Bee Removal In Phoenix, AZ

What To Do About A Bee Problem In Phoenix, Arizona

Do you have a bee infestation problem on your Phoenix property? While most of the pests you have to deal with in and around your home are only unsanitary and inconvenient, bees and wasps are among the few that are dangerous. Bee and wasp stings can be incredibly painful, and if you have an allergy to them, they can even be deadly.

If you have a swarm of bees in or around your Phoenix home, you should never attempt to tackle it yourself. Instead, you need the wasp nest and beehive experts with the knowledge, tools, and experience to rid your home or business of bees and wasps. You need to call Green Home Pest Control.

Bees & Wasps Common To Phoenix

Many types of bees and wasps populate Phoenix and the surrounding areas, and all of them can sting you or your family members. At the first sign of bee or wasp infestation, whether it be a nest, a hive, or a swarm, you need to contact Green Home Pest Control. Our experts can recognize all the different types of stinging insects that may be plaguing you, and we know how to find them and get rid of them fast.

Africanized (Killer) Honey Bee

Of the bees in the Phoenix area, 95% are Africanized honey bees. These bees are known to have a lethal sting, and they are very aggressive if provoked or disturbed near their nest. They are quick to swarm and attack and will even chase their target for miles, which is why we advise you to let a professional exterminator deal with them.

American Bumblebee

The American bumblebee is probably one of the most well-known of the stinging insects. These fuzzy yellow and black bees are mostly harmless, but the queen and workers can sting if their nest is threatened. The bumblebee’s stinger doesn’t have barbs as honeybees do, so it can sting repeatedly. Bumblebees do pose a threat to people with allergies. If you see a hive on your property, please contact our bee exterminators for bee removal.

Bald-Faced Hornet

Bald-faced hornets, which are actually a type of wasp and not a true hornet, are black and white stinging insects similar to yellow jackets. Unlike bumblebees, these pests are quite aggressive and will sting repeatedly. These highly social insects will attack as a group if they perceive a threat to their nest. Although bald-faced hornets help control other types of pests in the environment, the danger of being stung can outweigh their usefulness. Contact us if you notice the oval nests of bald-faced hornets near your home.

Yellow Jacket

These aggressive pests can deliver stings repeatedly, making them one of the most feared insects in the animal kingdom. Yellow jackets can be very quick to attack when their nests are disturbed. There are several common types of yellow jackets in Arizona, including the common yellow jacket, aerial yellow jacket, and German yellow jacket. Because these stinging insects pose a serious, even deadly, health threat, call Green Home Pest Control at the first sign of them.

Velvet Ant

These pests may look like fancy ants, but beware: this red and black insect is a vicious, stinging wasp. The females have stingers but do not have wings, while males have wings but no stingers. Here in Arizona, there are dozens of velvet ant species, all of which have few natural predators due to their tough exoskeletons. If you need expert wasp nest removal, please contact us.

Carpenter Bees

Often mistaken for American bumblebees due to their similar appearance, carpenter bees pose more of a threat to your home than your health. Their large jaws are powerful enough to chew through wood and damage your home’s exterior.

Our Bee Control Offerings

At Green Home Pest Control, all of our technicians have experience handling Africanized honey bees, as well as other bee and wasp species. We will inspect your property to determine what type of stinging insect we’re dealing with and how severe the problem is; this is usually best determined by checking for hives or swarms. Once we have this information, we’ll develop a treatment plan that is best suited to the type of pest and your property type.

We use environmentally-friendly products and techniques that will not harm the bees. We use humane strategies to get rid of the infestation and provide you with peace of mind. In addition to removal services, we also offer bee rescue and relocation services, honeycomb removal and cleanup, and construction repair at the honeycomb removal location.

As part of our service, we’ll also make recommendations to help you prevent future bee problems. These suggestions include:

Sealing your home
Filling in the empty places where hives can form
Screening all vents

Learn more about our home pest control and commercial pest control offerings.

Frequently Asked Questions About Bees

What precautions can I take to protect myself from bee stings?

You can take many steps to reduce the chances that you will be stung by a bee or other type of stinging insect. These include:

Be careful when you enter any place where stinging pests may nest, such as sheds or other outbuildings that are often undisturbed.
Before you begin to mow or use other types of outdoor power equipment, take time to inspect the area you’ll be working in.
If you find a nest or infestation, do not disturb it or attempt to exterminate it yourself. Instead, call a bee pest control professional.
If you spot just one stinging insect, don’t swat at it.
Wear light-colored clothing and avoid wearing strong fragrances.
Be especially vigilant around flowering plants.
If you have a history of allergic reactions to stings, consult with your physician about carrying an epinephrine auto-injector with you.
Unless you’re an expert in pest identification, assume all types of bees can sting you.

