Honey bees are social insects residing in colonies. Each colony contains a single queen, male drones, and female worker bees, which are sterile and serve to carry nourishment to developing honey bees. The primary purpose of drones is to mate with the queen, after which they die. Queens can produce as many as 2,000 eggs in a day.

Spring Summer

Honey bee nests have a distinctive honeycomb pattern and are entirely of wax. Each cell holds a single egg or developing bee.

Honey bees construct their hives in protected areas, such as tree cavities, rock outcroppings, behind siding, in eaves and soffits, under sheds, and in roofs.

Honey bees eat pollen and nectar, but they're also attracted to sugary drinks, watermelon, and other sweet foods.

Although honey bees are not overly aggressive unless provoked, if a nest has been built in close proximity to your home, you do run the risk being stung when honey bees swarm. For those who experience allergic reactions to stings, the results could be quite serious and even fatal.

Like other insects, honey bees are attracted to properties that provide food, water, and shelter. If you've planted flowers, there's safe drinking water, and plenty of secure places for honey bees to build nests, there's a good chance you might see honey bee activity on your property and possibly on or in your home.

If you've noticed bees on your property and are concerned they're causing damage or becoming a threat to your wellbeing, you should contact an exterminator to positively identify the species. While Miller Pest & Termite does provide stinging insect control, we do not offer honey bee removal services. All the same we'd be happy to take a look at your problem, make sure the culprit is honey bees, and provide recommendations.

In order to prevent honey bees from nesting in or too close to your home, we recommend sealing all potential entry points on the exterior of the house, hauling away clutter in your yard that they might nest in, removing abandoned nests, and planting bee-deterring plants such as citronella and red geraniums.