Seeing bees around your home can be concerning, especially when they are flying near doors, porches, decks, play areas, or other places your family uses regularly. But not every bee you see represents a pest problem, and identifying the insect correctly is especially important before deciding what to do about it.
Different types of bees have very different habits. Some may nest in the ground, some use existing holes or cavities, and others may establish large colonies inside trees or buildings.
Honeybees deserve special attention because they are important pollinators and are handled differently from many other stinging insects.
At Underworld Pest Control, we do not treat or remove established honeybee colonies. If you have honeybees living in or around your property, your best call is usually to a local beekeeper or professional honeybee removal and relocation specialist who can determine whether the colony can be safely collected and relocated.
Are All Bees Honeybees?
No. Several types of bees may be found around homes and landscaping.
Common examples include honeybees, bumblebees, carpenter bees, mason bees, and various ground-nesting bees.
And some insects that homeowners call “bees” are actually wasps or yellowjackets.
Identification matters because their nesting habits and the appropriate response can be very different.
Honeybees typically have somewhat fuzzy, golden-brown bodies and live together in organized colonies. Bumblebees are generally larger, rounder, and noticeably fuzzy. Carpenter bees are also large but often have a smooth, shiny black abdomen and are commonly seen around wooden structures.
Yellowjackets, on the other hand, are wasps. They tend to have brighter yellow-and-black markings and can become much more defensive around their nests.
If you are unsure what you are seeing, getting a positive identification before attempting treatment is always a good idea.
Why Bees Are Around Your Property
Simply seeing bees outside does not necessarily mean there is a nest on your house.
Flowers, flowering trees, vegetable gardens, fruit trees, clover, and other plants naturally attract bees as they search for pollen and nectar.
That activity is usually beneficial and does not require pest control.
The situation becomes different when bees are repeatedly entering and leaving one specific opening.
You may notice insects traveling through:
- Gaps beneath siding
- Openings around rooflines
- Holes in soffits or fascia
- Chimneys
- Wall openings
- Hollow trees
- Sheds or outbuildings
- Ground openings
- Cracks around exterior structures
A consistent stream of insects entering the same location may indicate that a nest or colony is present.
What About a Swarm of Honeybees?
A large cluster of honeybees hanging from a tree branch, fence, shrub, mailbox, or other outdoor object can look alarming.
This is often a honeybee swarm.
Swarming is a natural part of honeybee reproduction. Part of an established colony leaves with a queen and temporarily gathers in a cluster while scout bees search for a permanent nesting location.
Although thousands of bees may be present, a resting swarm is often temporary.
This is an ideal situation for a beekeeper.
Many local beekeepers are interested in collecting accessible honeybee swarms because the bees can potentially be moved into a managed hive rather than destroyed.
Avoid spraying the swarm or trying to knock it down.
Instead, contact a local beekeeper, beekeeping association, or honeybee relocation specialist as soon as possible.
Why Underworld Pest Control Doesn’t Treat Honeybees
Honeybees play an important role in pollinating crops, gardens, trees, and other plants.
When a honeybee colony can be safely relocated rather than destroyed, relocation is generally the preferred approach.
Honeybee colonies also create a different type of structural problem from many other insects.
A colony living inside a wall, attic, chimney, or other building cavity may contain substantial amounts of comb, honey, wax, and brood. Simply killing the visible bees does not remove those materials.
Leaving abandoned honeycomb and honey inside a structure can lead to additional problems, including leaking honey, odors, insects attracted to the remaining comb, and future bee activity.
Proper honeybee removal may therefore involve locating the colony, removing the bees, opening part of the structure if necessary, removing the comb and honey, and then sealing the entry point.
That work is best handled by someone experienced specifically in live honeybee removal or structural bee removal.
For those reasons, Underworld Pest Control does not provide honeybee extermination or colony removal.
Who Should You Call for Honeybees?
If you believe you have honeybees, contact:
- A local beekeeper
- A local beekeeping association
- A professional honeybee removal or relocation service
- A bee-removal specialist experienced with colonies inside structures
If the bees are inside a wall, roof, chimney, or other part of the building, make sure the person you contact handles structural honeybee removal, not simply swarm collection.
Your local county Extension office may also be able to point you toward area beekeepers or beekeeping organizations.
What If They Aren’t Honeybees?
That is where Underworld Pest Control may be able to help.
If the insects turn out to be another stinging pest, such as certain wasps or hornets, or if you have carpenter bees damaging wooden parts of your home, the situation may fall within the services we provide.
The important first step is figuring out exactly what you have.
Photos can sometimes help with identification, but nest location, insect behavior, size, coloring, and flight patterns can also provide important clues.
Don’t Seal an Active Bee Entrance
If bees are repeatedly traveling through a hole in your home, resist the temptation to immediately seal the opening.
If an active colony is trapped inside, the insects may begin searching for another way out — and that route could lead into the living area of the house.
The colony or nest should be properly addressed first, and the access point can then be sealed when appropriate.
Not Sure What Kind of Bee You’re Seeing?
You do not have to identify every flying insect yourself.
If you are seeing repeated bee or wasp activity and aren’t sure what is nesting around your home, Underworld Pest Control can help determine what type of pest you may be dealing with and whether it is something we treat.
If it turns out to be honeybees, we’ll recommend that you contact a beekeeper or qualified honeybee removal specialist rather than attempting extermination.
The right solution starts with identifying the insect correctly. When honeybees are involved, protecting the home and giving the colony a chance to be safely relocated is the better approach.