Find the right help for your bee problem.

It depends on the bee and where it is. A honey bee swarm or a reachable young colony is often collected alive and taken to a beekeeper. A colony deep inside a wall usually has to be cut out, a very defensive colony may be treated, and carpenter bees are treated rather than moved. Ask the pro what they plan to do and why. Nobody can promise live removal before seeing the situation.

A swarm hanging in the open is the quickest and cheapest job. A colony inside a wall costs more because the comb has to be removed, the cavity cleaned and the opening sealed, and any wall or ceiling repair is usually priced on top. Ask for a quote that lists each step so you can compare it with another.

Please don't. Spraying a honey bee colony leaves pounds of honey and brood behind to rot, stain and attract ants and rodents. Plugging the entrance traps the bees, and they look for another way out, often into a room. Carpenter bee holes can be plugged and painted, but only after the tunnels have been treated.

Most honey bees ignore people unless the nest is disturbed, but a colony near a door, a play area or a walkway deserves respect, and anyone with a known sting allergy should stay well away. Carpenter bee males hover and bluff but can't sting. If a colony seems unusually defensive, say so when you call.

A swarm is a cluster of bees resting in the open, usually on a branch, while scouts look for a permanent home. It has no comb and is generally calm. A colony has built comb inside a cavity and will defend it. Swarms are quick to collect; colonies take real work to remove.

They can, if old comb or the opening is left behind, because the smell of comb draws scout bees to the same spot. Removing the comb, cleaning the cavity and sealing the gap is what keeps them from moving back in, so ask whether all three are part of the job and what happens if activity returns.