You step outside and hear a low hum. Then you see them — hundreds of bees clustered on a branch, or a steady line of bees flying in and out of a crack in the stucco by the garage.
The first instinct is to grab a can of spray. Don’t. Here’s what you’re actually looking at, why spraying or sealing it usually backfires, and what to do instead.
Swarm or hive? Know the difference
Not every group of bees is a hive. The first step is figuring out which one you have.
A swarm is a colony on the move. When a hive gets crowded, part of the colony leaves with a queen to find a new home. While scouts search, the swarm rests in a tight, hanging cluster — on a branch, a fence, a mailbox, or an eave.
A hive (or established colony) is a colony that has moved in. The bees have found a protected space — inside a wall, a soffit, a roof, a utility box, or a hollow tree — and started building honeycomb.
| What to look for | Swarm | Established hive |
|---|---|---|
| What you see | A ball or clump of bees hanging in the open | Bees flying in and out of a hole or gap |
| Honeycomb | None | Wax comb built inside the space |
| How long it stays | Often hours to a few days | Stays and keeps growing |
| Behavior | Usually calm while resting | Defends the hive entrance |
Swarms are most common in South Florida’s spring and early summer. Established hives can show up any time of year, because the mild climate lets colonies stay active year-round.
Why South Florida bees deserve extra caution
Many wild honey bee colonies in South Florida are Africanized honey bees. You can’t tell them apart from regular honey bees by looking, but they tend to defend their hive much more aggressively — reacting to smaller disturbances, sending out more bees, and chasing farther.
That’s why any bee colony near your home should be treated as potentially defensive until a professional says otherwise.
What to do right now
- Keep people and pets away. Close off the area and keep kids and dogs inside or at a distance.
- Don’t make noise or vibration nearby. Lawn mowers, leaf blowers, hedge trimmers, and pressure washers can set off a colony.
- Close nearby windows and doors so bees don’t wander inside.
- Watch from a safe distance. Note whether the bees are clustered in the open or flying into a hole — it helps when you call.
- Call for an inspection if bees are going into your walls or roof, or a swarm is close to where people walk or play.
If anyone is allergic to bee stings or has been stung many times, get medical help right away — call 911.
What not to do
- Don’t spray it. Store sprays rarely reach the whole colony, especially one inside a wall. What they do is agitate the bees, and a disturbed colony can send out many defenders at once.
- Don’t plug or seal the hole. Trapped bees will look for another way out — and that can be through an outlet, vent, or light fixture into your home.
- Don’t knock it down or hit it with water. Breaking up a swarm or cluster just puts angry bees in the air around you.
- Don’t try to pull the comb out yourself. Opening up a wall or soffit exposes you to the most defensive part of the colony.
The honeycomb problem
Even if bees in a wall die or leave, the job isn’t done. A colony inside a wall can grow to tens of thousands of bees, and the honeycomb they build keeps growing with it.
Left behind, that comb causes its own trouble:
- Melting wax and honey can soak through drywall and leave stains.
- Dead bees and old comb attract roaches, ants, and other pests.
- The empty cavity can draw a new swarm to move right back in.
That’s why proper hive removal includes taking out the honeycomb, not just dealing with the bees.
Bees or wasps?
Sometimes what looks like a bee problem is actually wasps. Wasps are smooth and thin-waisted and build papery nests under eaves, inside hurricane shutters, and on screen enclosures. Bees are fuzzier and build wax honeycomb. Unlike bees, wasps can sting again and again.
If it’s a papery nest, see our wasp and hornet removal service — we remove the nest and spray-treat the area, backed by a 3-month guarantee. If you’re not sure which you have, we’ll identify it.
How Golden handles bee hives
We start with a free inspection to see what you have and where it is, and you get a price before any work begins. When a hive puts people at risk, our team safely removes it — including the honeycomb, so nothing is left inside the wall to attract other pests. Hive removal is backed by a 1-year guarantee.
We’re open 6am to 7pm every day, and emergencies are handled 24/7 (after 7pm, extra charges may apply). If bees have moved into your wall or roof, keep your distance and call us for a free inspection.
