The only way to eliminate bees from your home is to remove their hive or nest. Since this can be difficult and challenging for larger hives or nests, removing them should be left to a Pittsburgh bee control professional.
Identifying Different Stinging Insects
Identification is key when it comes to controlling stinging insects. While they are often mistaken for one another, their elimination can be quite different in comparison. Different stinging species have different traits and social habits. Many stinging insects are highly social and live in large colonies and hives. Most will build their nests in or around homes and buildings or in local vegetation. But some build their nests underground. Knowing your bee and their habits make you better equipped to understand their behavior and less likely to be stung.
In the Pittsburgh area, we predominantly deal with honey bees, carpenter bees, and bumble bees in addition to wasps, yellow jackets, wasps, and hornets.
- Honey bees like protection and will often find cavities in walls to nest.
- Bumblebees will not typically nest in cavities but will find nesting materials like insulation.
- Hornets, wasps, and yellow jackets build nests that look like paper in cavities, ground holes, or protected areas around the home.
Bee Fundamentals
Despite its complex, disorganized appearance, the hive is quite orderly with each bee playing an important role in its longevity. Every colony is comprised of three different types of adult bees – drones, workers, and a queen. Each adult has a specific role in the function and survival of the hive. A single bee cannot survive on its own, hence the importance of the beehive. Your Pittsburgh bee control professional will be able to correctly identify and deal with your insect infestation appropriately. Bees usually become more active in the spring coinciding with the flowering of local plants. During the warm months, they will often build nests around homes and even inside attics. It’s important to be proactive and locate and seal any cracks that may be entrance points in order to keep them from nesting inside the house. They will remain very active through the summer months and well into the fall until the cooler autumn weather and shortening days signal them to prepare for winter. Some species even relocate during the year.
What is Live Bee Removal?
Bees are constantly building their hive and expanding its size. If this process is never disrupted or disturbed, the queen is safe and protected. As a result, the colony is able to flourish and survive. When you destroy a beehive whether completely or partially, this disrupts the function and process inside of it, thereby putting its survival at extreme risk. Consequently, the most effective and safest way to get rid of bees on your property is live bee removal.
The term “live bee removal” is somewhat misleading. Depending on the pest control service that you hire, this terminology might not mean the same as you’ve been told. As the name implies, bees remain alive during the removal process. This doesn’t mean that all of them will remain alive or will be relocated to a safer location. In fact, there are many pest control companies that destroy them once they’ve been removed from your property.
The primary benefit of live bee removal is that it’s safer for the environment and humans alike because no dangerous chemicals or harsh substances are used during the removal process. Furthermore, DIY bee removal can be extremely dangerous to you and your family since there could be thousands of bees living in the hive. Some hives have up to 50,000 bees in them, all of whom will protect their queen if they feel she is being threatened from the outside.
When you need to have a hive removed from your home, hire an insured, reputable removal service that will ensure the bees’ survival. Finally, beware of low-ball pricing as this is an automatic red flag.
Honey Bee Control
Honey bees are a protected species, immensely important pollinators, and quickly disappearing from the environment. The goal is to preserve them whenever possible. Contacting a local beekeeper is a perfect way to move the hive to another place without extermination. Some Pittsburgh bee control professionals partner with local beekeepers for this reason. A honey bee swarm can be fascinating to watch. Appearing as a dense mass of bees spinning through the air, they are merely looking for a new home. Oftentimes this dense cluster will rest while scout bees move on to find nesting places. Honey bees are not naturally aggressive but will sting if they feel threatened.
When you are noticing bees or other stinging insects around or in your Pittsburgh home, it is important to take caution or call for professional bee control. Professionals have the appropriate equipment and experience to handle stinging insects and their nests. Call Spectrum Pest Control, Inc. to get professional and skillful pest removal.
