To remove a poorly placed beehive, homeowners can expect to pay an average cost of $445, but this service can range anywhere from $135 to $1,065. If a hive has caused structural damage and walls must be removed, though, you can end up paying close to $2,500.
Occasionally, you may find a beekeeper willing to do beehive removal for free, as they can relocate the hive to their farm for an additional source of honey.
In this article:
- Average costs
- Cost estimator by bee type
- Other factors that affect cost
- Related services
- Cost by location
- FAQ
Average beehive removal costs in 2024
| National average cost | $445 |
| Typical price range | $135 to $1,065 |
| Extreme low-end cost | $0 |
| Extreme high-end cost | $2,500 |
The typical cost of bee removal is between $135 and $1,065, with most homeowners paying $445. However, your actual cost will depend on the type of bee, the location and size of the hive, and whether or not you need any carpentry repairs post-removal.
Let’s say you’ve got a honey bee hive thriving in your ceiling. In that scenario, removal may take more time and may require drywall repair — all of which can add to your overall cost, inching it closer to the extreme high-end.
Beehive removal cost estimator by type of bee
Before the actual removal process begins, it’s important to identify the buzzing insects you’re looking to get rid of. Not only is it easy to confuse bees and wasps (we’re lookin’ at you, yellow jackets!), but removal tactics also vary depending on the type of bee.
If bees have caused structural damage to your home or other building, you can expect additional costs, inching your total closer to $2,500.
| Type of Bee | Average Overall Cost | Typical Price Range |
| Honey bees | $669 | $88 – $1,250 |
| Carpenter bees | $794 | $88 – $1,500 |
| Killer bees | $513 | $125 – $900 |
| Bumblebees | $214 | $78 – $350 |
Honey bees
Perhaps the most docile of the bunch, honey bee hives hold honey, honeycombs, and up to 50,000 individual bees. Because of their value to beekeepers, you may be able to find one to remove a hive of live bees outside of the typical price range to the tune of $0. If that’s not an option, and you have to go with a pest control pro, you’ll pay between $88 and $1,250, with most homeowners paying an average of $669.
Carpenter bees
Carpenter bees are known for building their nests in wood–– think attics, drywall, decks, rafters, siding, outdoor furniture, and landscape timber. And while these bees are also on the gentler side (only the females can sting, and they do so rarely), they can wreak havoc on said wood, leading to damage over time.
Typically, the removal of a carpenter bee hive will run you between $88 and $1,500, with most people paying an average of $794. If your home requires carpentry repairs, removal can cost closer to $2,000.
Killer bees
The average cost of removing a killer bee hive (aka an Africanized honey bee hive) is $513, but prices can range anywhere from $125 to $900 to remove, largely because of their aggressive nature. (It doesn’t take much to provoke them.) Because they tend to live in smaller colonies, they’ll build nests almost anywhere, from underneath rocks and holes in the ground to tires, mailboxes, utility poles, and grills.
Bumblebees
Bumblebees cost an average of $214 to remove, with typical pricing ranging from $78 to $350. Their hives are small with most only containing around 50 bees. Depending on the bumblebee species, hives can be home to less than 20 bees or up to 400. Before removing, though, check your state laws. For example, in the summer of 2022, California became the first state to legally protect bumblebees under the California Endangered Species Act.
Other factors that affect cost
Besides the type of bee, other factors that can affect the price include location of the hive, size of the hive, structural damage caused by the hive, and whether you opt for relocation or extermination as a removal method.
Location of hive
Where the hive in question is situated can affect the price you’ll pay for its removal. Taking down hives found in harder-to-reach areas like inside walls and ceilings, chimneys, or roofs, for example, will likely cost more than it would for hives in a tree in your yard. Additionally, bees can cause structural damage if they nest inside walls, ceilings, deck wood, soffits, and the like, ratcheting up the price with costly repairs. Take a look at a few examples below:
| Location of Repairs | Average Overall Repair Cost |
| Chimney | $850 |
| Roof | $575 |
| Drywall | $512 |
| Ceiling | $650 |
| Deck | $1,375 |
| Soffits | $6 – $20 per linear foot |
Size of hive
As many as 80,000 honeybees can call a single hive home, while other types — like the bumblebee — prefer nests with around 500 bees. If the hive you’d like removed is on the extra-large size, expect to pay $2,000 on average. For a large hive, you’ll pay $1,170, and for a medium hive, you’ll pay $450. If the hive is pretty small, the cost should be, too — around $118.
| Size of Hive | Average Overall Removal Cost |
| Small | $118 |
| Medium | $450 |
| Large | $1,170 |
| Extra-Large | $2,000 |
Removal method
Because of Colony Collapse Disorder, a direct threat to the bee population — and how beneficial these pollinators are for the ecosystem and our own survival — it’s always best to save the bees, opting for live removal over extermination.
