,A HONEY BEE INFESTATION IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE NATURAL HISTORY OF THE FERAL HONEY BEE MEETS A BUILDING4 ,A SWARM SCOUT FINDS A CAVITY THAT FITS THE SPECIES' ANCIENT REQUIREMENTS A HOLLOW ON THE ORDER OF #BJ#HJ LITERS WITH A SMALL ENTRANCE AND THE WALL VOID BEHIND A HOMEOWNER'S SIDING QUALIFIES PERFECTLY4 ,WITHIN A SEASON1 THAT GAP BEHIND THE DRYWALL CAN HOST TENS OF THOUSANDS OF BEES AND DOZENS OF POUNDS OF COMB1 BROOD1 AND HONEY4 ,HOW IT STARTS ,THE SEQUENCE IS CONSISTENT ACROSS THOUSANDS OF REMOVAL CALLS3 #A4 ,SWARM ARRIVAL4 ,A COLONY ISSUES A SWARM THE OLD QUEEN AND HALF THE WORKERS WHICH BIVOUACS ON A BRANCH OR FENCE WHILE SCOUTS INSPECT CANDIDATE CAVITIES4 #B4 ,MOVE-IN4 ,THE SWARM COMMITS1 AND WITHIN DAYS COMB CONSTRUCTION BEGINS INSIDE THE VOID4 #C4 ,ESTABLISHMENT4 ,A FIRST-SEASON COLONY MAY PASS UNNOTICED2 THE GIVEAWAY IS THE STEADY1 DIRECTIONAL BEE TRAFFIC AT ONE GAP IN THE TRIM DOZENS OF BEES A MINUTE IN AND OUT OF A SINGLE POINT1 NOT WASPS INVESTIGATING A PICNIC4 #D4 ,MATURITY4 ,AFTER A YEAR OR MORE1 A WALL COLONY CAN EXCEED #EJ#FJ1JJJ BEES WITH COMB AND HONEY STORES WEIGHING WELL OVER A HUNDRED POUNDS4 ,REPORTED CUT-OUTS HAVE PRODUCED HIVES FILLING PICKUP BEDS4 ,WHY THE COMB HAS TO COME OUT ,KILLING OR DRIVING OUT THE BEES ALONE SOLVES NOTHING IT MAKES THE PROBLEM WORSE4 ,THE ESTABLISHED RULE OF THE REMOVAL TRADE IS THE COMB IS THE INFESTATION1 AND IT HOLDS FOR SEVERAL COMPOUNDING REASONS3 "9 ,ABANDONED HONEY FERMENTS1 SEEPS THROUGH DRYWALL1 AND STAINS CEILINGS AND WALLS PERMANENTLY "9 ,DEAD BROOD AND HONEY ATTRACT WAX MOTHS1 ANTS1 ROACHES1 MICE1 AND SECONDARY PESTS "9 ,THE SCENT OF OLD COMB IS ITSELF A SWARM ATTRACTANT UNSEALED CAVITIES RE-INFEST WITHIN SEASONS "9 ,COMB HIDDEN IN WALLS SUPPORTS MOLD IN HUMID CLIMATES ,A LIVE CUT-OUT OPENING THE VOID1 REMOVING BEES BY VACUUM OR TRANSFER TO FRAMES1 CUTTING OUT EVERY PIECE OF COMB1 AND SEALING THE ENTRY IS THE ONLY DURABLE FIX4 8,TRAP-OUTS0 " WORK ONLY FOR ACCESSIBLE1 RECENTLY-OCCUPIED COLONIES4 ,THE REMOVAL INDUSTRY ,BEE REMOVAL IS A REAL INDUSTRY1 AND IT IS EVERYWHERE3 DEDICATED CUT-OUT SERVICES1 BEEKEEPERS WHO DO REMOVALS1 AND PEST-CONTROL COMPANIES WITH BEE PROTOCOLS OPERATE ACROSS ALL #EJ STATES1 BUSIEST IN THE SUNBELT WHERE FERAL DENSITIES ARE HIGHEST4 ,COSTS RUN FROM A FEW HUNDRED DOLLARS FOR AN EXPOSED SWARM TO SEVERAL THOUSAND FOR A MATURE STRUCTURAL CUT-OUT WITH RECONSTRUCTION4 ,IN ,AFRICANIZED TERRITORY MOST OF THE SOUTHERN TIER STRUCTURAL REMOVALS ARE ALSO GENUINELY HAZARDOUS1 AND THE SERVICES THAT DO THEM CARRY STING PROTECTION THE HOMEOWNER SHOULD NOT IMITATE4 ,WHAT NOT TO DO ,THE PUBLIC-SAFETY FAILURES IN THIS AREA FOLLOW A PATTERN3 "9 ,SPRAYING A COLONY IN A WALL DRIVES THOUSANDS OF BEES OUT THROUGH THE HOUSE1 AND THE SURVIVORS RETURN TO COMB YOU CAN'T REACH "9 ,SEALING THE ENTRANCE WITH BEES INSIDE SAME RESULT1 PLUS BEES EMERGE THROUGH INTERIOR CRACKS "9 ,APPROACHING AN ESTABLISHED COLONY UNPROTECTED THE MECHANISM BEHIND MOST SERIOUS STING INCIDENTS IN ,AFRICANIZED RANGE "9 ,IGNORING A SMALL ENTRANCE A TWO-YEAR-OLD WALL COLONY IS FAR MORE DESTRUCTIVE TO REMOVE THAN A FIRST-SEASON ONE ,PREVENTION ,THE RELIABLE PREVENTION IS EXCLUSION3 SEAL GAPS AROUND TRIM1 EAVES1 AND UTILITY PENETRATIONS LARGER THAN A QUARTER-INCH2 CAP UNUSED CHIMNEYS2 AND INSPECT CAVITIES PARTICULARLY ANY THAT HAVE HELD BEES BEFORE1 SINCE OLD COMB SCENT RE-ATTRACTS SWARMS FOR YEARS4 ,A SWARM RESTING ON A BRANCH IS USUALLY GONE WITHIN A FEW DAYS AND STINGS RARELY2 A SWARM THAT HAS COMMITTED TO YOUR WALL VOID IS THE CALL TO MAKE EARLY1 WHILE THE COLONY IS STILL SMALL4 ,REFERENCES - ,SEELEY SWARM BIOLOGY AND CAVITY REQUIREMENTS - ,COOPERATIVE-EXTENSION BEE-REMOVAL GUIDANCE " - ,BEE-REMOVAL TRADE LITERATURE AND REGIONAL REPORTING - ,AFRICANIZED-BEE PUBLIC-SAFETY ADVISORIES ,SEE ALSO "9 ,FERAL HONEY BEE THE WILD COLONIES BEHIND INFESTATIONS "9 ,AFRICANIZED HONEY BEE THE SOUTHERN RISK ZONE "9 ,HONEY BEES IN ,NORTH ,AMERICA THE INTRODUCED-SPECIES CONTEXT "9 ,HONEY BEE INTRODUCTION TO THE ,AMERICAS ,SAVE THE BEES