Hobbies And Interests
Things You'll Need
Instructions
First Steps
Determine the type of bee living inside the colony, when possible. Call in an expert for advice if the type of bee cannot be determined or if you suffer from an allergy to bee stings.
Send away all children, pets and adults with allergies before making contact with the colony. Bees become aggressive when their hive is disturbed.
Dress in long pants and sleeves, and wear protective eye gear and gloves before attempting to move or kill the bee colony. While this will not offer complete protection, it can reduce the number of stings you receive.
Approach the colony only at night when the bees are less active. However, if there is no artificial light source present, you might miss bees and your attempt to kill the colony will be ineffective.
Spray the hive with a commercial insecticide designed to kill bees. Use only a product with a long-range spray. Saturate the hive thoroughly and then depart the area with great haste.
Knock down the hive once all the bees have died. Remain vigilant because some bees might still be alive inside the hive. Scrape the area where the hive was attached to the wall, tree or other surface.
Burn the hive in a safe location. If burning isn't possible, you can bury the hive under several feet of soil. Leaving the hive near your home and intact will encourage the formation of new colonies.
Make certain all bees have been killed and removed from the area. Dead bees may attract other bees or insects, and scout bees will form a new colony if you leave part of a hive intact.
Call in a professional if the colony is too large or in an inaccessible location. Professional bee handlers are trained to deal with larger bees and have the necessary equipment to kill colonies without sustaining many stings.
Seal openings wider than 1/8 inch around plumbing and chimneys, install screens over rainspouts and vents, and remove potential nesting sites around your yard and home to prevent the colony from reforming.