Contact a beekeeper near you, so they can assess the situation, and only exterminate if the pro tells you the hive is unhealthy or that there’s another reason live relocation is impossible.
Some beekeepers will remove a hive free of charge, but on average, you’ll pay $445. Extermination will cost you between $185 and $670.
While you’re at it with the hive removal, you may want to consider knocking a few other services off your to-do list:
- Swarm removal
- Wasp removal
- Carpentry repairs
Swarm removal
For many reasons — including lack of food, human disturbance, disease, or overcrowding — bees can sometimes become hiveless and swarm. A swarm is simply a colony of bees in search of a new home. Typically happening in the spring, these swarms huddle on trees, walls or on the ground. Sometimes, though, they may gather near doorways, playgrounds, or other precarious locations and need to be safely removed. You may find a beekeeper who’ll do the job for free, but the average cost of swarm removal is relatively low at $140.
Wasp removal
Wasps also build nests near homes at times, be it in a corner of a front porch, inside door sills on your deck, or in bushes a little too close for comfort. More aggressive than bees, wasps should be removed as soon as possible, and extermination is typically the route. Expect to pay pest control companies between $212 and $875 to get rid of your wasp nest, with an average cost of $385.
Carpentry repairs
To repair damage done by bees nesting in walls, ceilings, and decks, the total cost of removal and repairs can reach close to $2,000. On average, a pro can repair drywall for $512, ceilings for $650, and decks for $1,375.
Cost of beehive removal by location
The region in which you live also plays a part in the cost: city dwellers are most certainly likely to pay more than those who live in more suburban or rural areas, where prices of everything are generally cheaper and where beekeepers may be more easily accessible. The national average cost for beehive removal is $445.
FAQ about beehive removal
Yes, bees can come back after the hive is removed. Here’s why:
Beehives are hubs of activity with some bees caring for the young and tending to the queen, while others make the honey or forage for nectar. Depending on the time of day a hive is removed, all bees may not be accounted for, as some may be out pollinating plants and collecting that nectar. If this occurs, you may spot some bees return to the location of the (former) hive, not knowing what happened.
To avoid this, it’s best to remove a hive in the early morning before any worker bees have left the nest or in the late evening once they’ve all returned.
DIY beehive removal options are available, but they’re not always effective (or humane). Chemical-free methods include discouraging bees with cinnamon or smoke, but these methods require patience and aren’t always suitable for indoor or hard-to-reach hives. Store-bought pesticides are available, but they result in the death of the bees, which isn’t ideal.
DIY beehive removal is also dangerous, especially if you are allergic to bee stings. It’s true most bees are gentle creatures that rarely sting, but besides potentially provoking them by messing with their hive, you also run the risk of misidentification — your “bees” may actually be wasps. They might also not be honeybees but killer bees, instead, a type you definitely do not want to disturb. Leave the beehive removal (or wasp extermination) to the pros.
Live beehive removal is the most humane option, no matter the type of bee in question. It allows the bees to be relocated to a safer space, where they can continue to grow, pollinate, and produce. Without maintaining a diverse population of bees (including native bees; however, they typically live solitary lives, rather than in hives), we could lose many of the crops we rely on for food.
Also, with live beehive removal, an expert will not only carry away the bees themselves, but they will also remove the honeycomb and clean up any residual honey. This will ensure no other bees are attracted back to that location.
Further, the effects of pesticides are more far-reaching than you may imagine. For one, all the pesticide will do is exterminate the bees. It won’t clean up the hive or the honey left behind, which can attract foraging bees from other nearby hives, who can then collect the honey and unknowingly share the poison with their own nest, exacerbating bee death in your area. Not only that, but these chemicals are harmful to people and the overall environment, as well.
The easiest way to get in touch with a beekeeper is to call your area pest control services for a referral. Or, you can visit a nearby farmer’s market and meet local beekeepers there. Another reputable resource is the American Beekeeping Federation, which maintains a searchable list of beekeepers in several U.S. states and territories, as well as in Canada.
Final thoughts
If you notice a hive is situated in a problematic area — close to a home, playground, or similar location — do not try to remove it yourself. Call up a local pest control pro right away, instead. They’ll be able to properly identify the flying insect and either refer you to a bee removal service or exterminate the wasp nest then and there.
Note: Lawn Love may get a referral fee for matching you with contractors in your area.
Main Image Credit: Pexels
