Beekeeper urges relocation over extermination to protect native bee population
By Gracie Palmer
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ASHEVILLE, North Carolina (WLOS) — Spring has sprung, and that also means the bees are back. Calling an exterminator for that pesky beehive on your home might seem like a quick fix, but a local beekeeper says it’s actually doing more harm than good.
In the U.S., bee populations have continued to decline over the last twenty years, with some beekeepers losing 40% of their colonies, according to Penn State University.
“I’ve never lost that many bees before,” said Matt Corn, a local beekeeper.
Corn says he lost nearly 200,000 bees during Tropical Storm Helene.
“I had my hives facing the southeast, and they just, they got hammered. Just pushing water in the entrances,” Corn said.
Corn doesn’t have bees anymore, but he still makes honey and removes hives in his free time. Now that spring is here, he says those hives are popping up on people’s homes.
“Then the comb starts breaking down, and you’ve got honey running down inside your walls, and it causes rodents. It can get messy for people,” he said.
Corn says that although calling an exterminator might seem like the easiest solution, it can create bigger issues.
“So, if you have an exterminator come out and spray this colony and kill them, then you’re stuck with massive amounts of brood comb and honey. When you do that, you’re hurting our native bee population.”
These pollinators play a critical role in keeping ecosystems alive, which is why beekeepers recommend hiring a professional to safely remove the nests and relocate the bees.
“When I do a honeybee colony removal, those bees are taken to another beekeeper and established there,” Corn said.
The removal process can vary depending on the type of nest, but experts say relocation is the safest option for both homeowners and the bees.
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