Just visiting flowers
Bees foraging in your garden are different from a colony in your house. If there is no nest creating a conflict, removal may not be needed. Give them room and avoid swatting.
Make shared outdoor space easier →HOME CARE / MICHIGAN
Bees at home?
Start here.
You don’t need to solve it with a can of spray. Start with where they are, keep your distance, and find the right help for the job.
Find my next stepSomeone having a severe reaction after a sting? Trouble breathing, tongue or throat swelling, or fainting needs emergency help. Call 911. If prescribed epinephrine, use it as directed promptly. Sting warning signs ↗
01 / CHOOSE YOUR SITUATION
Where are you seeing them?
These are starting points, not an insect identification. A beekeeper or pest professional can help confirm what you’re dealing with.
A hanging cluster
A loose cluster on a branch or fence may be a honey bee swarm. Keep people back and contact a swarm collector. Don’t shake the branch or try to move the bees yourself.
Find Michigan swarm help ↗Entering a wall or roof
Repeated traffic through one gap needs identification. Established honey bees may require a structural removal, often called a “cut-out,” with comb removal and building repairs.
Plan for bees inside the house →A ground hole or paper nest
These may be wasps or yellowjackets rather than honey bees; ground-nesting bees also exist. Keep away from the entrance and ask a pest professional to identify it before choosing treatment.
Choose the right kind of help →02 / BEES IN THE BUILDING
Don’t just plug the hole.
Blocking an active entrance can send bees looking for another exit—including into your home. Killing the colony alone can also leave honey and comb behind, causing leaks or attracting other pests.
Have an experienced professional assess the colony, access, removal, cleanup, and repairs together. Agree on when it is safe to seal entry points after the colony has been addressed.
Find structural bee-removal help ↗03 / MAKE THE RIGHT CALL
Michigan help, matched to the problem.
LOOSE HONEY BEE CLUSTER
Swarm collection ↗
Michigan Beekeepers Association’s swarm instructions and collector directory.
HONEY BEES IN A STRUCTUREStructural removal ↗
The association’s separate cut-out provider list. Confirm service area and repair scope.
For wasps, yellowjackets, or an uncertain nest near a doorway or play area, contact a pest-management professional for identification and options. Swarm collectors may not handle these insects.
Listings are a starting point, not a HomeScope endorsement. Availability, fees, relocation, and repair services vary; confirm directly before booking.
What to have ready before you call
- Your city and the location of the insects on the property.
- When you first noticed them, approximate height, and whether they enter a gap.
- A photo only if you can take it safely from a distance—do not approach for a close-up.
- Nearby entrances, children, pets, or known sting allergies.
- Any previous treatment, pesticide use, or other provider already contacted.
If a swarm leaves before the collector arrives, let them know.
04 / AFTER THE IMMEDIATE PROBLEM
Make your home less inviting to a return visit.
Keep outdoor food and sweet drinks covered, close trash containers, and check drinks before sipping. Avoid mowing or working close to an active nest. After removal, have the professional confirm when gaps can be repaired; don’t seal an occupied cavity yourself.
For garden visitors, give pollinators room to forage. The goal is to resolve a conflict with your living space, not clear every bee from the yard.
Sources & review
Reviewed September 16, 2026. General homeowner guidance; identification and site conditions determine the right response.
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