A lot of people have asked me about bees in brickwork, walls, and cavity walls of different kinds of buildings. The query usually concerns honey bees or mason bees, and the nests are quite different!.
Please keep in mind that bumblebee nests in walls will only stay there for a short time and will almost never need to be removed. I have never, ever heard of a genuine reason to kill bumble bees for this purpose. Please see notes below.
Moving them might seem like a good idea, but it might not work. To be successful, they need to produce new queens (gynes) at the end of the season, not just stay alive for a few days.
Finding bees nested inside the brick walls of your home can be alarming However, getting rid of bee hives in brick walls is possible with some planning and care Bees are beneficial pollinators, so use humane removal methods when possible. Here are 10 techniques to eliminate bees from brick walls safely.
Inspect for Signs of Infestation
Look for bees entering and exiting the same area on an exterior brick wall. Listen for buzzing inside the wall. Check for honey stains, sticky residue, and bulging or cracked sections where the hive may be housed. Knocking on the bricks can reveal hollow sections if bees have eaten away mortar inside. These are signs of an active nest that requires removal.
Seal Entry Points
Block access holes in the mortar using steel wool, caulk, or expandable spray foam at night when bees are less active. This contains the hive inside the wall while you organize removal. However, sealing bees in permanently can rot the wall, so this is only a temporary solution.
Reroute the Entrance
Insert a small plastic tube into the bees’ entry point and reposition the other end away from high traffic areas. The bees should slowly start using the new pathway. Place distinctive objects around the tube exit so bees recognize it. This redirects them away from people.
Use a Bee Vacuum
Bee vacuums that use suction can safely extract bees from brick walls with minimal damage. The bees are unharmed and collected alive in an attached container for relocation. Bee vacuums allow targeted removal from hard-to-reach wall hive locations.
Remove Bricks
Carefully extracting bricks and mortar around the hive creates an opening to remove the bees’ comb and larvae. This permits fully evacuating bees from the wall. Replace any damaged sections after elimination. Removing bricks is invasive but thorough.
Employ Smoker Repellents
Using a bee smoker continuously pumps smoke into the nest entrance. The smoke agitates bees and prompts them to flee the walls. Pretty effective for flushing them out. Avoid smoke inhalation and take fire safety precautions when smoking bees.
Apply Chemical Repellents
Dusts, gels, foams or aerosols containing permethrin, deltamethrin or other bee-safe repellents can be injected into wall hives. The chemicals irritate bees and cause them to abandon the nest. Follow product instructions carefully to avoid hazards. Repellents may not kill the entire hive.
Install One-Way Doors
A plastic cone or screen is affixed over entry holes permitting bees to exit but not re-enter. Eventually, the entire hive leaves and cannot return. One-way doors take some time but allow non-lethal removal. Be sure to seal off other possible access points bees could use.
Employ Extermination Services
Pest control professionals have specialized tools and poisons to eliminate wall hives and nests. While exterminators often kill the bees, they can eradicate hives in inaccessible wall voids. This avoids the risks and hassles of DIY removal. Evaluate extermination costs against wall repair expenses.
Let Them Bee
If the hive is small, avoid high traffic areas, and you have no allergies, you can simply monitor it and let the bees be. They may fly off after breeding season ends. However, keep an eye out for growing colonies that may require future removal. Letting them stay is an option, not a permanent solution.
Removing bees from brick walls takes patience but is definitely achievable. Whenever possible, use humane methods that relocate bees safely to apiaries. But for severe, embedded infestations, extermination may become necessary. With proper precautions, you can eliminate bees and repair walls to prevent future nesting.
Honey Bee Nest In A Wall Cavity
If you have honey bees nesting in the fabric of your building, youll probably see many, many bees.
Below is an of a couple of honey bees. You will note they are slender in comparison to bumble bees (see below).
Your only option is to seek professional advice. Please keep in mind that while many beekeepers are happy to take swarms away (sometimes even for free), a honey bee nest in a wall cavity is a different story. For one thing, the average beekeeper probably doesn’t have insurance for that kind of work.
I know that some beekeepers do this service, though, and they will almost certainly charge you for it. If you find a beekeeper to do this job, make sure you know exactly what they will do and how much it will cost.
You should also check your house insurance to see whether or not they will cover the expense.
People from all over the world visit this website, so I can’t list all the possible service providers here. In reality, I can only give you a place to start your search. However, for the US and UK:USAResource here: Ethical Honey Bee Removal.
Currently I have a list of beekeeping associations in North America only, but it may not be complete. They might know someone who can help you find a professional in your area who can get rid of the bees.
UK You could try a company called BEE GONE (https://beegone. co. uk). They specialise in removing honey bees and relocating them. Please note that I do not advise removing or relocating bumble bees, mason bees or leafcutter bees. When wasp nests are very big, they need to be taken down, but sometimes they can be left alone (see reader experiences of wasp nests).
Honey Bees Or Mason Bees?
Mason Bee Nests: If you have mason bees, some of them will build their nests in small holes, maybe the size of a pencil (or a little wider). I don’t know of any cases where these species have damaged buildings, and there are still many old buildings that mason bees have lived in for many years.
However, where walls have poor quality mortar, then a building may be vulnerable to crumbling or hastened deterioration. Weak mortar should be repaired.
There are a number of different species of mason bee, so appearance may vary. Below is an of a red mason bee, Osmia bicornis:
Will Mason Bees Sting? Mason bees are not aggressive, so there is no need to worry about stings. You wouldn’t be afraid to walk through a public garden or park for fear of getting stung by a bee. In the same way, you don’t need to worry about a few mason bees in the garden or around the house.
Bee Hive inside a Brick Wall | Richardson, TX | Bee Safe Bee Removal
FAQ
What will kill bees in a wall?
What kind of bee nests in brick?
What happens if you block the entrance to a bees nest?
How to treat bees in brick mortar?
How do I get rid of bees nesting in brick walls?
When dealing with bees nesting in brick walls, it is crucial to approach their removal safely and efficiently. Here are the recommended steps: Contact a local beekeeper or bee removal expert who specializes in relocating bees. They will assess the situation, determine the species of bees, and provide appropriate guidance.
How do I get bees out of my walls?
The very best way to get bees out of your walls is to keep them from setting up shop in your walls in the first place. I mean to say you should make it a point to seal up your home by no later than early spring.
How do you remove a bee hive from a wall?
Wear gloves and remove the honeycomb and dead bees from the wall with your hands and a putty knife. Or, destroy the bee nest by mixing water, soap, and peppermint leaves in a bucket and pouring it directly over the comb. Once the bee hive is gone, repair the wall and seal cracks and holes.
How to kill bees around your house?
Discover how to kill bees around your house with easy solutions if you only have a few bees. Start by determining exactly where the nest is inside the wall. Set up a lure trap near the area to draw bees from the colony. Once you notice that many bees are out of the wall, drill a hole where the nest is located.
Can a beekeeper remove a nest from a wall?
Individual scenarios need to be assessed on a case by case basis. Beekeepers have the right type of equipment, and they’ll be able to advise you on plugging gaps etc to prevent bees, or even wasps, moving back into the space. Below is a video of a beekeeper removing a nest of honey bees from a wall.
How do you get rid of bees in a hive?
In most big-box stores, you should be able to find some form of bee elimination spray. Due to their chemical properties, these sprays can safely eradicate your bee problems for good. They are especially useful if you know exactly where the hive is and ideally, is in a wall outside like a shed or out building.