

At Beegone, we follow a structured and efficient process to safely remove honeybee swarms while minimising disruption to your property. Our goal is to relocate the bees as humanely and environmentally-friendly as possible.

 

  1. Initial Assessment
    Once you contact us about a swarm, our team will first confirm whether the swarm is accessible or if it has entered a building. We’ll also advise you to consult the BBKA Swarm Collection page to see if a local beekeeper can remove the swarm free of charge. If the swarm is in a building or no beekeeper is available, we’ll arrange a professional removal for you.
  2. Site Inspection
    Our experts will visit the site to assess the location of the swarm and evaluate any potential risks. If the swarm is located in a structure, we may need to access lofts, roofs, or walls to safely carry out the removal.
  3. Swarm Removal
    Depending on the location and size of the swarm, we will either collect the bees directly or, if necessary, carefully open up part of the structure to access the colony. Our team is trained to handle bees without causing harm, ensuring they are relocated to a safe and suitable environment.
  4. Relocation
    Once the swarm has been collected, we transport it to a local beekeeper or a designated apiary, ensuring the bees continue to thrive in a safe and natural habitat. This ensures the wellbeing of the bees while removing the potential hazard from your property.
  5. Aftercare and Advice
    After the swarm has been removed, we provide advice on how to prevent future swarms and can inspect your property to identify any areas that may attract bees in the future. If repairs are needed due to structural access, we can recommend suitable restoration services.

At Beegone, we combine expertise and care to ensure every swarm is relocated safely and responsibly. Contact us today to arrange a swarm removal and help us protect both your property and the bees.

Expertise You Can Trust

While swarms are natural and unpredictable events, our team at Beegone brings over 15 years of industry expertise to manage them effectively. Although we don’t offer a formal guarantee for swarm removals, we ensure that every step is carried out with precision and care.

Our extensive experience in honeybee behaviour allows us to handle swarms swiftly, minimising disruption and ensuring the safety of both your property and the bees. Our goal is always to provide a smooth and efficient service that helps restore peace of mind.

Even though bees may occasionally return to the area, our thorough process and dedication to humane bee relocation mean that you can trust us to resolve the immediate issue, while supporting bee conservation efforts.

At Beegone, we don’t just remove swarms — we help protect your property, your family, and our vital bee populations.

How Do I Get Started?

To start the process for our bee removal service, simply reach out to us via our contact form or give us a call. Our friendly team will be ready to discuss your needs and arrange a preliminary survey to assess the situation or just go ahead and book your survey online.

Free 10 Min Chat
Free 10 Min Chat

Consultation call with one of our expert surveyors. They'll offer you tailored advice and help you decide your next steps.

Free Virtual Assessment!
Free Virtual Assessment!

Just snap some pictures and send them over. We'll quickly get back to you with advice and the next steps.

Book A Paid Survey
Book A Paid Survey

We'll conduct a comprehensive survey of your property, providing a bespoke solution for your bee concerns.

Common Questions

Most Popular Questions

We’re here to provide answers to some of our most frequently asked questions
to ensure you have all the information you need.

We stress the importance of a guarantee in bee removal, which is vital for peace of mind and can be more cost-efficient due to returning swarms. Our experience of over 15 years pioneering the industry has taught us that buildings often lack proper bee-proofing initially; if they had been  built with this in mind, bees wouldn’t have entered in the first place. This insight drives our innovative techniques like custom-made bee-proof cowlings, designed to address gaps that appear as buildings naturally change over time. While many try to imitate our services, they lack our depth of knowledge, leading to inadequate proofing and failures. Our expertise and confidence in our methods enable us to offer a unique guarantee, ensuring a long-lasting solution against bee infestations.

Live bee removal is the preferred and often the only viable option for removing bees from buildings.Alternative methods like spraying are harmful to the environment, potentially illegal, and onlytreat the symptom rather than the problem.

Spraying leads to the death of bees, which in turn causes the unattended honeycomb to melt,potentially damaging buildings with leaking honey. This method also attracts secondary pests like rats and can lead to recurring infestations from other bee swarms attracted to the residual honeycomb. Furthermore, the use of poison can harm neighbouring bee populations, as “robber bees” might contaminate their hives and our honey supply. To abide by the code of practice for the control of honeybees all entry points must be sealed which will not allow the building to breathe and can cause the breakup of mortar and dampness through condensation buildup and freeze-thaw weathering.
*unless a company specifies they do live bee removal, they will likelyspray them which we warn against.
Setting traps to allow bees to exit without returning or trying to coax them out is a less effective method and often doesn’t work, as it relies heavily on the slim chance of trapping the queen who doesn’t leave the comb, only when she swarms. It also does not address the issue of the remaining honeycomb.
Live bee removal, by contrast, safely relocates the entire bee colony and deals with the honeycomb,ensuring a thorough and environmentally responsible resolution to the problem.

