Bee-Removal

When homeowners or businesses have a wild honey bee swarm arrive on their property or need a bee nest removed, they will often call a pest manager first. It’s not surprising as a swarm of bees can be very concerning, especially to those who can have a severe allergic reaction to bee stings.

Bee swarms and bee nest removal

Honey bees are important beneficial insects – they are vital for the pollination of a number of our cereal and fruit crops. Although they are generally quite docile insects, the fact they can sting is a cause for concern. Whilst they normal nest in managed hives, their natural swarming behaviour will often bring them into close contact with the general public. Why do bees swarm?

When a swarm is encountered, most people will call a pest manager. Although pest managers are normally charged with killing insect pests, when it comes to honey bees, pest managers normally try to relocate the nest first. In most cases they will call their local apiarist to see if they want to collect the swarm.

How the apiarist or pest manager deals with the bee nest rather depends on whether it is an established nest in a building or a recently arrived swarm.

However, some pest managers have the skills to collect the swarm themselves. Learn about how pest managers go about bee nest removal.

However, sometimes there is not choice but to kill the bee nest, especially if nest cannot be easily collected, which can be the case for established nests inside wall voids. Whenever, a bee nest is treated and kill, it is necessary to collect all the honeycomb and clean the nesting area, to prevent additional pest problems.

Varroa mite

The Varroa mite is a serious pest of honeybees which impacts the general health of bees and can cause the collapse of bee colonies. Although not established in Australia, there are occasional outbreaks of Varroa mite. Although it is not possible for the general public or pest managers to treat hives for Varroa mite, it is important that as many people as possible know about the Varroa mite and what to look for, so that if they spot a potential Varroa mite infestation they know to alert the relevant government authorities. What is the Varroa mite?