Why would bees move into a house?
We've seen bees make themselves at home in a pool pump housing, and we've experienced a swarm of bees settling in the garden or the side of a house. Gardens offer food and water, and often little to no disturbance from human activity. Residential areas are prone to this kind of settling because they offer everything a colony of bees could want.
But a new trend has been spotted in the United States. Because of the
financial crunch a lot of people are being forced to move out of their
homes, effectively leaving the premises abandoned. Bees have started
moving into the houses and building hives in the rooms and cupboars,
even in the furniture. Whils no longer a shelter for humans the houses
have become a safe haven for swarms of bees.
There are not many abandoned homes in South Africa or Johannesburg for that matter but bees sometimes take the opportunity to settle in an outside room or in the roof of an occupied home. This is dangerous to the inhabitants as the risk getting stung and could also damage the house if the wax or honey run down the walls.
The sooner the bees are removed from the house the better it is for all, including the bees. Not allowing them to burrow deep into the structure of the house means that they can be removed and relocated rather than facing the alternative of extermination or breaking of walls.
For a bee removal call us now on: 083 263 1311
Bees in an irrigation box in August 2025
Why is it that we get so many calls to remove bees from irrigation boxes in August and September?
In South Africa August and September are when things start to warm up after winter and Spring arrives in all its glory.
As the days get warmer birds return from their Winter in the Northern Hemisphere and gardens come to life. This is also when keen gardeners and those of us who enjoy the lushness that summer brings start to pay attention to our gardens again.
During winter our gardens need very little, if any, water and this means the housing for the sprinkler system is quiet and there is not really any chance of bees being disturbed. This is the ideal environment for bees to begin building their hive.
The first time the bees get noticed is when spring arrives and you go to get your irrigation system in working order for the coming months.
Don't try to remove them yourself, and don't let any family mambers (especially children) or pets hang around the area. Rather take them all indoors where they can safely wait for the removal of the bees by professionals.
Bees in the Garden
Having bees in and around our gardens is a wonderful part of nature, bees pollinate the flowers in your garden which is a very important job. While this is a beneficial arrangement, it could be dangerous for your gardener.
For instance when having your lawn trimmed, bees get very aggressive as they hate the smell of cut grass ( yes that's right bees do not have ears and therefore cannot hear but have an excellent sense of smell ) and will sting the gardener while he is mowing the lawn.
Fortunately there are simple solutions to this problem. We suggest safe removal of the bees (Call us on 083 263 1311), where we will relocate the bees to a farm where the bees and people will be safe, allowing the bees to continue their crucial role as pollinators where they contribute to our food chain and Eco-system. Alternatively if the bee hive is not in your garden you can get your gardener to cut the grass early in the morning as bees are much less aggressive when it is cool.
This page was last updated on 1 February 2016