How to Remove a Beehive From Between Walls

Wash off any scent that you may be wearing, such as perfume, deodorant or even scented soap, as the smell can confuse the bees with the smell of flowers, attracting them as you deal with the hive. Put on light-colored clothing with a smooth texture that covers all of your skin. Wear a beekeeper’s veil and leather gloves to avoid stings to your face and hands.

Try to remove the beehive late in the winter or early in the spring, when the hive population is low. Wait until late in the afternoon to introduce the insecticide to the hive, when the entire population of bees is present.

Locate the exact position of the beehive by placing a glass against the interior side of the wall where you suspect the nest is located and listening to the activity within the wall with your ear placed against the glass base. Tap the wall with a hammer to make the bees buzz. You can find the bees by following the sound of the buzzing in the wall. Stop where the noise is loudest, and note the location.

Fill an insecticide sprayer with an insecticide formulated to kill bees.

Go to the noted location outside the structure. Drill a hole into the wall at the location of the hive, using a bit large enough to insert the nozzle of your insecticide sprayer. Use a masonry bit if drilling through brick.

Place the nozzle in the hole, then spray the insecticide into the wall cavity, following the manufacturer’s instructions. After that, If you can, put the sprayer down and back away from the wall. Wait the manufacturer-specified length of time for the insecticide to work, then tap on the inside of the wall while listening to the sound of buzzing. If you hear continued buzzes, apply the insecticide again. Repeat the process until there is no buzz when the wall is tapped, indicating that the bees have died or fled the hive.

Place a drop cloth onto the floor in front of the section of wall containing the hive. Score a 2-square-foot area on your wall over the location of the beehive with a utility knife. Remove the wall section by breaking through it with the side of your hammer and pulling the drywall off the structure’s frame. The scored line should allow you to snap the edge of the hole cleanly.

Examine the beehive inside the cavity and the direction in which it spreads. Expand the hole with the knife and hammer until you reveal the entire hive. Cut through the wall inside the structure over the beehive using a utility knife.

Pull the hive in large chunks from the wall and place them in a plastic garbage bag. There will be honey within the hive, and the drop cloth should allow you to pull the hive out without staining the floor. Dispose of the hive in a trash container for pickup.

Clean the wall cavity out with a soap-and-water mix. Dry with a piece of cloth.

Remove the rest of the drywall panel that you made the hole in by pulling the edges of the panel from the studs to which they’re connected. Apply construction adhesive to the studs, using a bead of adhesive running down each. Place new drywall onto the studs and nail it into place with ring-shank drywall nails running down the studs every 16 inches.

Spread joint compound down the seam between the drywall sheets with a 4-inch drywall knife, in a 4-inch-wide strip, then cover the seam with paper tape. Allow the compound to dry, and cover the tape with a strip of joint compound using a 6-inch drywall knife. Wait for the compound to dry, then apply a third coat that’s 12 inches wide. Sand the compound smooth when dried. Paint the drywall to match the rest of the wall.

Fill the drilled hole through the outside wall with joint compound as well, sanding it smooth and then painting it with a paintbrush to match the rest of the wall. Use a rust-resistant paint if you drilled through metal siding.