© 2018 - 2019 Paseo del Norte Beekeeper's Association 🐝
Bee Removal
Use a beekeeper, not a “ Removal Specialist” or an exterminator..
Be safe, we recommend that you do not attempt to remove honey bees yourself or spray any chemical or water on the honey bees. This will only agitate the honey bees and endanger yourself, others and pets.
Do not attempt to seal the entrance the honeybees may be using, because they may find a way into your home. Also if you are successful, you will leave honey and comb that will attract other insects, causing a more expensive problem.
Expect a reasonable fee to remove and relocate the honey bees.
Paseo Del Norte Beekeepers have invested many hours learning the skills required to successfully remove and relocate troublesome honey bees. Our senior beekeepers are registered beekeepers with the state of New Mexico and Texas and do not exterminate honey bees. Their time is valuable and they may come many miles to help solve your problem. Each incident is unique and often requires a site visit to evaluate.
Apprentice beekeepers often accompany the more experienced beekeeper to be mentored and learn this sometime dangerous and difficult skill.
Our beekeepers use a written agreement that details all costs to the home or business owner and risks for both parties and must be signed before any honey bee removal is started.
Further down on this page is more information about swarms and colonies to help you with making decisions to protect you and your family.
Request a Beekeeper
Have a swarm that needs to be captured or a colony that needs to be relocated? Please complete the form below and send to us. One of our beekeepers will contact you.
Help with Identifying Your Insect (most common in this area)
This is A Honey Bee
You’ll notice this honey bee is fuzzy and amber and brown striped (not yellow and black). Not sure what you have? Only if it is safe to do so, email a photo (even of a dead one) to bee.report@pdnbeekeepers.org.
If your bees look like the fuzzy honey bee to the left, then you most likely have honey bees. Even though honey bees are lovely and help pollinate our food, they can be problems when they take up residence in our homes.
This is A Bumblebee
Bumblebees have round bodies covered in soft hair (long branched setae) called ‘pile’, making them appear and feel fuzzy. They have aposematic (warning) coloration, often consisting of contrasting bands of color. Bumblebees nest in the ground.
Only if it is safe to do so, email a photo (even of a dead one) to bee.report@pdnbeekeepers.org.
If your bees look like the fuzzy honey bee to the left, then you most likely have honey bees. Even though honey bees are lovely and help pollinate our food, they can be problems when they take up residence in our homes.
This is NOT A Honey Bee
This is a yellow jacket. Yellow jackets are sometimes mistakenly referred to as “bees” given they are similar in size and sting, but they are actually wasps. Notice it is strikingly yellow and black in color and hairless.
Yellow jacket colonies become nuisances in the spring and summer, but they will die over winter. If they are in a location where they are a problem, you can remove them by calling an exterminator. Again, you can email a photo to bee.report@pdnbeekeepers.org to confirm what you have, but only if it’s safe to do so.
This is NOT A Honey Bee
This is a hornet.
A hornet, like a wasp, has a thin waist between the thorax and the abdomen. This physical trait is known as being “wasp-waisted.” It distinguishes them from the bee family, which have thick waists between the thorax and abdomen. Look for black and white coloring.
Again, you can email a photo to bee.report@pdnbeekeepers.org to confirm what you have, but only if it’s safe to do so.
Do I have a Swarm or Established Colony
There are several types of feral bee colonies. In beekeeper’s terminology: a Swarm and an Established Colony.
Beekeepers need information about the bees to bring the proper equipment and resources. It is helpful to identified before arriving at the site.
Please do not spray with water or chemicals. Honey bees will become agitated and aggressive when sprayed with chemicals or by vibrations from vehicles or workers digging or chopping. Be extremely careful when approaching or observing honey bees or any stinging insect. You do not want to get stung, especially if you may be allergic to their venom. If stung, WebMD suggests the following for bee and wasp stings. Click here to view.
Don’t take chances. Allow one of our beekeepers to help you out.
Here are some pictures to help you identify whether you have a Swarm or an Established Colony.
Swarm
A swarm is a group of honey bees that recently left another colony that are “hanging out” in a big group or ball while looking for a new home. This would require a Swarm Capture.
You will encounter swarms generally in the spring and early summer, as this is the method they use to reproduce. If left alone, the bees will find a new home and move on in 24 to 48 hours.
Beekeepers will generally capture them at no cost unless they are in a location that requires a ladder and/or special equipment.
Established Colony
If there is honey comb or the honey bees are going in or out of a hole then it is most likely an Established Colony and will require a Colony Relocation. Also, an established colony will defend their hive when disturbed and the likelihood of getting stung is highly possible. When it gets hot, the bees will hang out around the opening to cool off.
If a honeybee swarm has moved inside a structure, such as a home, building, valve box, or a tree trunk, a beekeeper can safely remove these honey bees. Depending on distance traveled and location of honey bees will determine the cost to remove and relocate. A Colony Relocation from a structure, tree or valve box takes time, special equipment and tools. As with any specialty service, costs can vary a lot depending on difficulty and the person doing the work.
Many homeowners will welcome the colony and new hive, however, they will eventually become a nuisance. Get a beekeeper involved as soon as you discover an Established Colony.
Beekeepers use special tool to find the location of an established colony in a structure and also special techniques to remove and relocate the honey bee colony. Locating the colony and using these special techniques will keep the cost down for the homeowner by eliminating unneeded destruction of the building. Below are some interesting images and videos.
A FLIR image of a colony that made their home in a wall behind an air conditioning unit at the Tortugas Community Center in Las Cruces, NM and the relocation was done by Erica Perras, Tray Spencer, and Bill Hooten. (FLIR image by Bob Reneau)
A FLIR image of a colony that made their home in an outside wall. This colony was about 10 ft high and 24 inches wide. It had been there for years. The image was taken in El Paso and the relocation was done by Josh Meier, Joshua O’Halloran, and Bill Hooten. (FLIR image by Bob Reneau)
A FLIR image of a colony that made their home in a cinder block wall built above a solid concrete wall in Canutillo, Texas. The honey bee colony was relocated by Jim Jordan. (FLIR image by Bob Reneau)
A trap out of a mulberry tree in El Paso Texas. This trap out took about 2 months to successfully relocate the honey bees. The relocation was done by Bill Hooten, Ralph Payan, and Bob Reneau
Joshua O’Halloran suited up rappelling down to relocate a colony, Established bee colonies are found in unusual locations and require specialized skills to access.
Ralph Payan opening a ceiling to relocate a colony of bees. A feral colony is sometimes accessed from the inside of the structure.
Swarm of honey bees being captured by TJ Carr in the Albuquerque NM area.
Cut out of a colony of bees by Jeff Armstrong in Louisiana to demonstrate the difficulty of cut outs.
Cut out of an established bee colony by Jeff Horchoff in Louisiana. Bees had recently swarmed.
Honey Bee Romoval Informational Document
The Texas Apiary Service has published a FAQ document that can help the homeowner select a qualified beekeeper to remove unwanted colonies and swarms. In Texas, the beekeeper should be registered with the State of Texas. They do not have to be licensed. Their website is https://txbeeinspection.tamu.edu/bee-removal/
In the state of New Mexico there is no state registration, however the FAQ document is a good guideline to use.
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