Honey Bee Removals

A swarm is a ball of bees with no wax comb. In the Spring, colonies release swarms as a form of propagation.

When a colony lets out a swarm, it is not capable of traveling a far distance. The queen will fly a short distance from her original hive before stopping to rest. In doing so, the worker bees surround her for protection. They will rest for anywhere between 5 minutes to 24 hours. Most swarms will continue to move on their own until they arrive at their chosen destination.

If a swarm is exposed, but not located in a heavily trafficked location, it is best to let them bee and they will move on after resting, typically between 1-24 hours. If they are located in an area that is sensitive to their presence, a beekeeper should be called. 

Swarms are removed in two visits. The first visit consists of providing a temporary home for the swarm to move into near the location they settled. The second visit occurs after the sun has set to ensure all bees have settled in the temporary home. This ensures no one is left behind!

Trap outs are a process of removing colonies that have become established in an unwanted location without opening the cavity.  Trap outs take a minimum of 4-6 weeks. 

The process involves placing a hive box with an existing colony outside of the location with the colony needing to be removed. A funnel is attached to the entrance of the cavity housing the original colony. As the bees exit the funnel, they will be unable to return to their original home and move into the new hive box. Once all the bees have exited their original home, the hive can be removed at night and the original location sealed up to prevent future colonies from moving in. 

It is very important to fully seal the entrance and any other openings into the cavity. Honey bees scout out locations that have been previously occupied. If the area is not sealed properly, a new swarm is very likely to move in. If possible, it helps to remove any comb or remaining materials, however, this is not required if there is a proper seal in place. 

 Cut outs are the process of opening a cavity housing an establish colony of bees to remove the colony and comb. They are most successful after a trap out has taken place to remove the bees, but can be done immediately if needed.

If the colony is in a time sensitive area, jumping right into a cut out is the best option. Using a bee-vac, a low powered vacuum, the bees can be safely sucked into a prepared hive box. By removing the majority of the bees, it allows the beekeeper easier access to the comb with less chaos. If the hive is in an easily accessible location, it can be cut open to expose the colony as seen in the picture above. 

Once the majority of the bees have been removed, the comb can then be cut out in pieces and placed into the hive box. This means the bees keep all their wax, resources, and brood (baby bees)! 

After dark the colony, combined with comb and resources, can be taken away to a safer permanent location.