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So how do you get an established bee hive out of a chimney? The best solution is to call
a chimney sweep who is also experienced in bee rescue. Because bees are so essential to food production both for humans and animals, you do not want a chimney sweep who will kill your
bees. Instead, look for a sweep who knows how to relocate the hive.
Alternatively, find a beekeeper or experienced bee rescuer who knows how to free your chimney of bees
without harming the bees. Your local agricultural extension agent may know people who will do the bee rescue (but not the subsequent chimney clean-up) for free.
The most successful common method of removing bees from a chimney involves first briefly blocking the
fireplace opening inside the house. This keeps the bees from using your home as an escape path.
Then a box hive-like trap with an opening, called a trap out, is firmly affixed to the
chimney. An exit-only funnel directs the bees from the chimney and into the trap out. It will likely take a few weeks for all of the bees to relocate out of your chimney and into
the trap out.
Finally, when the bees are gone, a chimney sweep will need to clean your chimney, removing all traces
of the hive and of the honeycomb and honey if they were honeybees. This is not a task most homeowners are equipped to do.
After the bees are gone, the next step is to keep the bees and other flying insect from returning to the chimney!
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