Established Hive Relocation

An established hive is different from a swarm. The bees have been there long enough to build wax comb, store honey and pollen, and raise brood. You'll see steady traffic in and out of an entry point, and the colony isn't going anywhere on its own.

Cut-outs involve opening the structure to access the hive, cutting out the comb, securing it in frames, and vacuuming or brushing the bees into a hive box. If the hive is in a wall, we need to remove siding or drywall. If it's in a soffit or roof overhang, we're working from a ladder with tools. The comb has to come out — leaving it behind attracts wax moths, hive beetles, and rodents, and the honey will melt and stain or rot the structure.

“The comb has to come out — leaving it behind attracts wax moths, hive beetles, and rodents, and the honey will melt and stain or rot the structure.”

We evaluate each job before committing. Accessible exterior locations — shallow wall cavities, removable soffits, low-height structures — are manageable. Deep wall hives, second-story interior work, or hives that have been there for years and filled a large cavity may require a general contractor to handle the structural opening and repair, with us managing the bee removal.

Cut-outs are billed hourly plus materials and any repair costs if we're handling the closeup. A typical job runs 3-5 hours. Most cut-outs take that long depending on hive size and location. If the hive has been there for months or years and filled a large cavity, it can take longer. We won't know exactly until we open it up and see how much comb is inside.

We do not exterminate — our goal is live removal and relocation whenever possible. Collected bees go to one of our apiaries or to another beekeeper who needs them. If we opened a structure for a cut-out, we'll clean out wax and honey residue and either close it back up or coordinate with you or your contractor on the repair. We haul away debris and leave the site clean.

For cut-outs or hive inspections, we'll set a date that works and may do a brief site visit first to assess access and plan the work. We'll confirm timing and what to expect before we start.