As temperatures warm up, queen bumblebees have woken from winter hibernation and have begun feeding on nectar.
Honeybees have also emerged, having had a harsh winter keeping the queen bee warm and protected. Their job is to form a cluster surrounding the queen bee, and when winter is over they begin feeding on the nectar of spring flowers, before building a new nest.
Honeybees live and thrive by swarming together, unlike other bee types. They swarm together whilst accompanying the queen, sometimes in their thousands, as they search for a place to nest. Worker bees go looking for a suitable shelter to nest in, such as a chimney. Therefore, honeybees can be troublesome if they choose your property as a new home.
How do you deal with a swarm of honeybees?
If you notice a swarm of bees near your home, you may be able to encourage them to find a different location – with the help of an expert.
Otherwise, more bees will begin to take up residence, which can reach the thousands. However, only a trained professional should attempt to remove bees, as DIY methods are proven to be ineffective and dangerous.
Our experts have the knowledge, skill, and equipment to safely remove the bees and find them a new home with a beekeeper who has a purpose-built hive.
Chimneys pose a challenge when removing bees. It may not always be possible to rescue and rehouse every single bee; instead, we may use an insecticide. There is a risk of contaminating bees from other colonies using this method, so it’s not our first choice for a solution. It’s also necessary for us to remove beeswax, and debris from the chimney as this is flammable. Giving the chimney a thorough clean afterward is a good idea.
The best way to prevent bees from using your chimney is to install a bee mesh at the top of the chimney. Our pest control experts can perform this task and also check for any other ways bees could exploit your chimney.