Live Bee Removal & Relocation

No. Honey bees are removed alive and relocated into managed hives. We use no pesticides on bees at all — that is the whole point of the method, and it is also the honest way to answer the safety question. Wasps are a different matter and are treated conventionally, which is why identifying what you actually have is the first thing we do.

A swarm is a cluster of bees hanging in the open — on a branch, a fence, a gutter or a car mirror — while they look for a permanent home. It has no comb, it is usually docile, and it often moves on within a day or two. It is the cheapest and easiest stage to deal with. An established colony has moved into a cavity and built wax comb, so it has brood and honey to defend. That needs a cut-out: opening the cavity, removing the bees and the comb, then sealing it. If you can see bees flying in and out of the same small gap all day, it is established, not a swarm.

This is the part most people are not told, and it is the single biggest reason a free swarm collection is not comparable to a proper removal. If the bees are taken but the comb is left inside the wall, the honey has nothing keeping it cool. It ferments and runs, staining ceilings and cornices, and it draws ants, cockroaches, rodents and wax moth. The residual scent also marks the cavity as a proven nest site, so the next swarm that passes is far more likely to move into exactly the same spot. Removing the comb and honey is what actually finishes the job.

We locate the colony first — the flight path shows the entry, but the comb is often somewhere else entirely inside the cavity. Then we open the smallest access that will do the job, take the bees out alive along with the comb and honey, clean the cavity down, and close it back up. Chimneys are common in older homes across Victoria and are usually straightforward once we can reach the comb. We will tell you honestly before we start what has to be opened and what it will take to make good.

Not the colony we remove — it is gone. The real risk is a new swarm choosing the same cavity, because bees are drawn to sites that smell like a previous nest. That is exactly why we remove the comb and seal the entry points rather than just taking the bees. If the entry is left open with comb residue inside, a repeat is likely rather than possible.

We are not aware of any Victorian or Commonwealth law that protects honey bees the way native wildlife is protected — the honey bee is an introduced species, not protected wildlife, and you will see that claim made online without a source behind it. So we will not tell you it is illegal. We relocate them alive because it is the better outcome and because it works, not because a law compels it. Registered beekeepers in Victoria do have real obligations, which is a separate matter.

Sometimes, and we will say so. A swarm resting in a tree away from doors and paths will often move on by itself within a couple of days — wait it out and you have no bill. What does not resolve itself is a colony that has moved into a structure. That will keep building comb and honey through the season, and every month it stays makes the eventual removal and the mess behind it bigger. If you are unsure which you have, send us a photo and we will tell you straight.

It depends mainly on whether it is a swarm or a cut-out. A swarm hanging in the open and reachable from the ground is the quickest and cheapest job we do. A colony inside a wall, roof or chimney takes far longer — there is access to open, comb and honey to remove, cleaning, and making good afterwards — and height, brickwork and how long the colony has been established all move it. We quote a fixed price before we travel and there is no call-out fee. Call 0436 389 114 and describe what you can see.

Yes, and on a lot of properties it is the most useful part of the job. Once a cavity has hosted a colony it will keep attracting swarms until the entry points are closed. We seal the gaps that let them in — weep holes, gaps in weatherboard, unsealed eave lines, open flues and vents — after the removal, while we already know exactly where they were getting in.

Yes. A swarm that has landed somewhere awkward — a doorway, a school, a shop front, a car — is treated as urgent, and so is any situation where someone in the household has a sting allergy. Call rather than using the form for anything urgent. If anyone shows swelling of the face or throat, difficulty breathing or dizziness after a sting, call 000 first.

Australia has a large number of native bee species, most of them solitary, tiny and completely harmless — they do not form the big colonies people worry about and they are best left alone. What people usually have in a wall or a tree is the European honey bee. Send a photo and we will identify it before anyone quotes you for work you may not need.

We service all across Victoria. Call 0436 389 114 with your postcode and we will confirm straight away, including telling you if you are outside our area rather than leaving you waiting.