Local bee information

Bee control in Georgia

Learn what to look for around your property, explore your city, and ask about an inspection or a quote.

Bees in Georgia: what to know

Around Georgia

Conditions vary across the state. Choose your city below, then describe what’s happening around your home or business.

What to note

Where you see bees, how long it has been going on, and anything you’ve already tried are the most useful details to mention.

A useful next step

Ask about an inspection, what treatment would involve, and whether follow-up visits are included. You don’t need to identify the problem yourself before getting in touch.

Local research

Bees in Georgia: what the public record shows

Before you compare quotes, it helps to know which bees actually live in Georgia, when they are busiest, and what the state figures look like. Everything below links to the agency or university page it came from.

142,000 colonies

Honey bee colonies, January 1, 2026 (operations with five or more colonies)

Managed hives are the source of the spring swarms that end up in homes and trees; the state table is on page 7 of the report.

USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service

17 percent

Colonies lost, January–March 2026

Percent of maximum colonies lost during the first quarter of 2026 in this state.

USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service

2010, Dougherty County

Africanized honey bee confirmation in Georgia

'This fatality confirms the bees' arrival in Georgia, according to the Georgia Department of Agriculture.'

University of Georgia CAES

Bee species recorded in Georgia

Western honey bee (European honey bee) (Apis mellifera) — Managed colonies are surveyed by USDA NASS in the listed states; swarms leave hives in spring and move into wall voids, chimneys, and trees. If a colony is killed and not remove…
Africanized honey bee (Apis mellifera scutellata hybrids) — Visually indistinguishable from European honey bees; far more defensive and swarm more often. 'They entered Texas in 1990, Arizona and New Mexico in 1993, and California in 1994…
Eastern carpenter bee (Xylocopa virginica) — Large black-and-yellow bee with a shiny bare abdomen that bores round, about 1/2-inch tunnels into unpainted softwood trim, decks, fascia and railings. 'There is only one specie…
Southern carpenter bee (Xylocopa micans) — 'In southern Georgia, their range overlaps with the southern carpenter bee, Xylocopa micans' (UGA IPM). Similar wood-boring habit to the eastern carpenter bee.

When bees are busiest in Georgia

Carpenter bee 'Females and males emerge from their tunnels in February and mate'; eggs are laid 'From March to April' (UGA C1342). Honey bee swarms follow in spring.

Georgia has a dedicated license: 'Honey Bee Control and Removal (HBR) refers to control and removal of honey bees from a structure without the use of pesticides', requiring 8 hours of approved training, while 'The use of pesticides to control honey bees and the removal of other species of stinging insects requires a Household Pest Control (HPC) license.'

Rules that apply in Georgia

For context, nationally

788 deaths (an average of 72 deaths per year) — Sting deaths, hornets/wasps/bees, 2011–2021. CDC MMWR
84% — Share of sting deaths among males, 2011–2021. CDC MMWR

Sources: Honey Bee Colonies (August 2026); University of Georgia CAES; CDC MMWR; African Honey Bee, Africanized Honey Bee, Killer Bee (EENY-429 / IN790); Carpenter Bees; Eastern carpenter bee. Figures are quoted as the source prints them. How we check our sources

Explore Georgia cities

Albany

Humid Subtropical · suburban setting

Bee control in Georgia

Bees in Georgia: what to know

Around Georgia

What to note

A useful next step

Bees in Georgia: what the public record shows

Bee species recorded in Georgia

When bees are busiest in Georgia

Rules that apply in Georgia

For context, nationally

Explore Georgia cities

Albany

Alpharetta

Athens

Atlanta

Augusta

Columbus

Duluth

Johns Creek

Kennesaw

Macon

Marietta

Newnan

Peachtree City

Rome

Roswell

Sandy Springs

Savannah

Smyrna

Valdosta

Warner Robins

Canton

Ask about bee control in Georgia