What can a pest controller do?
Pest controllers are licensed to used chemicals to destroy insect colonies, in general beekeepers are not. However, most pest controllers will not destroy honey bees until a beekeeper has confirmed that there is no other approach. This is not a legal requirement, but is good practice. Honey bees are not protected in law. Can I destroy the swarm myself? The short answer is DON’T – get help from a beekeeper. In law, there is nothing to prevent you from doing so, provided that you use chemicals that are legal. However, if you do, you will leave behind chemical residues which other honey bees will pick up and take back to properly managed colonies and this will kill them too. Most poisonings of honey bees occur for this reason. I have bees coming out of a wall, out of the ground, from under a shed and in a compost heap – what are these? These are likely to be bumble bees or solitary bees. They are harmless and do not swarm. They will die out naturally in the autumn so please leave them alo
