As Africanized honey bees establish a stronger presence in Florida, it is crucial for public safety reasons that any swarms or feral honey bee colonies found nesting in close proximity to humans or animals be removed or eradicated by trained personnel. Therefore, there is a need for pest control operators (PCOs) who can provide removal services. Please DO NOT attempt to remove or eradicate a feral colony on your own.

“The state of Florida recommends that nuisance honey bees (http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1005 and https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in790) found nesting outside of hives managed by a beekeeper (like those nesting in tree cavities, walls, water meter boxes, etc.) be either:

1. Removed from the nest site by trained Pest Control Operator (PCO – http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in771) or
2. Eradicated by a Pest Control Operator. It is the responsibility of the property owner to deal with an unwanted swarm (https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in970) or colony of honey bees.

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