Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Bee Removal?

Where storm damage comes into it

West Palm Beach gets seasonal storms and heavy rain, and that raises the risk of wind damage and water getting into a house. A vent knocked loose or a piece of trim pulled back in a blow is exactly the kind of gap a colony moves into. The same gap lets rain in.

When the entry point looks like storm damage, we write it up separately from the bees. The colony is one problem. A damaged vent, roof edge or trim board, and any water that has come in around it, is another. When bees turn up at a spot a storm opened, we check that entry for water coming in as well as for the colony.

What our written estimate records

Every estimate we write lists where the colony is, where the bees are getting in, what the structure around that spot looks like, and any signs of water intrusion at the entry. If we can see comb or damage to framing or finishes, that goes in too.

Photos you take before we arrive are worth keeping: the entry point, any staining or swelling on walls or ceilings, and the date you first noticed activity. Together with our estimate, that gives you a plain account of what was there before any work started.

How we open a wall, roof or chimney

On a complex job we open only the area needed to reach the nest. Before we cut, we check for structural supports and utility lines so the opening doesn't create a second repair.

We use smoke sparingly at the entrance to settle an established colony, then work the bees off with an adjustable-suction bee vacuum. The suction gets turned down so the bees aren't harmed. We look for the queen as we go, and when we find her she goes into a queen cage or the receiving hive box so the colony stays together.

What it costs

A trap-out removal runs $250 to $350. Complex jobs (a colony in a roof, a chimney, or a wall on an upper story) run $1,000 to $2,500, because of the access and the opening and closing involved.

Describe where the bees are going in and how high up, and we can tell you on the phone which of those two bands your job likely sits in. The final figure is set after we've looked at the site, and that's the figure written into the estimate.