Bees can be a significant cause for concern when they decide to build a hive on your property. They are quite territorial and will defend their hive fiercely if and when they feel threatened. If you have more than usual bee activity in your compound, it may be time to call in the professionals. Pest control companies have experience dealing with bee colonies and handling them without compromising your household’s safety. In this blog, we look a how pest control handles beehives.
How do you know you have a bee problem?
When bees stray into your property, you should be on high alert. If you’re not sure whether you have a bee infestation problem, here are sure signs you should call your local beekeeper or hire a professional bee removal service:
– Bees entering and exiting a small hole somewhere on your property
– There is a noticeable amount of bees swarming around your property
– You can hear buzzing noises coming from somewhere on your property for long periods of time
– You’re getting stung by bees on your property, and it’s becoming habitual
– You see bees flying in and out of an area that has no flowers growing near it
How will a pest control company handle my bee invasion?
When you call pest control companies to handle beehives, they will first find out how extensive the problem is. An inspection of your property will be carried out to find the beehive. However, they’ll need to identify what type of bees they are dealing with before coming up with a bee removal plan.
Identifying the bees
Bees are social insects that live in colonies. The queen bee lays eggs while the worker bees scout for nectar to make honey. Several types of bees can invade your home and make a hive. Pest control companies can tell them apart by assessing their appearance and how they build their hive. Since each bee species require a unique way to deal with, here are the common types of bees:
Honey Bee
Honey bees are the least dangerous type to deal with as they don’t sting unless you directly attack them or their hive is threatened somehow. When honey bees sting, it’s usually because someone has gotten between a bee and their hive. They build the honey bee nest in hollow spaces like tree trunks or abandoned rodent burrows. If there are no natural cavities available, honey bees will make use of any space you provide them with if it’s suitably dark and moist for a bee colony to thrive. Since honey bees are not aggressive, a honey bee stings only when provoked. Pest control services can get rid of them without the fear of getting hurt.
Bumblebees
Bumblebees are larger than honey bees but less aggressive. In fact, most bumblebee species won’t even bother to attack until they’ve been sufficiently aggravated or their nest has been threatened in some way. When you come across bumble beehives, the best thing to do is leave them alone or keep your distance until bee control can remove them safely. Bumblebees build their hives on the ground and prefer dark locations that are cozy enough for an entire bee colony to live in comfortably. They look for sheltered spaces like abandoned rodent burrows, thick grass, or even in compost heaps.
Carpenter bees
Carpenter bees are different from other species because they feed on wood and plant matter instead of nectar or pollen like honeybees and bumblebees do. If there’s a nest near your home, it can cause damage to your structure as these bees bore holes into wood structures to lay their eggs. They build their hives in holes made by wood-boring beetles, so carpenter bees are common in areas where dead or dying trees are available. In addition, they’ll choose locations that get a lot of sun throughout the day since heat is needed for their larvae to develop nicely inside the beehive.
How do pest control companies handle bees?
There are several methods pest control companies will use to remove bees from your property, and they all depend on the extent and type of bee invasion. Since not all pest control services specialize in bee control, you should hire a specialist experienced in dealing with these insects. Some of the methods used include:
Smoke Method
In this method, pest control companies will use a smoke canister to agitate the bees and make them leave their hive. The smoke produced is non-toxic but scented with a pheromone similar to the scent of an attacking bee colony. This is an effective method if you want to get rid of the bees without hurting them.
Scare Method
The scare method is similar to smoke agitation, but instead of using a pheromone that’s part of the bees’ natural defense system, pest control companies will use bright lights and loud noises, which are meant to drive them away.
Pesticide Spraying
If there isn’t an effective way to remove bees from their hive or the hive is not accessible, the next best solution will be to use pesticide sprays. These chemicals are sprayed right onto a bees’ nest and kill them immediately. Unfortunately, pesticides also harm other insects like butterflies or ladybugs. That is why this method should only be used as a last resort.
Dismantling with Fire
If the bees’ hive or nest is located in an area that’s hard to reach, pest control services will resort to dismantling it using fire. Specially-trained technicians who are experienced enough should be hired for this task since they know exactly where to aim the fire to get rid of bees without damaging their hive or burning everything in sight.
Your Local Pest Control Professionals!
Whenever you suspect a bee infestation on your property, call The Killers Pest Control for immediate action. We are a trusted pest control Beaverton service that will get rid of your pest problem at a reasonable rate. Contact us today for more information about our services!
