If you have bees nesting in your wall or chimney then depending on the type of bee you might want to get the bees nest removed. We get calls from people looking for bee pest control and these are usually regarding four main types of bee – mortar bees, bumble bees, honey bees and ground bees.
The possibility of rehoming bees depends on which type of bee you have. Ground bees nest in the ground and usually the answer is that there is not a role for bee pest control in this instance.
Bumble bees will nest in bird boxes, the ground, roof spaces and brickwork. We can rescue and rehome bumble bees provided the bumble bee’s nest is accessible. If the bumble bees are in a bird box we will remove the whole thing and rehome safely out of harms way. If there is a bumble bees’ nest that is accessible in a wall or in the ground, then we will collect the bees and re-home. Sometimes a bumble bees’ nest cannot be reached, and our advice is to leave well alone. They are not aggressive and once their young have matured they will finish nesting and leave. If you prefer not to have a bumble bee nest the following year, just proof up so they are unable to access the same place again the following spring. Bumble bee extermination rarely works, and it is far better for the bees if they can be left to live in peace.
Mortar bees live in walls, and are solitary bees. If you have bees living or nesting in a wall but flying in and out of individual holes then likely it’s mortar bees. Again, non-aggressive and best left alone if possible.
Honeybees will nest in brickwork such as walls and chimneys. Sometimes there is no way to remove the bees nest from the wall or brick work as it cannot be accessed. If this is the case bee pest control may be needed. All bee extermination has to be followed by proofing and sealing the area from other bees. If sealing or proofing is not possible, then bee pest control is not possible either.
Ideally live bee removal from a chimney or brickwork is the best solution. This involves removing some of the brickwork to access the nest. All honeycomb and the bees are then removed for re-homing and the brickwork replaced and sealed. This can involve work at height so can be more expensive as scaffold or a cherry picker may be needed, but sometimes it’s the only solution.
If a honey bees’ nest is left alone, eventually something will have to be done as the bees’ nest can get so large it starts leaking honey through the ceiling or into the fire place. The best solution is to humanely remove bees wherever possible.
