It is crucial to have bees removed from your walls, as ignoring them can lead to much larger problems down the line. Contrary to what many pest control companies might suggest, simply exterminating the bees without extracting the honeycomb is a significant mistake. At Beegone, we understand that effective bee removal involves more than just dealing with the insects themselves.
Leaving a colony in a wall, especially after using insecticides or other treatments, can cause severe issues. Without the bees, the hive lacks its natural cooling mechanism – bees fan their wings to keep the hive at an optimal temperature. Without this, the honey in the hive will melt, potentially seeping through the building’s structure. This not only causes an enduring, unpleasant odour but also leads to damp-like stains on plasterboard, wallpaper, and within cavities. Moreover, the residual honeycomb can attract other pests and new bee swarms, creating a recurring problem.
To address this effectively, Beegone typically employs a ‘cut-out’ method for bee removal. This approach involves setting up access equipment, carefully removing parts of the building fabric, and then cutting out the honeycomb to remove it along with the live bees. Following this, we implement bee-proofing measures and carry out necessary reinstatement works to restore the area.
Conducts a thorough assessment of the wall to plan a strategic and safe bee removal process.
Our skilled team carefully extracts bees and honeycomb from the wall, ensuring minimal disruption to the structure.
Following removal, we thoroughly bee-proof the area and meticulously restore the wall to its original condition.
Our Pre-planning steps:
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
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.
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.
At Beegone, we understand the delicate balance between human cohabitation and the well-being of bees. Our 10-step honeybee removal process is meticulously designed to ensure the safety and relocation of bees from your buildings with minimal disruption to both the bees and your peace of mind.
1. Thorough Site Survey (1-2 hours): Our expert technicians conduct a comprehensive survey of the infested site, evaluating colony size, building fabric access, and specific requirements for listed buildings.
2. Access Setup (1/2 – 1 day): We erect secure access systems to the colony, preparing for a seamless removal process.
3. Asbestos Survey (3-7 days): Safety first! We perform a thorough asbestos survey and, if necessary, engage in R&D testing on buildings built before 2000 to ensure compliance and safety.
4. Removal of Building Fabric (1/2 – 1 day): Carefully, our team removes the building fabric to access the bees and their honeycomb without causing structural damage.
5. Live Honeybee and Comb Removal (1/2 – 4 days): We gently remove the comb, safeguarding it from other pests and ensuring the bees’ well-being.
6. Building Reinstatement Work (1 – 4 days): Our professionals restore the building fabric with precision, leaving no trace behind.
7. Bee Proofing (1/2 – 2 days): We install preventative measures, such as cowling, to keep the bees from returning to their former home.
8. Transport Bees (1/2 day): With care, we transport the live bees to their new habitat, following strict transportation guidelines.
9. Re-home Bees (1/2 day): Bees are introduced to their new home, whether it be a beekeeper’s hive or a specialised bee sanctuary.
10. Site Clean-Up and Quality Check (1/2 – 2 hrs): Post-removal, our team ensures your property is clean and conducts a rigorous quality check.
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.
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.
Consultation call with one of our expert surveyors. They'll offer you tailored advice and help you decide your next steps.
Just snap some pictures and send them over. We'll quickly get back to you with advice and the next steps.
We'll conduct a comprehensive survey of your property, providing a bespoke solution for your bee concerns.
We’re here to provide answers to some of our most frequently asked questions
to ensure you have all the information you need.
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:
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.