It’s advisable to check your home insurance policy for any pest removal coverage. Some insurers may offer special add-ons or separate policies for pest control services, which could include bee removal. If the bees have caused significant structural damage to your property, your policy might cover the repairs, but not the actual removal of the bees.

Honeybees can cause several types of damage to a property. One notable issue is honey dripping through ceilings, which can occur when large hives are present within structures. Additionally, the presence of bees can lead to damage to mortar due to condensation, resulting in dampness that can further deteriorate building materials. Timber rot is also a significant concern, as the moisture and hive activity can weaken wooden structures. Furthermore, bee infestations can attract secondary pests like rats, exacerbating the problem. Addressing bee infestations promptly is crucial to prevent these types of damage to your property.

Yes, you can choose to leave the bees in your property, but it’s important to be aware of the
potential consequences. Besides the expanding honeycomb causing structural damage over time, (the
heat and condensation generated by the hive can deteriorate the mortar and other building
materials). This weakening of structural elements can lead to more significant issues in the long
term. Additionally, the honeycomb may attract other pests, and there’s a risk of honey seeping into
your walls or ceilings.
The presence of bees, especially in large numbers, also poses a risk of defensive behaviour, which
can be a concern for those on the property, particularly for individuals with bee sting allergies.
Furthermore, the scent of the honeycomb can attract new swarms, potentially leading to recurring bee
infestations.
While leaving the bees undisturbed is an option, professional removal, such as the services offered
by
Beegone, is often a safer and more sustainable solution to prevent these risks and
protect the integrity of your property.

The responsibility for bee removal typically depends on the ownership and nature of the property.
Here are the general guidelines:

  • Homeowners: If you own your home, the responsibility for bee removal usually falls
    to you. It’s important to handle the situation responsibly, not only for the safety of your
    household but also to consider the ecological importance of bees.
  • Landlords and Property Managers: For rental properties, landlords or property
    management companies are generally responsible for pest control, including bee removal. If
    you’re renting, you should contact your landlord or property manager to report the issue.
  • Business Owners: In commercial properties, the business owner or the property
    management company is usually responsible for arranging and funding the removal of bees.
  • Local Authorities: In some cases, if the bees are on public property or pose a
    public health risk, local government bodies or councils might take responsibility for their
    removal.
  • Bee Conservation Organisations: Sometimes, bee conservation groups or local
    beekeeping associations may offer to remove bees for free, such as the BBKA. They will often
    only collect the swarm if they’re in an easy-to-remove location such as in a bush, they often
    won’t touch them in hard-to-reach places such as a wall or chimney due to the risks and extent
    of the work.

The cost for live bee removal starts from around £1,500 for simple removal and can go upwards of
£15,000, depending on factors like ease of access, the extent of damage caused by the bees, the
necessary proofing to prevent future infestations, and the length of the guarantee. Each situation
is unique, so we provide tailored quotes based on the specific requirements of the job.

We charge for bee removal because our service goes beyond what is typically offered for free.
Beekeepers might remove swarms from easily accessible locations at no cost, but established bee
colonies in buildings require more expertise, experience, and equipment. These situations often need
scaffolding for high-to-reach areas, increasing the complexity and cost. Our service encompasses the
knowledge, experience, and insurance necessary to handle these more challenging scenarios safely and
effectively, ensuring a comprehensive solution to the problem.

The necessity of paying for a survey in bee removal lies in the precision and thoroughness it brings
to the process. Our use of advanced tools like drones and thermal imaging cameras is essential to
accurately locate the bee colony and honeycomb, which might not be immediately evident from the
entry point. This approach ensures that we correctly identify the actual location of the colony,
even if it’s in a different area from where the bees are seen entering, leading to a more effective
and targeted removal strategy. This cost will also be taken off the removal process if you decide to
go ahead.

Bee removal can be expensive due to several factors. Access to the colony often requires special
equipment, which increases costs. Additionally, the process involves the cost of insurance, which is
higher for bee removal due to its risky nature. Taking apart and reconstructing parts of the
building fabric also adds to the expense. Working around bees is a slower process as it requires
wearing protective bee suits and handling bees delicately to minimise harm. All these elements
combined contribute to the overall cost of bee removal services.

After the removal process, the bees are well taken care of. Our friendly technicians either keep the
bees themselves or find local beekeepers who are happy to provide a new home for them. This ensures
that the bees are looked after and continue to thrive, contributing to the local ecosystem. We’re
committed to handling bee removals in a way that’s friendly to both the bees and the environment.

The duration of a bee removal can vary. It can take up to 2 weeks, although in some cases, it might
be completed in just a few days. The timeline depends on factors such as how deeply the bees have
nested in the property, the extent of building material that needs to be taken apart and replaced,
and the amount of proofing work required to prevent re-infestation. We aim to complete the process
as efficiently as possible while ensuring a thorough and effective removal.

Still Have Questions?

Please give us a buzz and we will be happy to answer any questions

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