Honey Bee
Beneficial pollinators that become a structural problem when a swarm establishes a hive inside a wall or soffit.
Photo: Scott Bauer, USDA Agricultural Research Service (Public domain) · public domain/CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
About 15 mm, golden-brown with black banding and an amber-hazel abdomen. Covered in branched hairs that carry pollen. Swarms appear as a dense, buzzing mass of thousands of bees clustered on a branch or structure.
Swarms are transient, resting while scouts find a cavity. Established colonies prefer wall voids, hollow trees, chimneys, soffits and attics with easy flight access.
- A swarm — a large cluster of bees on a tree branch, post or wall
- Bees flying in and out of a gap in a wall, soffit, chimney or utility penetration
- Honey or wax staining on walls months after bees establish inside a void
- A low hum from inside a wall or eave cavity
A swarm in flight is generally calm. An established colony inside a wall will defend its hive aggressively if disturbed, and the wax and honey left behind after removal can cause structural damage and attract other pests. Africanized honey bee populations in Florida can respond more aggressively.
Rhino refers honey bee colonies to a licensed beekeeper for live removal and relocation — we do not exterminate honey bees. We handle the structural sealing of the entry point after the colony is removed to prevent re-colonization.
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