How Much Does Bee Removal Cost - Is It Expensive?

Dec 14 2022 Written by Ivy

Removing a beehive doesn't have to hurt, either financially or metaphorically. Although the price will vary depending on the type of hive, the average cost of removing a bee colony could range from $150 to $500. The cost to catch and move a displaced swarm (a colony without a hive) can reach $150.

A local professional beekeeper or exterminator might need to enter your walls or ceilings to find a hive, so accessibility is another important consideration. After the removal is finished, budget up to $2,000 for carpentry.

Bee Removal Cost Highlights

It costs $75 to $2,000 to remove bees.
The cost may vary depending on the kind of bee infestation you have.
80,000 bees can live in a colony—the size of infestation matters, too.
Costs can vary greatly depending on where something is located in the house or yard.
If you have allergies to bees or are afraid of them, stay away from DIY bee removal.

Average Cost of Bee Removal by Type

Different bee species require different considerations. While it costs anywhere from $75 to $2,000 for a typical honey bee hive, other types may require less work, and some are even suitable for DIY projects. If you know you have a sting allergy or suspect you do, do not try to remove the sting yourself.

Identification is the first step in choosing the best course of action for any kind of infestation. The person best suited to do this is a neighborhood beekeeper or bee removal expert.

Type of Bee	Cost Range per Treatment	Average Cost per Treatment
Carpenter Bee	$100 – $2,500	$1,300
Honey Bee	$100 – $1,000	$550
Bumble Bee	$80 – $200	$140
Killer Bee	$150 –$800	$475

Carpenter Bee Removal

Carpenter bee removal costs between $100 and $2,500, with most people paying around $1,300. Instances where carpentry repairs are necessary fall under the higher end of the budget. Carpenter bees are not overly aggressive, and only the females sting. They can, however, seriously harm wood.

Carpenter bees build their homes in wood by tunneling inside, as suggested by their name. They are typically found in decks and attics, and if you don't have them removed right away, they could seriously harm the structure.

Honey Bee Removal

Removing honey bees costs around $550, or between $100 and $1,000. The wide cost range is caused by the fact that where they nest determines how challenging and expensive it is to get rid of them. Additionally, honey bee nests can contain up to 50,000 bees and cover a sizable area. As they get new bees for their hives, you might find a local beekeeper willing to remove and rehome the honey bees without charging you. In the event that nobody wants to take them, you will have to pay for professional removal.

Bumble Bee Removal

The typical price of bumble bee removal is $140, with a range of just $80 to $200. Because they don't harm property, have small nests, and are calm and non-aggressive unless threatened, bumble bee removal is relatively inexpensive.

Because bumble bee nests are typically in or close to the ground and don't frequently build up close to homes or other structures, many people choose to ignore them until they become a serious issue.

Africanized Honey Bee Or "Killer Bee" Removal

Killer bees, or Africanized honey bees, cost between $150 and $800 to remove, with most people spending around $425. The structure of your house is not harmed by these aggressive bees, but they attack quickly and frequently, stinging many people at once. Because of their aggressiveness and propensity to swarm, they are extremely dangerous because even people who are not allergic to bee stings can become seriously ill or even die from receiving a significant number of stings.

Bee Swarm Vs. Hive Removal Costs

The costs reflect the fact that it is typically much more difficult to remove an established nest than a swarm. It's best to call a professional to handle the problem whether you're dealing with a swarm or hive to avoid the risk of being stung.

Bee Hive Removal

Getting rid of a hive can cost anywhere from $100 to $1,000, depending on the type of bee, nest size, and nest location. But a neighborhood beekeeper might show up and take a swarm of honey bees for nothing to add to their existing colonies.

Bee Swarm Removal

Swarms are the cheapest type of infestation to remove, costing anywhere from $0 to $150. A swarm is a colony of bees searching for a new home, typically with a queen. They are very submissive and simple to command because they have no hive to protect. They typically require no special tools or long removal times because they are in the open.

Free Bee Removal

In most cases, removal will cost money. It's an extremely specialized process that calls for specialized tools and equipment. Additionally, removing a hive requires a lot of time, especially if you're trying to relocate a live hive. If the hives are healthy, a local beekeeper may occasionally remove them for free; in exchange, they receive a hive and buckets of honey, and you receive a home free of bees.

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Bee Removal Cost Factors

The type of bee, the size and location of the nest or swarm, as well as the cost to repair any damage the colony may have caused while residing there, are just a few of the variables that affect the price of bee removal.

Size of the Infestation

Your final cost will depend on the number of bees in the hive because larger hives take longer and are more challenging to remove. Smaller infestations can cost as little as $80, while a severe one can cost up to $2,500.

Size of Infestation	Range of Cost Per Treatment	Average Cost Per Treatment
Small	$80 – $200	$140
Medium	$250 – $600	$425
Large	$700 – $1,200	$950
Severe	$1,500 – $2,500	$2,000

Location

Compared to bees that nest inside or close to your home, bees nesting in your yard are less expensive to remove. Additionally, honey bee nests, which are common, can grow large and be particularly challenging to remove when located behind walls. Carpenter bees can also be expensive to get rid of because they build their nests deep inside wood, like your deck or attic, and it can be expensive to fix the damage they cause.

Repairs

You'll need to set aside money for repairs because some bees cause harm to your property by choosing poor places to build their nests.

