What To Do When You Suspect Bees Are Living In Your Home
Bees living inside your house can usually be safely removed by professionals, but before they arrive, it helps to take steps like verifying what kind of insect you're dealing with and whether their presence is likely temporary or permanent. Finally, you can take steps to stay safe while waiting for professional animal removal.
Verify Species
There are a lot of insects that look visually similar to bees, so it's important to first verify you're dealing with actual bees. Insects that look like bees are often called bee mimics, and can include several different types of flies, moths, and wasps. Getting too close to certain insects can be risky, so look for defining characteristics like the shapes of the wings or abdomen or the colors and patterns on their bodies.
If it turns out you're dealing with another type of creature, it becomes much easier to deal with. If you're more certain it's a bee, you can move on to the next stage of the process.
Look For Hive vs. Swarm
Bees often show up in or near homes in two distinct ways: swarms and hives. Swarms are more common and are much more temporary, while hives are created when bees plan to make a more permanent home. Swarms are easier to spot because most bees will be clumped up together and won't act aggressively. Hives can be tougher to spot, as bees will often make homes in areas that are harder to view and access once they decide to remain nearby.
Both swarms and hives will need to be professionally removed, but it helps to know which you're dealing with in order to create a good plan for removal.
Give Them Space
Whether you're dealing with a hive or swarm, the best way to keep safe is to avoid interacting with them as much as possible. Even techniques that may seem to calm them or isolate them — such as using smoke or sealing the area they're in — can only serve to agitate them and create more potential for danger.
It is a good idea to keep away from the area and prevent children or pets from getting near. It's also important not to harm any individual bees nearby. Bees that are provoked can produce pheromones triggering other bees to attack. If you need to remove individual bees, it's best to capture them safely using glass and relocate them.
Call For Help
As soon as you can, call for help in order to have the bees safely removed. Removal will help ensure that the vast majority of bees leave with their queen so they aren't tempted to stay in your house. If a hive has been built, it can also be removed during this process. Finally, professionals can ensure that your house is sealed to reduce the likelihood of further intrusion.
