Bees in Soffit

[Jeanne Hansen]

Does anyone in our club dismantle soffits to get the bees?

Otherwise, what should I tell people to do?

Jeanne

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Jeanne Hansen

824 Jacobson Ave

Madison,WI

608-244-5094

[Joshua Schmidt]

Jeanne,

Over the past few years, I've realized that very few beekeepers in our area perform cutouts because they are more labor-intensive. Depending on whether it is a first or second story building it might also involve renting equipment. 

Without context I can't assess the feasibility of helping. I have performed about 3 cutouts in the past and each time they were fairly easy but still took about 6-8 hours of work. When I perform cutouts, I explain that I will do my best to minimize deconstruction, but I am not responsible for any necessary repair work afterward.

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Joshua M. Schmidt

jmoc.s...@gmail.com

[Joseph Bessetti]

I’ve done enough of them. These are often easier than a lot of other locations. Soffit is also a place where leaving them to die out is relatively low risk.

The first questions I ask are 1) when did they move in? 2) were there ever bees there before? and 3) How high up is it?

The ideal timing for a “soffit removal” is within 1-2 days of the swarm’s arrival. You’re basically just removing soffit to collect a swarm. 

The worst timing is 3-6 weeks after a swarm has moved in. The combs are very soft and delicate, and the more honey they’ve stored the worse it is - combs can collapse under the weight of the honey as you’re trying to remove them.

If there were bees there previously, the combs will be a lot tougher, but there will usually be a lot more of it and more time will be required.  

Overall, I greatly prefer most soffit removals over just about any wall extraction as long as it’s not more than about 12’ off the ground.

Joe

Sent from my iPhone

On May 8, 2026, at 9:06 AM, Jeanne Hansen <jeanneh...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Jeanne Hansen]

Thanks to both Joe and Joshua for rescuing bees from soffits!

I told the caller, Tom Burke, to fill out the form on our website.  Watch for his message!!

Jeanne

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[Jeff Steinhauer]

with a bit more information, I could possibly check the situation and report back.  It's a bit early in the season for a swarm.

[Betsy True]

I’ve had two swarms already, so it’s not too early. 

On May 8, 2026, at 6:49 PM, Jeff Steinhauer <jsteinh...@gmail.com> wrote:

with a bit more information, I could possibly check the situation and report back.  It's a bit early in the season for a swarm.

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