Bee Relocation Policy

1.Our policy in short

Bees are important pollinators, so Urgent Pest Control Ltd does not treat bees the way we treat wasps. We identify the bee first, give free advice over the phone, leave nests alone where that is safe, relocate honeybees with local beekeepers, and destroy a nest only as an absolute last resort.

2.Is it bees or wasps?

Many “bee” call-outs turn out to be wasps, which we can treat. Send us a photo on WhatsApp or use our pest identifier and we’ll tell you what you have before anyone visits. If it is a wasp nest, see wasp nest removal.

3.Honeybee swarms

• A swarm is a cluster of honeybees looking for a new home. Swarms often move on by themselves within 24 to 48 hours, and are usually calm while they hang in a cluster. Keep your distance and don’t spray them.
• Where a swarm needs collecting, we work with local beekeepers to rehome it. The British Beekeepers Association also runs a swarm collector finder.
• Honeybee colonies that have settled inside a wall or roof are harder to move. We’ll talk you through the options, which may need a beekeeper and a builder.

4.Bumblebee nests

Bumblebee nests are small and only last one season, after which the colony dies off and the nest is not reused. The Bumblebee Conservation Trust advises leaving them alone wherever possible. If a nest is somewhere it can stay, we will tell you so rather than charge you for a visit. Read our guide: what to do about a bumblebee nest.

5.Masonry and other solitary bees

Masonry bees nest in soft mortar and old brickwork. They rarely sting and are active for a few weeks in spring. The long-term answer is usually repointing the affected mortar once they have finished, not treatment. See our guide to masonry bees.

6.When we would destroy a nest

We treat a bee nest only as an absolute last resort, and only when all of the following apply:

• the nest puts people at real risk, for example someone with a known sting allergy, or a nest at a doorway, school or care setting;
• the bees can’t safely be left until the end of the season; and
• no beekeeper is able to relocate them.

We explain the decision to you first. Honeybee nests that are treated must be sealed or removed afterwards, so that other bees can’t rob the treated honey and carry the insecticide back to their own hives.

7.Free phone advice

Phone advice about bees is free. Call 07999 935 929 or send a photo on WhatsApp and we’ll tell you whether you need a visit at all. See also bee removal and our environmental policy.

8.Review

We review this policy at least once a year, and whenever guidance or the law changes.