Bees living in your house
Bee hive removal: getting a colony out of a wall, roof or chimney
Written by Mateo Kaiser, University of California certified Master Beekeeper. Last updated .
If bees have been going in and out of the same gap for more than a couple of weeks, they aren’t passing through. They have built comb inside, and getting them out is a cutout: a beekeeper opens the wall or roof, takes the comb and the bees, and moves the colony to a hive. It is paid work, and most beekeepers who charge quote between $150 and $800.
A colony or a swarm?
A swarm is a cluster of bees hanging in the open, on a branch, fence or wall, with no comb. It moves on within a day or two, and a beekeeper will usually collect it for nothing. A colony is bees flying in and out of a hole, with comb out of sight behind it, and it stays. Most of what follows is about the second kind. The swarm or colony comparison sets the two side by side.
Colonies are most of what people report in the colder months. From November 2025 to February 2026, about two in three reports to Swarmed were established colonies rather than swarms.
What a cutout involves
- Step 1
Find the colony
The beekeeper works out where the comb sits, by watching the entrance, listening, tapping or using a thermal camera. The entrance is often a long way from the comb.
- Step 2
Open the structure
Siding, drywall, soffit or roof sheeting comes off over the comb. Opening the right place first keeps the hole small.
- Step 3
Take the comb and the bees
Comb is cut out piece by piece, brood comb is often tied into frames, and the bees are gathered, usually with a low-suction bee vacuum, so the colony leaves alive.
- Step 4
Clean up and close
Leftover wax and honey are cleared so they don't attract the next swarm, and the opening is closed. Whether the beekeeper repairs it or leaves that to you is worth agreeing first.
A straightforward wall cutout is usually a few hours. A large, old colony in a roof can take a day.
What it costs
Beekeepers price a cutout after seeing it, so nobody can quote yours from a photo. What we can give you is what beekeepers on Swarmed told us they usually charge.
Share of the 91 beekeepers who named a usual price, 8 to 27 October 2026
| Usual price | Share shown as a bar | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $150 | 10% | |
| $150 to $400 | 42% | |
| $400 to $800 | 24% | |
| More than $800 | 24% |
How we got these numbers: in October 2026 we asked the 1,318 beekeepers who had taken on an established colony through Swarmed since March 2025 “What do you usually charge for a cutout?” and offered fixed price bands. 200 beekeepers in the United States answered. 59 of them (30%) do cutouts for nothing or a donation and 37 said the price varies too much to name a band, which leaves the 91 shown here.
These are bands, not quotes, and a beekeeper’s price for your colony depends on where it is and what has to be opened up. Swarmed doesn’t set these prices or take a share of them. Figures last checked .
What moves the price
- Height and access: a ground-floor wall is a different job from a second-storey soffit or a chimney that needs a lift.
- What has to be opened: drywall and wood siding are quicker than stucco, brick or tile.
- How long the colony has been there: a colony a few years old can fill a whole wall bay with comb.
- Repair: some beekeepers close the opening and leave finishing to you, others quote for full repair.
More on what is free and what isn’t is on what bee removal costs.
Why spraying or sealing it in usually costs more
A living colony keeps its comb cool by fanning. Kill it and the comb can soften in the heat and leak honey into the wall, and the dead brood and honey draw ants, wax moths and bees from other hives. The comb still has to come out, now with a mess around it.
Sealing the entrance with the bees inside can send them looking for another way out, sometimes into the house. And an empty cavity that smells of a colony is exactly what the next swarm’s scouts look for, so a colony that is killed but left in place tends to be replaced.
Bees in a wall in winter
In winter a colony clusters around its queen and flies only on mild days, so it can look as though the bees have gone. They usually haven’t. In warm states beekeepers do cutouts all year; in colder places many prefer a mild spell or wait for spring, because a colony opened in the cold struggles to regroup. Reporting it now lets a beekeeper see it and plan the job before the colony grows and swarms in spring.
What to ask the beekeeper
- Are you insured for removal work?
- Does the price include closing up and repairing the opening?
- What happens to the bees afterwards?
- Can you put the quote in writing before you start?
How Swarmed helps
Report the colony with a photo and a note of where the bees go in. Beekeepers near you who take on cutouts are alerted straight away, and the one who takes it on contacts you and quotes you directly. Reporting is free, and Swarmed doesn’t take a share of the job.
Common questions
- How much does bee hive removal cost?
- Removing an established colony from a wall, roof or chimney is usually paid work, quoted by the beekeeper after seeing it. In Swarmed's October 2026 survey of US beekeepers who remove established colonies, 66% of those who charge quoted between $150 and $800 for a cutout, and 24% quoted more than $800. 30% of respondents do cutouts for nothing or a donation. Height, the material that has to be opened and whether repair is included move the price most.
- Will bees living in my wall leave on their own?
- Almost never. A swarm resting in the open moves on within a day or two, but a colony that has built comb inside a cavity treats it as home and can stay for years. If bees have used the same gap for more than a couple of weeks, they have moved in.
- Can I spray the bees or seal the hole?
- It usually makes the job bigger. With the bees dead nobody keeps the comb cool, so honey can seep through the wall, and the dead brood and honey draw ants, wax moths and robbing bees. Sealing the entrance can push bees into the house instead. The comb still has to come out, and an empty cavity that smells of a colony is where the next swarm tends to move in.
- Can a bee hive be removed in winter?
- Often, yes. In warm states beekeepers do cutouts all year. In colder areas many prefer a mild day or wait for spring, because a colony opened in the cold struggles to regroup. Reporting now means a beekeeper can look at it and plan the job.
- Does Swarmed charge for this?
- No. Reporting is free, and the beekeeper who takes the job on quotes you directly. Swarmed doesn't set the price or take a share of it. Most beekeepers who charge quote between $150 and $800.