An RICS Surveyor’s Guide to Dealing with Bee Infestations in Kent and East Sussex Properties

Honey bees are incredible creatures, vital for pollinating our crops and flowers, but sometimes they choose the most inconvenient places to set up home, like inside your property. For homeowners in Kent and East Sussex, this is a surprisingly common issue that our RICS Building Surveyors frequently encounter. It’s not just a nuisance; a bee colony can pose significant risks to your property and comes with important legal and ethical considerations.

The Unwelcome Buzz: Why Bees Inside Your Home Are a Problem

While we all appreciate bees in our gardens, an established honey bee colony within your walls, roof space, or chimney can lead to a host of issues:

• Structural Strain: A mature bee colony can produce an astonishing amount of honeycomb, sometimes over 80 pounds! This sheer weight, combined with the presence of honey and wax, can put immense stress on your building’s structure, potentially leading to sagging ceilings, compromised walls, or damaged timbers. Leaking honey can also cause dampness, unsightly stains, and attract other pests.
• Persistent Odour & Secondary Pests: The combination of honey, wax, and bee waste can create a strong, often unpleasant smell that permeates your home. This sweet, sticky environment is also an open invitation for other unwanted visitors like ants, rodents, and various insects, compounding your pest problems.
• Health Concerns: While honey bees are generally docile unless provoked, a large, active colony inside your home significantly increases the risk of stings, especially for allergic individuals.
• Long-Term Lodgers: Unlike a temporary swarm that might move on after a day or two, an established colony is there to stay and will continue to grow unless properly addressed.

Legalities and Ethics: Protecting Bees While Protecting Your Home

It’s essential to approach bee removal responsibly. While honey bees aren’t a ‘protected species’ in the same way as, say, bats, there’s a strong ethical and environmental drive to conserve them. The UK has legislation (like The Bees Act 1980) aimed at bee health and disease prevention, and general pest control regulations also apply.

The golden rule is this: always opt for live removal and relocation, never extermination. Using harsh chemicals is not only harmful to the environment and other vital pollinators but can also be illegal if not performed by a licensed professional. Furthermore, leaving dead bees and honey within your property’s cavities creates a future problem, attracting more pests and potentially leading to decay and rot.

Listed Buildings: An Extra Layer of Consent

If your property in Kent or East Sussex is a Listed Building, you’ll almost certainly need Listed Building Consent before any work begins on removing a bee colony. This is a critical step. You’ll need to consult with Historic England and your local planning authority. The goal is always to carry out the work with minimal impact on the historic fabric of the building, which fortunately aligns well with the careful, non-destructive methods used for live bee removal.

How Your RICS Surveyor Can Help

As RICS Building Surveyors, we play a vital role when bees decide to move in:

1. Detecting the Presence: We can help identify the tell-tale signs of a bee infestation, from buzzing sounds within walls to visible bee activity around small gaps in eaves or soffits. Sometimes, thermal imaging can even pinpoint the exact location of the colony within a cavity. We can also often differentiate between honey bees, bumblebees, or other insects.
2. Assessing the Impact: We’ll evaluate any existing damage the colony may have caused to your property, including structural issues, dampness, or staining.
3. Guiding Your Next Steps: We’ll advise on the most effective course of action, which will always involve recommending a specialist live bee removal and relocation service. We can also offer guidance on any necessary repairs after the bees are safely gone.
4. Listed Building Navigation: For listed properties, we can guide you through the process of applying for Listed Building Consent and help you liaise with the relevant authorities.

The Live Removal Process: What to Expect

Professional bee removal specialists in Kent and East Sussex follow a careful, ethical process:

1. Initial Assessment: They’ll conduct a thorough inspection to determine the colony’s exact location, size, and how accessible it is. Costs can vary significantly, often ranging from hundreds to several thousands of pounds, particularly for complex or listed building removals.
2. Careful Access: This might involve carefully dismantling small sections of your wall, roof, or chimney. Specialists are adept at removing bricks or tiles with minimal disturbance to your property.
3. Gentle Bee Collection: Using specialised tools like bee vacuums and smokers (which encourage bees to gorge on honey, making them less likely to sting), the bees are carefully gathered. Locating and securing the queen bee is paramount for the colony’s survival.
4. Complete Comb Removal: All honeycomb and honey must be meticulously removed. This prevents attracting future infestations and avoids decay.
5. Sealing and Reinstatement: Once the bees and all their comb are removed, entry points are sealed, and the building fabric is reinstated, preventing future colonies from establishing themselves.
6. Responsible Relocation: The collected bees and their comb are transported to a local apiary or a suitable natural habitat, typically several miles away, ensuring their survival and continued contribution to our environment.

Don’t Delay – Act Responsibly

If you suspect a honey bee colony has made your property their home in Kent or East Sussex, it’s crucial to act swiftly and responsibly. Contact a RICS Building Surveyor for an initial assessment, and then engage with specialist live bee removal and relocation experts. By taking these correct steps, you’ll protect your valuable property, avoid potential legal complications, and play a vital role in safeguarding these indispensable pollinators.