Soffit Honeybee Removal Scaffolding 3 High

Scaffolding set up against a red brick house next to a window, surrounded by green bushes.

This soffit hive removal is a good example of how a failing hive can cause an infestation of other pests. Soffit hive removals in general are not the most fun. They are usually just sticky, messy, and sort of a pain due to having to look up as you work all day. Also, the more scaffolding that is erected just equals that much more time and work. The work involved being the setup of course as well as the work of moving tools and personnel up and down the scaffolding during the job.

Close-up of a beehive with honeycomb and larvae on a wooden surface.

This hive was actively failing and being over taken by small hive beetles (SHB). Shown here are the SHB larvae. They worm their way through the hive destroying the comb and eating honey. At a certain point the bees of this hive would have absconded and left the rest of the stores and comb to the hive beetles and other pests.

Close-up view of a brick house exterior, white soffit, and roofline.

Looking down at the soffit to be removed.

A group of honeybees gathering at the corner of a brick wall and a white surface, possibly nesting or swarming.

Hive entrance between the facia board and the brick.

Swarm of bees in a wall cavity near brick and wood structure

Starting to remove construction materials.

Exposed beehive inside a wall cavity with bees flying around.

When the soffit was removed it pulled close to half of the comb out with it.

Bees on honeycomb attached to brick wall

Looking down at the comb that came out with the soffit. Some of the comb had melted due to colony failing.

Beehive inside a roof with honeycomb and bees.

Bees regulate the temperature within the hive. with less bees the cavity was over heating and melting the comb.

Bees on honeycomb inside wooden structure.

Beginning of the comb removal.

Wooden structure with visible mold and honeycomb pattern, possibly a beehive, in an attic or crawl space.
Close-up view of building construction with wood framing, insulation, and brickwork.
Exposed wooden wall framing with oriented strand board (OSB) panel

Once all of the comb is removed the surfaces get scraped to get as much wax out as possible.

Close-up of a brick wall with white wooden siding and signs of decay. Presence of insects, likely flies or bees, on the brick and wood surface.

Next is the priming of the surfaces.

Close-up of a building under eaves showing exposed pink fiberglass insulation above a brick wall.

The filling of the void.

close-up of painted corner with visible dirt and wear, next to a tiled floor
View of a brick wall and a white soffit or eave, with a ladder and greenery visible.

This is the finished product before paint. I forgot to get the last picture on this job.