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The 3 Places Bees Hide That Homeowners Never Check.
- Pete Rizzo
- 25 minutes ago
- 7 min read
Bees are Masters at Finding that Perfect Place to Build a Nest.
The call comes in around 11 AM on a Tuesday. Another homeowner in Henderson just discovered what they thought was a small bee problem near their air conditioning unit has turned into a full-scale colony that's been growing in their attic void for three months. The removal quote? $1,800.
"I had no idea they were even there," she tells me, her voice breaking. "How could this have gotten so bad?"
I've been removing bee colonies from Las Vegas valley homes for years, and I can tell you: this isn't bad luck. It's predictable. Because there are three specific places where bees love to hide in Southern Nevada homes, and most homeowners never think to check them until it's too late.
Location 1: Attic Voids Above Your Garage
Las Vegas homes, especially those built from the 1980s through the 2010s, have a design feature that bees absolutely love: large, undisturbed attic spaces above garages with multiple entry points.
Why bees choose this spot:
The attic stays dark, has consistent temperature regulation (thanks to your home's HVAC), and typically has gaps around eave vents, soffit returns, or where the roof line meets the wall. To a scout bee, it's a luxury penthouse.
What happens when ignored:
In just six to eight weeks during peak swarm season (March through June), a colony can build comb spanning three to four feet.
Once established, they're not leaving on their own. The hive grows, the honey accumulates, and eventually you'll notice bees entering and exiting through tiny gaps you never knew existed.
By month three? You're looking at 20,000 to 40,000 bees, pounds of honeycomb, and the real nightmare: honey seeping through your ceiling drywall when temperatures spike in July. I've seen honey drip through light fixtures.
Location 2: Wall Cavities Behind Stucco Exteriors
If you have a stucco home in Las Vegas (and most of us do), you have the perfect hiding spot for bees: the 3-4 inch gap between your exterior stucco and the actual wall sheathing.
Why bees choose this spot:
Bees access these wall cavities through weep holes (those small gaps at the bottom of stucco walls designed for drainage), cracks in the stucco around windows, or gaps where different materials meet.
Once inside, they have a tall, narrow space that's protected from predators and weather, perfect for vertical comb building.
What happens when ignored:
Wall hives are particularly insidious because you often don't realize they're there until you see hundreds of bees flying around one section of your house. By the time you notice, they've been building for weeks.
The removal? It requires cutting into your stucco, removing the comb, extracting the bees, then patching and re-stuccoing the wall. The structural work alone adds $400 to $600 to the removal cost. And if they've been there for months, you're also dealing with honey that's wicked into the insulation and wall studs.
We had a customer in Summerlin who ignored a small cluster of bees near her kitchen window for "just a few weeks" in April. By June, the colony had built six feet of comb vertically in the wall, and the removal required cutting a 4x6 foot section of stucco. Total cost: $900.
Location 3 Under Tile Roofs at Eave Edges
If you have a tile roof, Spanish tile, flat tile, or synthetic, there's a gap under the edges where the tiles meet your fascia board. It's usually about 2-3 inches, just enough space for bees to enter the roof and start building their nest.
Why bees choose this spot:
Scout bees love tile roof edges because they're protected from above (by the tile), difficult for predators to access, and offer excellent ventilation. In the desert climate, this matters, too much heat can kill a hive, but tile roofs provide natural shade and airflow.
What happens when ignored:
The challenge with tile roof hives is that they're visible from the ground, so homeowners often try DIY solutions, spraying with a hose, using wasp killer, or even knocking down exposed comb with a broom. This doesn't work. It makes the bees defensive and puts you in a very bad place.
Professional removal requires lifting 15-30 tiles to access the hollow where their full hive is located, extracting everything, then properly sealing the roof, entry points, and resetting the tiles. If tiles crack during removal (and they often do on older roofs), you're also paying for tile replacement.
A 60-day-old hive under tiles typically runs $1,800 to $2,500 for complete removal. Wait four months? You could be looking at $3,000 because the colony has expanded across multiple sections of the roof line.
The Real Cost: Early Intervention vs. Late-Stage Removal
Here's what most homeowners don't understand: the cost of bee removal isn't arbitrary. It's directly tied to how long the hive has been established.
