Beehive Buzz: Bee or Wasp Problem?

Honey damage.

Dark honey stains on an exterior wall which are difficult to remove. The drywall ceiling had to be replaced. Photo: Southeast Bee Removal.


Honeybee map.

Different regions for locating bee removal services. Image: LSU AgCenter

Elma Sue from Baton Rouge shared this concern about flying insects, “I may have a bee or wasp problem at my house and am not sure how to determine it. Let me give you some background and perhaps you can point me in the right direction.

There is a grid wire over that hole now that needs to be fixed and I think bee(s) or wasp(s) may be getting into the chimney, or the wall between the chimney and outside. When I am working at home, sometimes I can hear a buzzing reverberating off the metal chimney, but my husband does not see anything when he looks up into the chimney. We do not hear the buzzing 24/7 but do hear it often. We noticed it a few weeks ago. We have not seen swarms, or even several bees/wasps go into the hole. However, we have seen a bee go in and out. Never more than one. Although we have not monitored the hole long enough to know if there is bee/wasp traffic.

We need to have the hole in the chimney fixed but do not want to block up a hive or something if it has been built in the wall. My question is, do I need to contact a bee specialist to see if we do have a bee/wasp problem in the wall or should an exterminator be able to tell us that?”

AHA shared this advice, “Let us start with the exterminator because he can treat the wasps. The exterminator will not treat honeybees because of the liability of honey leaking and causing stains in your home. The honey will also ferment and attract roaches and ants. If he says there are honeybees instead of wasps, then [a local beekeeping club] would be able to help with removal. The AgCenter also has resource to help locate bee removal services: Honeybee Removal and Swarm Collection

Many times, the removal entails opening a wall and removing the queen very gently, brood comb, and honeycomb. The beekeepers will use a gentle “bee vac” to gather up the worker bees.

Some bee removal people will use an infra-red device used in the HVAC trade to identify the bees’ location by their heat signature. This device helps reduce the damage to walls.

Closure of the opening is usually the responsibility of the homeowner. Perhaps you can make a damage claim to your insurance company.”

If you want to contact Beehive Buzz, please send your questions and pictures to Keith Hawkins, Area Horticulture Agent (AHA), 337-463-7006 or khawkins@agcenter.lsu.edu. Also, you can be on the “beemail” email list by emailing your request to the address above.

“This work has been supported, in part, by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Renewable Resources Extension Act Award, Accession Number 1011417.”

5/23/2024 9:16:15 PM
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