How can I keep bees away from my house?

Like most types of pests in the Phoenix area, bees seek shelter, food, and water. If you can limit their access to all three, you will make your home less attractive to bees. Here’s how:

Get rid of outdoor clutter. Clear away stacks of dry wood and piles of decaying leaves, particularly those close to your house.
Don’t leave unused hoses, buckets, planters, or other items out in the yard.
Make sure to remove any old nests or hives completely to keep bees from returning.
Inspect your house for entry points. Bees and many other types of pests need only an eighth of an inch opening to enter. Seal up holes with caulk, screening, foam, or silicone.
If you’re planning a new landscape, try to locate flowering plants as far from your house as you can.
Don’t let standing water become a literal watering hole for bees. Empty any containers, debris, toys, and other items that may hold small amounts of water. You can even put a container of water in an undisturbed spot away from your home that bees will go to instead of coming close to your house in search of a drink.

How can I tell if the bees in my yard are Africanized bees?

Africanized bees look too much like European honeybees for most people to be able to tell them apart. Because Africanized bees are so aggressive and any bee colony can be dangerous, the best course of action is to call Green Home Pest Control. Our licensed technicians can identify the type of bee you may have.

Why do I see bees in my pool?

In our dry climate, bees will seek any source of the water they need. That includes swimming pools, fountains, birdbaths, and even leaky garden faucets. They will also help themselves to small amounts of water left standing in objects around your house, such as watering cans or flower pots.

Where do bees and wasps usually build their hives or colonies?

Different species may set up housekeeping in various spots (bumblebees may nest on the ground, while honey bees don’t, for example), but like many types of pests, bees and wasps prefer undisturbed areas.

Places to look for colonies around your home and on your property include:

Outbuildings, such as sheds and barns
Garages
Attics
Beneath eaves
In trees and shrubbery
In the voids between walls

Note that Africanized bees build small colonies, so you may find them in places such as water meter boxes, mailboxes, old tires, or even a flowerpot. It’s important always to be aware of your surroundings so that you don’t get surprised by an active colony of Africanized bees. Yellow jackets build their nests on the ground, so look for them underneath decks and porches. You may also find them in wall voids or other spaces within the structural elements of your home.

What are the differences between yellow jackets, hornets, and wasps?

If you’re unfamiliar with the various types of stinging insects we have here in the Phoenix area, it’s easy to confuse one with another. Even those in the know may use some terms interchangeably, but these are the facts:

A hornet is the largest type of wasp.
Yellow jackets are wasps.
There are types of wasps that are solitary and those that are social. Hornets and yellow jackets are social and live in colonies with a queen. Examples of solitary wasps, which are usually not aggressive, are digging wasps and mud daubers.

As for appearance, the bald-faced hornets that we have here in Arizona are black with white or gray bands and are usually larger than wasps. You can identify yellow jackets by the black and yellow bands they have on their bodies. If you’re unsure about the type of stinging insect you’ve seen at your home, please contact us. Our experienced technicians can identify the pest you have and recommend a customized treatment plan.

How do I get rid of bees myself?

We do not recommend that you try any DIY methods for bee removal. Because there’s always the possibility that the bees you have are either Africanized bees or a hybrid of the European bee and Africanized bee, both of which are aggressive, you may be putting yourself, your family, or your pets at risk of being stung.

An online search may yield suggestions for bee removal, such as spraying chemicals on the hive, striking it with a pole, hosing it with a strong stream of water, or even setting it on fire. None of these methods will solve the problem, but they may put you in danger. At Green Home Pest Control, we have bee removal specialists with the training, experience, products, and equipment to safely and humanely eliminate any bee infestation you have.

How much does bee removal cost?

Each hive and its environment is different, so the cost of bee removal depends upon several factors, including the size of the hive and exactly where it is. The bee removal experts at Green Home Pest Control will be glad to provide you with an estimate for our services tailored to your specific needs.

What is Green Home Pest Control’s approach to bee removal?

Bees are our most important pollinator and our honey and beeswax source, so we recommend attempting the removal and relocation of a hive as the first step. As soon as you see a hive, contact Green Home Pest Control. We will assess the situation and identify the species of bee you have before we take any action.

One of the first steps in successfully relocating a colony is to remove the queen bee. As long as she is in the hive, the bees will return. If we can remove and relocate the hive to prevent its collapse, that will be our course of action. If relocation is not a viable option, we will treat the hive to kill the bees and dispose of the threat. If you have questions about our bee removal methods or to get a quote, please contact us.

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