Bees · Auckland-wide

Bee Removal Auckland

Bee removal across Auckland: honey bee colonies in walls, roofs and chimneys, bumble bee nests, and free swarm referrals. From $140 incl. GST. Free estimate.

Species identified before anything is treated
Typical cost $140 – $380 incl. GST, quoted up front
Written record of products used and where they went

09 925 0448 Get a free estimate

Trained & insured techniciansUrban pest management, applied to label

Usually within 2–4 working daysUrgent jobs prioritised where we can

Pet & child-conscious methodsEPA-approved products, targeted placement

Written record every visitWhat was used, where, and what to seal

Video title card: bees in a wall, roof or garden in Auckland — How to tell a swarm from a colony in a wall, and why the comb has to come out.

Bee removal in Auckland: the short answer

Bee removal in Auckland typically costs $140 to $380 including GST, depending on the bee and where it has settled. Three situations account for nearly every call. A honey bee swarm hanging in a cluster on a branch or fence is usually collected free by a volunteer beekeeper, and we will point you to one. An established honey bee colony inside a wall, roof space or chimney is a building problem: the bees, the wax comb and the honey all need dealing with, and the entry has to be sealed. A bumble bee nest is small and short-lived, and is often best left alone unless it sits somewhere people walk. Swarm season runs from about August to January.

Signs to look for

Signs bees have moved into your house

A steady stream of bees flying in and out of one gap: a weatherboard join, a soffit, a vent or a chimney flashing
A loud, constant hum from inside a wall or ceiling, often louder on warm afternoons
A dense, buzzing cluster of bees hanging from a branch, fence or eave (a swarm resting before it moves on)
Dark staining, a sweet smell or sticky residue on an interior wall or ceiling below where bees are entering
Bees appearing indoors around light fittings, especially in one room
Fat, furry black-and-yellow bees going in and out of a hole in the lawn, a compost heap or under a deck (bumble bees)

If any of these sound familiar, describe what you have noticed when you call: where it is, when it started and what you have seen. You do not need to identify anything yourself. Call 09 925 0448 or request an estimate online.

Get a free estimate

Tell us what is going on. We will come back with a firm price, usually the same day.

No call-out fee · No obligation

Know what you have

Which bees you are dealing with

The right answer depends entirely on which bee it is and where it is. Identify it first.

Honey bee

Apis mellifera

Golden-brown and fairly hairy, about 12 mm long. A colony holds thousands of bees and builds wax comb filled with honey and brood. In spring a crowded colony splits: the old queen leaves with a large share of the workers, and the swarm rests in a cluster for a few hours to a day or two while scouts look for a new home. If the best cavity they find is your wall, roof or chimney, they move in and start building comb straight away. Swarms are usually calm; an established colony will defend its entrance.

Bumble bees

Bombus terrestris and relatives

Large, round and very furry, usually black with yellow bands and a white or buff tail. They were brought to New Zealand from England, from 1885, to pollinate red clover. A nest holds from a few dozen to a few hundred bees, is usually in an old rodent hole, a compost heap, under a deck or in a wall cavity, and lasts only two to three months before it dies off naturally. Bumble bees are not aggressive, store no honey and do no structural damage.

Native bees

Leioproctus, Lasioglossum and Hylaeus

New Zealand has 28 native bee species. They are small, dark, solitary and seldom noticed: you might see a cluster of tiny burrows in bare, sunny soil. They are not the bees anyone needs removing, and we leave them alone.

Is it actually a wasp?

Vespula and Polistes

Glossy, hairless, bright yellow and black, with a narrow waist. Wasps build grey or brown paper nests, not wax comb, and German and common wasps are far more defensive than bees. If that sounds more like what you have, see wasp nest removal.

Our method

How we deal with bees in a building

Every job follows the same sequence, because skipping a step is how treatments end up being repeated at your expense.

