How to identify them

Honey bees are about half an inch, golden-brown and fuzzy, with amber-and-black banding. They are hairier and more robust than yellow jackets and move with a slower, deliberate flight. A structural colony reveals itself by a steady stream of bees coming and going from a single gap in a wall, soffit, eave, or utility penetration.

Behavior and biology in South Florida

Honey bees live in large, perennial colonies — tens of thousands of bees on wax comb — that persist year after year, unlike the annual nests of wasps. In spring, colonies swarm to reproduce, and a swarm will sometimes choose a wall void, chimney, or soffit as its new home.

Once inside a structure, the colony builds wax comb and stores honey. Beyond the bees themselves, that comb and honey become a magnet for other pests and can stain and damage building materials. Florida also has Africanized honey bees, which look nearly identical but are far more defensive — another reason structural colonies should be left to professionals.

Signs of an infestation

• A steady stream of bees using one gap in a wall, soffit, eave, or chimney
• Honey or dark staining bleeding through interior walls or ceilings
• A low humming heard inside a wall
• A swarm clustering on a tree, fence, or structure in spring

Why they are a problem

A honey bee colony in a structure is both a sting hazard — especially if Africanized — and a building problem: the comb and honey draw rodents, roaches, and moths, and abandoned honey can ferment, stain, and rot materials. The worst response is a DIY one — spraying or sealing the entrance traps thousands of bees, which then chew and push into living space.

How Bugsy’s treats structural honey bee colonies

A colony in a wall or soffit needs professional handling. Bugsy’s removes and treats problem hives and, in most cases, repairs the area opened to reach them — note that we perform hive removal and treatment, not live bee relocation. The key point for homeowners: do not spray or seal an active colony yourself. See our Bee & Hive Removal service for how we handle structural hives.

Preventing structural honey bee colonies

• Seal gaps and cracks in soffits, eaves, and around utility penetrations before swarm season
• Screen vents, chimney tops, and openings a swarm could enter
• Address a swarm or new colony quickly — small is far easier than established
• Never plug the entrance of an active colony — it drives bees indoors
• Call a professional rather than attempting removal yourself

At a glance

PollinatorPerennial colonyStructural when indoorsDo not spray or seal in