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There's a bees' nest in my garden — what should I do?

BeesReviewed 2026-08-03

Short answerMostly falseEstablished evidence

In almost every case, nothing. A bumblebee nest dies out naturally by late summer and never returns to the same hole; holes in a lawn are solitary mining bees that will be gone in weeks and cannot meaningfully sting. A honey bee swarm hanging in a cluster should be reported to a local beekeeper, who will usually collect it free. Only a wasp nest close to a doorway is a case for control, and that is a different animal.

Where the belief comes from

Pest control marketing does not distinguish between bees and wasps, and the first search result for 'nest in my garden' is usually somebody selling removal. Most of what is treated as a bee problem is either a wasp or a colony that would have disappeared on its own.

Identify it before doing anything

  1. Dozens of small holes in a lawn or bank, each with a fine soil heapSolitary mining bees. Each hole is one female with her own nest — this is an aggregation, not a colony. They are active for a few weeks in spring, cannot sting through skin, and do no damage to the lawn. Do nothing.
  2. A few bees coming and going from a hole in the ground, a compost heap or under a shedA bumblebee nest. A few dozen to a few hundred bees, active from spring to late summer, then it dies completely — only new queens survive, and they hibernate elsewhere. The site is not reused. Do nothing, and mow around it.
  3. A large cluster of bees hanging from a branch or a fenceA honey bee swarm. It is temporary, usually hours to a couple of days, and swarming bees are full of honey and unusually docile. Contact a local beekeeping association — most keep a swarm collection list and will come free.
  4. A steady stream of bees into a roof, chimney or wall cavity over weeksAn established honey bee colony. This is a job for a beekeeper or a specialist, not for insecticide: killing a colony in a cavity leaves comb and honey behind, which ferments, stains and attracts other pests.
  5. Smooth, waisted, bright yellow insects into a papery grey nestWasps, not bees. If it is near a door or a play area, this is the one case where control is reasonable.

Why doing nothing is usually right

  • A bumblebee colony lasts one season. By September the nest is empty whatever you do.
  • Mining bee aggregations look alarming and are among the most harmless things in a garden. The low-flying bees are usually males, which have no sting.
  • Nest sites are the limiting resource for wild bees far more often than flowers are — a nest in your garden is a sign the garden is working.
  • Insecticide aimed at a bee nest is illegal in some jurisdictions, ineffective in cavities, and lethal to exactly the animals most garden advice is trying to attract.

Sources

  • Field Guide to the Bees of Great Britain and Ireland — Bloomsbury (2015) · Field guide
  • HoneyHQ editorial synthesis — HEKNO Ltd · HoneyHQ synthesis

How sources are selected and weighted is set out in the sources and evidence policy.

Work it out for yourself

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