Bumblebee nest or honey bee swarm: what to do without killing them

A bumblebee nest in the lawn or a honey bee swarm hanging from a branch almost never needs an exterminator. Bumblebees and honey bees pollinate gardens and crops. A bumblebee nest dies on its own in the fall, and a honey bee swarm can often be collected by a beekeeper. The first step is making sure you are dealing with bees or bumblebees, not wasps.

Bee, bumblebee or wasp?

	Bumblebee	Honey bee	Yellowjacket
Look	large, very hairy	golden brown, hairy	smooth, bright yellow and black
Nest	ground, rock garden, old bird nest, insulation	hive, tree or wall cavity	grey paper, ground or eaves
Behaviour	slow, peaceful away from the nest	peaceful when swarming	drawn to food and garbage
Nest lifespan	one season	several years	one season

If the insect is circling your sugary drinks and garbage, it is a wasp: see the page on wasps and hornets. A mimic, the hover fly, also looks like a small wasp, but it hovers in place and does not sting.

A bumblebee nest: waiting is often enough

A bumblebee colony lasts one season. In spring, a lone queen founds the nest, often in an old rodent hole, under a deck, in a rock garden or an old bird nest. The colony grows all summer, then produces new queens. These leave to overwinter alone, and the rest of the colony dies with the first frosts. The nest is not reused.

Away from foot traffic, a bumblebee nest can simply be left alone and worked around until fall. Mow around it rather than over it, and close the opening only once no bumblebees are going in.

A honey bee swarm: call a beekeeper

In spring and early summer, a honey bee colony splits: half leaves the hive with the old queen and clusters on a branch, fence or wall while scouts find a new home. The cluster is generally not aggressive. Keep your distance and contact a local beekeeper quickly: a swarm collected within hours becomes a new hive. A swarm left in place may move into a wall or chimney.

A colony in a wall: the hard case

A honey bee colony inside a wall builds wax comb and stores honey. Killing the bees without removing the comb leaves honey that melts, stains the drywall and attracts other insects and rodents. Removal means opening the wall, often by a beekeeper working with a contractor, then sealing the entry gap.

When to act quickly

• someone allergic lives in the house or uses the yard;
• the nest is next to a door, play structure, pool or daycare;
• children or a dog have already disturbed it.

In those cases, relocation is still better when possible. Otherwise, professional treatment is justified. For facilities that care for children, allowed products are limited: see the page on daycares and schools. For multiple stings or an allergic reaction, call 911.

What it costs

No price is given here, on purpose: a swarm is often collected free or at low cost by a beekeeper, and a bumblebee nest is usually left to die off in the fall. Removing a colony from a wall is mostly a repair bill. Published ranges for other insects are on the pricing page.

Preventing a colony from moving in

Seal siding gaps, joist holes and chimney openings in spring, before swarm season. Screen vents and cap the chimney. The most flower-filled parts of the service area, with big gardens and riverside strips, see more bumblebees: that is good news for the garden, not a problem to fix.