How Long Does it take to Get Rid of Bees?
This is among the most often asked questions by homeowners across the Valley of the Sun. However, this is not a one-size-fits-all kind of answer. That is because it depends on where the bees are located. Are the bees located inside the walls of a home or building, or outside in a water meter box?
It is for this reason that the answer to this common question about bee removal depends upon a few pertinent factors.
- How difficult is it to get to the swarm or hive?
- How large is the swarm or hive?
Beehives Take Longer to Remove than Bee Swarms
First, understand that removing a beehive is usually a lot more time consuming than getting rid of a swarm of bees. That is because when you have to remove a hive, in addition to the bees themselves, it may be necessary to cut an opening in a wall or a roof to reach the hive. Then, the bees, honeycomb, wax and honey must also be removed to prevent damage to the surrounding structure (wax melts and honey drips). That means more time is required to carry out that work, plus the work to repair the opening in the wall and cleaning up the work area. This entire process can take a few to several hours, sometimes over a few days.
That said, beehives that are located in easier to reach locations, such as a tree branch or water meter box, can usually be removed fairly quickly. Obviously, removing a hive from a more open/easily accessible location would be less time consuming than locations inside a wall or roof of a home.
Thus, a swarm of bees that is within easy reach, with no hive, honeycomb, wax and honey present, can usually be removed in less than an hour.
Large Swarms or Hives
Obviously, it would take more time to remove a small swarm or hive of 1,500 bees than a large swarm of 30,000 bees or more. Particularly when it comes to a much larger hive, there would be a lot more honeycomb, wax and honey to remove.