Every year we receive a high volume of calls regarding bees setting up camp either in someone’s garden, or on the apex of a roof. Because of their beneficial role, every effort will be made to avoid carrying out control treatments against bees. Treatment with pesticides will only be considered as a last resort if the bees pose a risk to health and safety.
Below is a list of frequently asked questions to help answer our most common enquiries.
Will the bees damage my house?
Bees do not cause structural damage to your property. They utilise materials already available to make their nests.
How long will the nest be there for?
Nests are usually active for around 2-3 months. After this time, the original queen and the workers will die. If the nest has been successful in rearing new queens, they will leave the nest to mate and then go on to hibernate elsewhere in soil, ready to emerge the following spring and start their own colonies.
I am worried about a potential nest in my garden, can it be treated?
Ideally, we would not treat a bee’s nest unless it is causing a threat to public health. Bees are classed as pollinators and not pests and play a vital role in pollinating the food we eat. Bees are not aggressive insects and are generally only interested in finding flowers. The only time they may act in a defensive manner is if something disturbs their nest. We would always recommend leaving bees alone, and constructing a barrier around the nest to keep children and pets away. We do not recommend relocating the nest as most colonies do not survive after being moved.
Bees are swarming, what should I do?
Bumblebees do not swarm. The likelihood is they are male bees seeking out new queens as they emerge from a nest. This may look alarming but male bumblebees cannot sting and their presence usually signifies the nest is coming to the end of its life cycle. However, if you see a swarm of honeybees, you will need to contact the British Bee Keepers Association to collect the swarm.
Although bees are not protected they are endangered. AG Pest Management will not offer an eradication service unless the bees are posing a threat to public health. 
You are not in danger of being stung if they are left alone and unprovoked. After the summer season, most bees will go away and not return to the same nesting spot the following year.
For more information on why most pest control companies won’t treat bees, please visit the BPCA website to read their leaflet.