Week 1-2 (Fresh Swarm):
If you catch a swarm in its first week or two, removal is straightforward. There's minimal comb, bees are still docile, and we can often relocate them without major structural work. Cost: $300-$650.
Week 3-6 (Established Colony):
The bees have built significant comb and are heavily invested in the location. Removal requires more time, specialized equipment, and careful extraction to prevent honey leakage. Cost: $800-$1,500.
Week 7-12 (Mature Hive):
You're now dealing with a fully mature colony. Tens of thousands of bees, multiple frames of comb, stored honey, and potentially aggressive behavior when we open the structure. Removal involves structural repairs, deep cleaning, and extensive sealing. Cost: $1,000-$2,000.
Beyond 12 Weeks:
At this point, you're looking at a major project. The hive has likely caused structural damage (honey staining, wood rot from moisture, attraction of secondary pests), and removal may require reconstruction work. Cost: $1,500-$3,000+.
How to Spot the Early Warning Signs
The key to avoiding a four-figure removal bill is catching the problem in the first two weeks. Here's what to watch for:
Consistent bee traffic: If you see bees flying to and from the same spot on your home for more than two days in a row, that's not random. That's a colony establishing.
Morning and evening activity: Bees are most active at dawn and dusk during Las Vegas summers. Take a walk around your house during these times, especially March through June.
Listening: Stand near your attic access, exterior walls, or roof edges. An established hive has a distinctive hum, and you can actually hear tens of thousands of bees working.
Look for gaps: Scout bees need an entry point. Check weep holes, roof line edges, eave vents, AC line penetrations, and anywhere stucco meets a different material.
Dark staining: If you see brown or amber staining on stucco, ceilings, or around roof tiles, that may be honey seeping through. By this point, you're already looking at an expensive removal.
Why Las Vegas Construction Makes This Worse
Living in Southern Nevada means dealing with construction features that, while great for energy efficiency, create perfect bee habitats:
Stucco dominates: Unlike wood siding in other climates, stucco creates those hollow wall cavities bees love. And our climate means there's little to no moisture damage risk for the bees.
Tile roofs are everywhere: Spanish and flat tiles are beautiful and reflective, but they create those perfect 2-3 inch gaps under the eaves.
Year-round building season: Our warm climate means bees can establish and grow hives for nine months of the year. In colder climates, winter kills off exposed colonies. Here, they just keep building.
Desert heat accelerates growth: In our 110°F+ summers, a hive that might take three months to mature in a temperate climate can reach that point in six weeks. The bees work faster because they need to establish before the absolute peak heat arrives.
What You Should Do Right Now
If you're reading this during swarm season (March through June), walk around your house today. Check those three locations. Listen. Watch.
If you see even a few bees consistently visiting the same spot, don't wait. Don't assume they'll leave. Don't try DIY solutions. A $400 early removal beats a $2,000 late-stage extraction every single time.
We offer inspections focused specifically on these three high-risk areas. I'll check your attic voids, inspect your stucco for entry points, and look at your roof line, the exact spots where 90% of Las Vegas bee problems start.
Because the worst service call I can make is the one that starts with, "I wish I'd called you three months ago."
Schedule your inspection today. Let's catch this before it becomes a story you tell about that one expensive summer.
Betsy & Pete
🐝Las Vegas’s All-Natural Live Bee Removal Team
About Us: The Authors
We’re Betsy and Pete - Beekeepers on a Mission in Las Vegas
We’re not just in the bee business, we’re in the bee-saving business. Trained by a master beekeeper and backed by hundreds of successful removals, we are dedicated to rescuing and relocating honey bees with care and precision.
Every swarm we save and every hive we manage reflects our deep love for the bees.
At our Joshua Tree Preserve in Arizona, we care for dozens of thriving hives. Some wild, some honey-bearing, and all are part of our commitment to ethical, sustainable beekeeping.
Why Vegas Bees? Because We Never Stop Learning or Caring
Beekeeping is always evolving, and so are we. We stay on the cutting edge by continuing our education, connecting with fellow beekeepers, and refining our beekeeping practices and techniques to ensure the best outcomes for both bees and people.
Whether it’s advanced bee removal strategies or the latest natural methods, we’re always one step ahead.
We’re also proud to support the beekeeping community with high-quality beekeeping supplies for everyone. If you’re ready to suit up and start your journey, we’ve got what you need.