Bee Extermination Vs. Relocation Costs

Extermination always comes with a fee, anywhere from $150 to $500 or more. When a hive is healthy and moved by a beekeeper, relocation may be free. However, you can still expect to pay a removal specialist between $100 and $1,000. Everything is dependent on the location, kind, and accessibility of the hive.

Never destroy a healthy hive; always move it. Due to Colony Collapse Disorder, the number of hives is decreasing. Keeping these animals alive is a top priority because of their impact on agriculture and ecosystems.

A local beekeeper should be contacted, and if possible, you should collaborate with them to facilitate live relocation, according to the majority of large extermination companies. However, live removal isn't always a choice. If live removal is feasible or if extermination is necessary, only a licensed professional, specialist, or experienced beekeeper can make that determination.

However, if you have wasps or hornets, extermination is typically the suggested course of action, and you'll have to pay for pest control services to deal with the nest.

Live Bee Relocation

Live removal is performed by a beekeeper or expert. They examine the hive first, decide whether live relocation is feasible, and then make several attempts to get rid of them.

To gather scout bees in the evening, most specialists leave a swarm collection box. Scouts go food hunting nearby and come back at dusk. They frequently form a queenless swarm if there is no queen present. Hiveless bees that go uncollected eventually die.

Beehive Extermination Considerations

Not all beehives can be saved. States now have laws governing extermination and relocation as a result of safety concerns caused by Africanized honey bees. An unhealthy and unusable colony results from homeowners using pesticides improperly. For relocation or extermination of a nest, always seek the advice of a qualified pest control specialist or beekeeper. Never try to remove something yourself without at least determining the type.

Advice: Find out if the removal of the honey and honeycombs is included in your specialist's fee. If left unattended, it might rot and draw pests, other swarms looking for a home, and other insects.

DIY Vs. Hiring An Exterminator Or Local Beekeeper

Except for the removal of carpenter bees, most hives are not do-it-yourself projects. An allergic reaction is not a DIY project. Additionally, it might not be obvious if you have a wasp or bee infestation. Avoid attempting to remove wasps by yourself as they can be more difficult. Invest in wasp removal by hiring an exterminator if you suspect wasps are present.

Bees are useful and occasionally don't need to be removed. Knowing when to consult bee experts to identify and evaluate the situation is the first step. Or, develop your own expertise by keeping backyard hives of bees for pollination and honey.

It's always best to hire a local beekeeper or qualified exterminator to identify and address the issue when you hear a thrumming buzz coming from above or inside a wall.

Conclusion

Now that you know how much bee hive removal services will cost, you can budget accordingly. When choosing the best bee hive removal technique for you, keep your priorities in mind.

If safety is your top priority, you should hire a pro to remove the bee hive.
If you're mainly looking to save money, you can risk removing the hive yourself.

Also, decide if you prefer a humane bee removal or a poison-based bee extermination. It is more moral and environmentally beneficial to move your bees to a farm.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the Bees Come Back After Bee Hive Removal?

The location of the bees' former nest may attract them to try to return there. It is crucial to completely scrape off the hive's remnants and thoroughly clean the surface because of this. Bees will return by smelling something.

What Are the Risks of Using Pesticides to Remove Bees?

There is evidence connecting repeated pesticide exposure to cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and birth defects. If the bee hive is close to your home, or if you have kids or pets, or if the insecticide is poison, make sure you are aware of the potential consequences before using it.

How Do You Prevent Bee Infestations?

Although 100% infestation prevention is not possible, there are some steps you can take to lower the risk.

Between March and July, keep an eye out for swarms. Most people start looking for new homes at this time.
Keep trash and clutter out of your yard. Give them no habitation that suits them.
Keep your home's exterior sealed. Access to a dry, warm place to build a hive is provided by cracks in soffits and siding.
All honey and honeycombs from earlier infestations should be removed. They have the ability to draw swarms looking for a place to live.

How Long Do Bees Stay in One Place?

Although they can stay for two or three days, bee swarms typically stay only a few hours. As bee colonies are self-sustaining, bee hives can last forever under the right circumstances. The hive's beating heart, the queen, has a lifespan of up to five years. The worker bees kill her and start the process of raising a new queen to take her place as she ages, becomes weaker, and her egg production decreases.

When born in the fall, worker bees can live up to six months, but when they are born in the spring or summer, they only have 40 days to live. Drone lifespans range from three weeks to three months. However, the queen consistently produces eggs that quickly reach maturity to replace those that are lost.

Will the Bees Come Back After Removing Their Hive?

When bees are removed from the hive in the early morning or late at night when the majority of the bees are present, they are unlikely to make an effort to return; instead, they will stay with the queen in their new location. They may try to establish a new colony in their former residence if there are enough stragglers, though, if you haven't completely wiped out all evidence of it. Bees should be kept away from your property by removing all honey and honeycomb, sealing any obvious entry points, and possibly using bee-repellent spray.

When Should You Remove a Bee's Nest?

Ideally, you should take out a beehive when all of the bees are inside the hive, which is very early in the morning or late at night. If you can set up enough artificial light to see clearly after dark, you can still do it.

Because bees cannot fly at night, you can safely remove the entire colony at once, despite their buzzing and occasional commotion. Although there is a chance that the bees will be slightly more active in the early morning or late at night, the majority of the bees will already be in the colony, so there won't be many stragglers.