Identify the bee from a photo
Send a photo from a safe distance and tell us where the bees are going in. A swarm, an established honey bee colony and a bumble bee nest are three different jobs, and two of them may not need us at all.
Swarms go to a beekeeper first
A swarm that is still hanging in a cluster can usually be boxed up alive. Volunteer swarm collectors, such as those listed by the Auckland Beekeepers Club, do this free. Do not spray a swarm: official beekeeping advice is that insecticide only makes the bees sick or kills them, and a sprayed swarm can no longer be rehomed.
Assess an established colony
Once bees have moved into a building we find the entry point, work out how far the comb extends, and check whether the void can be reached from the roof space, the subfloor or by removing a few boards or a lining panel. If a beekeeper could realistically take the colony out alive, we tell you so.
Treat the colony and remove the comb
Where live removal is not practical, the colony is treated at the entrance and the comb is removed wherever it can be reached. Comb matters: once the bees stop cooling it, wax and honey can melt and soak through linings, and leftover honey draws in bees from other hives to rob it. Robbing is one way bee diseases such as American foulbrood spread between hives, and honey from a treated colony is harmful to the robbers too.
Seal the entry and advise
The old nest smell makes the same cavity attractive to future swarms, so the entry gap is sealed once the colony is gone. Where the comb sits behind a finished wall or ceiling that has to be opened and repaired, we tell you before starting and quote that part separately; sometimes it needs a builder.
Bumble bee nests
If a bumble bee nest is out of the way, the kindest and cheapest option is to leave it: it will be finished within a few months. Where it sits beside a door, under a step or in a play area, it can be moved or treated in the evening when the bees are home.

Pricing

How much bee removal costs in Auckland

Typical range for this service is $140 – $380 including GST. We quote before we start, and the price we give you is the price you pay unless the job turns out to be materially different from what was described on the phone.

What moves the price: property size and access, how far the infestation has progressed, whether roof or subfloor work is needed, and whether follow-up visits are required to complete the job properly.

See the full cost guide

Typical cost: $140 – $380 incl. GST
Call-out fee: None
Typical wait: 2–4 working days
Follow-up: Included where the pest requires one
Coverage: Wider Auckland region
Documentation: Written record of products and placements

Where we work

Bee Removal across Auckland

Swarm calls come from every part of Auckland between August and January. Established colonies turn up most often in older villas and bungalows, where weatherboard gaps, unlined walls and disused chimneys give bees an easy way in.

The same inspection-first approach and written record apply to every treatment. See how Pest Control Auckland works.

Guides on this pest

Wasp Nests in Auckland: German, Common and Asian Paper Wasps · 8 min read
The Auckland Pest Calendar: What's Active, Month by Month · 9 min read

All pest advice guides →

Questions

Bee removal: questions people ask

How much does bee removal cost in Auckland?

Most jobs fall between $140 and $380 including GST. A bumble bee nest is at the lower end. An established honey bee colony in a wall, roof or chimney is at the upper end because the comb has to be removed and the entry sealed. If a ceiling or wall lining has to be opened and repaired to reach the comb, that part is quoted separately before any work starts. Swarm referrals cost nothing.

Will a beekeeper take a swarm for free?

Usually, yes. Auckland swarm collectors are mostly volunteers, and a healthy swarm is worth having. Call one while the bees are still clustered; once they have moved into a cavity, collection becomes a much bigger job and most volunteers will not take it on.

Should I spray the bees myself?

No. Spraying a swarm stops a beekeeper from rehoming it, and spraying the entrance of a colony in a wall leaves the comb and honey behind, which brings its own problems. Do not block the entrance either: the bees will look for another way out, which can be into the house.

Why can't the bees just be left in the wall?

Some people do leave them, and a colony can live in a wall for years. The problems come later: the comb keeps growing, honey can seep through linings, a colony that dies leaves honey that robbing bees and pests are drawn to, and the cavity keeps attracting new swarms. If you want them gone, it is better to deal with the colony and the comb together.

Is it illegal to kill honey bees in New Zealand?

We are not aware of any law that stops you dealing with a bee nest on your own property. Honey bees and bumble bees are introduced species. Even so, the official advice is not to spray swarms, and we only treat a honey bee colony when live removal is not a realistic option.

Do bumble bees sting?

They can, but they rarely do unless the nest is disturbed or one is trapped against skin. Bumble bees are not aggressive, and their nests die off naturally after two to three months. Beekeepers generally do not deal with bumble bee nests, which is why people call us about them.

What should I do if I'm stung?

A honey bee leaves its stinger behind. Health New Zealand advises scraping it out as quickly as possible with a fingernail or the edge of a card, then washing the area and using a cold pack. If anyone develops swelling of the face, lips or throat, wheezing or difficulty breathing, call 111.

More services

Other pest control services

References and further reading

Written and reviewed by the Pest Control Auckland technical team. Last reviewed 29 October 2026.

Need bee removal in Auckland?

Describe what you have seen and we will tell you what it is likely to be, what it takes to fix, and what it will cost, before you commit to anything.

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