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Removing bees and exterminating wasps is a job that must be carried out by an expert with the right equipment and protective clothing. Never attempt to carry out wasp removal or honey bee removal yourself. These insects swarm and in large numbers have been known to cause fatalities. Protect yourself and your family by calling trained technicians.

 

Bees

We find bees fascinating. A beehive, or even a swarm of bees should always be treated with respect. Sometimes, what upsets bees may not be too obvious to people. It might be just walking by the nest or a dog’s barking that will stir them up. When a creature upsets them, bees will emit a pheromone that lets the other bees know there is a threat. The bees will respond by attacking. The pheromone has a sweet citrus like fragrance. Once someone is stung, they are marked by this smell for the other bees to target. Generally speaking though, most times, unless the nest has been there a long while, bees are pretty friendly, even near their nests.

People unfamiliar with bees are many times okay with letting them stay in their roofs or backyards. Sometimes, people figure the bees will eventually move away if left alone. Unfortunately, that’s not how honeybees behave. For once bees move in, unless there’s a real problem with the bee’s new home, they are there to stay. They will stay for years if left undisturbed and the size of the honeycomb will continue to increase. When disturbed, even “nice” bees are likely to give a person or animal a good stinging, but usually won’t chase the target beyond the surrounding nest area.

 

On the other hand, although Africanized bees can be identified genetically, they are otherwise hard to differentiate from the “nice” European honeybees. Although there are a few telltale signs, it is difficult to tell if a nest is Africanized or “nice”, until it has been disturbed. It’s then, one sees that they are far more aggressive than the “nice” honeybees. When Africanized bees are disturbed, they will attack by the hundreds, sometimes thousands. There are many stories of people and animals being stung hundreds of times by Africanized bees right here in South Florida.

 

Bees are beautiful creatures and are very beneficial to the nature cycle, but when they make their hives in our homes or properties they can be a nuisance that needs urgent attention. Hugh Turner Pest Control can help you with bee removal across the Fort Lauderdale area.

 

Beehive Removal

There are two main reasons that we prefer live bee removal. First of all bees are living things and a vital part of our ecosystem. When a bee is collecting nectar from a flower, it transports pollen from that flower to the next flower it lands on. This transfer of pollen from one plant to another is how plants make seeds and reproduce. Without bees many plants, including crops that we depend on to feed ourselves, would not be able to survive. It is estimated that if bees were to become extinct, humans would perish four to five years later. The second reason we focus on bee rescue is that some of the chemicals used to kill bees may also be harmful to humans and pets.

In certain instances it is necessary to exterminate bees. For example if overly aggressive bees have a hive in an area with a lot of people, it will not be safe to perform a live removal. If a bee hive is inside a structural void that cannot be opened, it will usually not be possible to do a live removal.

There are a few reasons honey-comb removal is also recommended. Even if all the bees have been removed or eradicated. Bees have a very fine sense of smell, and the odor of an old hive will attract bees in the surrounding area for years. If they smell honey-comb they will attempt to re-occupy the site. Even if the hive space is sealed, bees will make hives in other parts of the structure, or in nearby trees. Honey is an attractive food source for many other pests such as rats, roaches, and ants, as well. These pests will also try to get into the abandoned hive to feast.

To get rid of bees for good, it is necessary to remove the odor of a hive. Occasionally we get calls from people who have had a hive removed from their structure by another company only to get bees back in the same spot the next year. Just because someone has pulled 40 or 50 pounds of comb out of a wall or roof doesn't mean the odor has been eliminated. The hive must be removed very thoroughly, and the hive space must be cleaned and treated.

 

Wasp Removal

There are social wasps and non social wasps.  Social wasps create paper pulp nests in trees, in attics, and sometimes in holes in the ground. Most wasps have smooth bodies, as opposed to bees that have hairy bodies. They live off other insects, primarily spiders.  Mason wasps are non social wasps that create elevated nest/hives that look like mason jars. Wasps are visible as are their nest.  If a nest or multiple wasps are seen a wasps issue may be present.

The best way to remove wasps is to focus on the main issue which is the nest. Wasp nests in South Florida can be very dangerous to deal with. The wasps tend to feel threatened and can become extremely hostile. Getting rid of wasps is less about removing the nest, rather the focus is on treating it and the wasps. The first step involves a professional masked in protective clothing to insure they are safe from any stings. The pest control expert will then use aerosols, dust and liquids on the nest after the entire colony is gone. In many cases, wasps have been known to build nests under the earth, below concrete slabs, rocks or plants and trees. It can be very hard to treat the problem in these examples and may require multiple treatments.

Our professionals in Fort Lauderdale have the ability to determine the exact type of wasp that is causing the problem. They also have the required protective clothing to ensure safety. Each treatment approach is different based on the type of wasp and where it is located. Once the nest has been treated, we can remove it from your property, unless it is positioned behind a wall or similar location.