Utility Box Bee Removal
Honey bees often move into in-ground utility boxes. The space is dark, dry and protected, which is exactly what a swarm looks for. Africanized honey bees are established in much of Florida, and they can’t be told apart from gentler bees by sight. A colony in a box that utility workers need to open, or beside a sidewalk where people walk, is a real stinging risk, so removal is the sensible course.
Every job starts with an INSPECTION. The technician talks with you about what you’ve seen, then looks the site over to IDENTIFY the insect and DETERMINE how to handle it. For your safety, you’re asked to stay well back while this happens.
- Safety – Before approaching the box, the technician puts on a full bee suit and keeps it on until the job is finished. The surrounding area is cleared or marked off as needed, based on foot traffic and how close homes, sidewalks and roads are.
- Cluster Knockdown – The technician mixes a soap and water solution in a power sprayer or backpack sprayer and sprays it through the opening in the box lid. Soapy water coats the bees and stops them quickly. The lid is then lifted slowly while spraying continues, aimed at the comb and any clusters of bees inside.
- Comb Removal – When the bees have settled, the comb is cut out and bagged, along with most of the dead bees in and around the box. The bag is tied off and taken away for disposal, so leftover honey and wax don’t draw a new swarm.
- Exclusion – Openings in the lid are plugged so scout bees can’t find a way back in.
- Surface Treatment – A residual product is applied to the lid and the ground right around the box.
COMMUNICATION – After the work is done, the technician walks you through what was found and what was done, either on site or by phone. You’ll also hear what to expect next: a few bees that were out foraging may return to the box for a day or two. With no colony left to rejoin, they die off or move on.
If bees move back in, call Florida Bug Control at 1-855-624-2847.
Our customers say it best
“Our representative is Craig and he is in good communication when he does his rounds at our company. He will regularly check in with me or other staff if I am not available to inquire if there are any trouble areas that need attention. He goes about completing his job without interruption of our workers. Always dependable and takes an interest.”
