FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — Honey bees benefit the world in many ways, from pollination to honey production. They are not as helpful when they take up residence in a home or commercial building. 

What You Need To Know

  • Honey bees benefit the world in many ways, but they aren’t as helpful when they take up residence in a home or commercial building 

  • North Carolina is a busy bee state as the North Carolina State Beekeeping Association is the largest in the country

  • Hive removal specialist Michael Hanan said his construction experience and equipment allow him to cut open a structure to reach the bees, safely remove and relocate them, scrape the wax off, cover the affected area with a primer to deaden the scent and repair the ceiling

Michael Hanan, a hive removal specialist, owns a company called BeardyandtheBees. He travels around the South to remove and relocate honey bees from inconvenient locations. He said his background in construction benefits him when his work requires him to cut open a structure to reach the bees. 

“Your average beekeeper isn't going to have the construction knowledge, let alone the tools or equipment, to gain safe access to situations like these,” Hanan said. 

He removes colonies with tools like a bee vacuum, a hive tool and his bare hands. Hanan said he doesn’t normally wear protective gear so he can feel exactly what he is doing during the delicate removal operation. 

Hanan said his skill set allows him to do the work of several people. His process includes everything from cutting open a ceiling more than 20 feet off the ground, safely removing and relocating the bees and putting everything back together at the end. 

“They see this void as any other void, whether it's a fallen-down, hollowed-out tree trunk or some other structure that's man-made,” Hanan said. 

North Carolina has plenty of bees to keep Hanan busy. The North Carolina State Beekeeping Association is the largest in the country, according to its website. There are thousands of beekeepers located across the state and many, many more bees. 

“I’ve also been told that North Carolina has the most beekeepers per county than any other state in the U.S.,” Hanan said. 

Hanan said the bees he removes go to beekeeping organizations, friends who are beekeepers and his clients who want to get into beekeeping. Once they’re out of the building, he puts up the honey bee equivalent of a “No Vacancy” sign. 

“I’ll scrape all the wax off, I’ll shoot it with a shellac or oil-based primer to deaden any kind of scent they left behind, because right now this building’s marked. If I were to just take everything out and leave it like it is, it would act as a swarm trap,” Hanan said.

Hanan hopes to eventually transition to teaching others how to remove and relocate colonies using his techniques.