Let me guess. You found this page because you think you may have a bee problem, but you’re not sure. Don’t feel bad, you are not alone. We get lots of calls from customers who can’t figure out where the bees are coming from.

Usually the confusion starts when people notice one or two bees in the house. “Where did the bees come from?” they ask. Often they believe the bees may have flown in through an open window or door. But then the next day, a few more get inside! That’s when we usually get the call for help.

So what do you do when you think you might have a bee problem. What should you do and what should you check for?

The first thing I always ask our customers is “What room are the bees getting into?”. This is important because often it is in the living room, where there may be a fireplace. Bees love to get inside chimneys and build hives.

bees-getting-inside-roof-chimney

If the bees are getting inside through the fireplace, they usually will fly directly to a nearby window or skylight. You won’t necessarily see them inside the fireplace. Bees are attracted to sunlight, so they will naturally gravitate towards the windows.

If you think you may have bees in your chimney, its better to listen than to look. I often tell my customers to take a seat next to the fireplace. Turn off all radios, appliances, etc. Make it as quiet as possible in the room…and just listen. Often times you can hear the buzzing if you just sit quietly.

So what if you cant hear anything? What if there is no fireplace? What then?

If bees are getting inside your house and you don’t have a chimney, the next step would be to check the vents. It could be a stove vent, a bathroom vent, or even a dryer vent. If the bees are near the kitchen windows, bathroom windows, or laundry room, its time to check out the vents. Again, listening is key. Make it as quiet as possible and put your ear to the wall near the vent. Notice any buzzing?

OK, so maybe you still can’t hear anything from the inside. What then?

Answer: It’s time to grab a pair of binoculars (if possible) and head outside!

The next step in figuring out if you have a bee problem is a perimeter check of the outside of your home. This means you will need to walk entirely around the house and look to see if bees are entering the house another way.

Here are the most common ways bees enter a structure:

  1. Attic Vent Holes – These are the holes that allow the attic to breathe and the heat to escape. The screen on the holes are usually 1/4 inch, which give the bees plenty of room to squeeze through. Once they get in the attic, they will usually build a hive on the under side of the roof. you wont be able to see the hive or swarm on the inside, but you will notice flight activity going in and out of the vent hole.
  2. Bathroom, Dryer, and Stove Vents – Even if you couldn’t hear buzzing inside, always check these vents for bee activity. From a distance you wont notice loads of bees. Instead you will see a dozen or two, flying in and out of the vent. The majority of the swarm or hive will be on the inside of the wall. If you have a 2nd story, break out those binoculars if you have them. From a distance they may look more like flies than bees.
  3. Gaps, Cracks, and Holes in the wall – This includes the gaps under the eaves and/or gaps in or under the tile of the roof. Also look for areas where cable or electrical wires enter the structure. Often times the holes where the wires enter the structure have not been sealed off with silicone. These gaps allow bees to enter and make themselves at home. Problem is they won’t pay rent!
  4. Chimney Exterior – OK, so maybe you didn’t hear them inside the fireplace. It’s still best to be safe and grab those binoculars. Look at the top of the chimney. Look at the area where the roof line meets the chimney…both on top of the roof, and under the eaves.
  5. Pipes, gutters, etc – Look where gas pipes enter the house. Also check the rain gutters to see if there are holes where the gutters attach to the house. Basically you need to look for any small space or void where a bee could fly into. Again you are looking for flight activity…a dozen or two flying in and out of the gap or hole repeatedly.

So there you have it. A checklist of what to look for if you suspect you have bees that need to be removed. We hope this checklist will be helpful in figuring out if you have a bee problem. Share below if you were able to find the bees using this checklist. We’d love to know if it’s helpful (or not).