Why Are Bees Invading My Home? - Buzz Tech Pest Control

As springtime shifts toward summer and temperatures begin to rise, residents throughout Arizona will start looking out for bee swarms. As the swarming season approaches, it becomes increasingly important to pay attention to where bees choose to house themselves because they could opt for our very homes!

In 2017, a homeowner in New Jersey found a hive of more than 30,000 bees within his property! In nearby New York, a 68-year-old retired teacher discovered a hive inside her home that measured 7.5ft long with more than 120,000 bees inside.

Bees are fascinating creatures brimming with ingenuity and integral to our ecosystem. For all of their importance and intelligence, we still have to ask — why do they end up inside our households?

Why Do Bees Invade Homes?

From Mid-March until early July, residents throughout the state of Arizona will keep a sharp eye out for bees. This is the season that bees are the most active collecting pollen, feeding, and preparing for the coming winter. With bees active and on the move during the most populated time of the year for the beehive, potential infestations can come quickly, but why do they opt for our homes?

As it turns out, bees opt to invade homes during this season for two primary reasons.

A lack of natural resources for nesting will cause bees to select nearby buildings.
Wooden structures are easily accessible to bees, providing convenient nesting sites.

Swarming Season and Your Home

Bee infestations don’t simply crop up overnight. Instead, they likely are due to a hive splitting into two through a swarm. As hives begin to grow older and more populated, anywhere from 50% to 70% of the bees will form a swarm before departing with the queen. The goal is for this swarm to establish another colony at a new location, often opting for the inside of human habitats.

The path from swarm to new colony involves scout bees. Scout bees are dispatched to find a new place for the bees to live, opting to convey information regarding potential nest locations through a special dance. The more vigorous the dance, the more likely it is that a great nest location is nearby.

Included in the decision-making process, bees will assess the following traits before choosing a nest.

Small Hives Maximize Energy Efficiency
Wooden Houses Provide Ease of Access
Larger Hives Allow For Further Growth

Scouts will select multiple locations with the hive slowly convening at the favored destination. Due to the intrinsic traits favored by bees, these creatures tend to do quite well in urban environments. This makes it vital to quickly assess and identify a potential bee infestation at the earliest stages to prevent potential damage.

Common Bees of Arizona

The state of Arizona is home to a broad and booming ecosystem, including some of the most common bees in the world. Residents in Arizona will have to deal with a few of the following bees during their time in the Grand Canyon State.

The most common bees in Arizona include:

Carpenter Bees — Also known as Wood Bees, Carpenter Bees are roughly 1 inch in length featuring a shiny black abdomen. These are not social bees, and they are commonly found burrowing within wood surfaces.
Bumble Bees — These social creatures are divided and organized within a caste system, led by the Queen Bee who lays eggs for the colony. Drones exist to mate with the queen while worker bees make sure internal operations continue smoothly.
Honey Bees — Black and yellow with a fuzzy body, honey bees are social bugs that can be found within hollowed-out trees, houses, fence posts, attics, and crawl spaces. Honey bees can sting victims, though the act will kill them.
(Africanized) Honey Bees — Arizona is home to Africanized Honey Bees, also known as the Killer Bee. This hybrid bee is much more defensive than the other bees on this list, making it an aggressive insect prone to stinging humans.

Signs of a Bee Infestation

Bees are essential to the natural biodiversity of our planet as well as the very function of life as we know it. Bees are vital to the pollination of apples, cherries, blueberries, broccoli, and even almonds!

Despite how important bees are to the health and wellness of our planet, most people don’t want to live with a thriving hive buzzing above their heads or within the walls. Fortunately, bee infestations do not manifest overnight and sharp eyes can spot key signs before things can get out of hand.

Let’s take a look at some common signs of a bee infestation.

Bees Flying Around Household — The first sign of a bee infestation within the home is a preponderance of bees flying around the household. While the stray bee may make its way indoors through a cracked door or window, the constant presence of bees irrespective of the time indicates a potential nesting problem.
Dark Patches on Ceilings/Walls — Honeybee infestations can be noted by dark patches covering your walls or ceilings. These dark patches are typically caused by the nest producing honey from within the walls. The honey will leave dark patches as it gets produced within the household, leaving behind a clear indicator that bees are present in droves.
Active Nest Near the Home — An active nest in or near the home can lead to an infestation elsewhere. If you can see a nest near the exterior walls of your household, in your garden for example, then the odds are good that an infestation or nest will make its way into the household.

How To Treat a Bee Infestation

So you’ve noticed a potential nest has developed within your household or near your property. Bees are defensive creatures, and they can make life dangerous for animals, children, and even adults. Rather than exterminate these important creatures, the best possible solution to a bee infestation is to hire bee colony relocation services with a local bee removal team.

Before picking up the phone to call on a removal expert, you can take action in the following ways.

Cover All Food — To minimize the potential for a bee infestation, make sure that all food indoors is covered during the summertime. Bees are drawn toward sweet drinks and sugary foods as well as your favorite meats and dairy.
Keep Your Yard Clutter-Free — From gutters and downspouts to the farthest reaches of your property line, make sure to keep your property free from clutter to dissuade potential swarms from taking up residence on your property. Bees are attracted to wooden structures, so keep a sharp eye out around garages, sheds, and outbuildings.
Check Your Ventilation — The occasional bee flying around the house isn’t a big deal, but if you notice bees continuously are making their way inside then you need to address the issue. Some of the most common entry points for bees include ventilation holes, stove vents, chimneys, and attic ventilation.
Put Your Ear to the Wall — If you suspect a bee infestation but lack any proof, consider putting your ear to the wall where you suspect an infestation. When the household is silent, any potential buzzing could indicate a hive within the walls of your home.

Once these actions are taken and an infestation is considered likely, grab the phone to call on the team at Buzz Tech Pest Control, local bee removal, and pest control experts!

About Buzz Tech Pest Control

Buzz Tech Pest Control is a bee removal specialty company with more than 30 years of experience within the field. Licensed by the Arizona Department of Agriculture and fully insured, Buzz Tech Pest Control prides itself on winning pest control and removal services when you need them most.

Customers who turn to Buzz Tech Pest Control enjoy the following services with a smile.

90 Minute Guarantee — From phone call to your front door, Buzz Tech will have their pest control experts at your home within 90 minutes.
24/7 Service — Pests don’t work on a schedule and neither does Buzz Tech Pest Control. 24/7 emergency services keep you cool while your pest problems are corralled.
Experience Matters — 30 Years of Experience has led Buzz Tech Pest Control to remove well over 5,000 beehives in the Phoenix Metro Area alone.

Contact Buzz Tech Pest Control to set your sights on removing that pesky bee infestation within your home!