Knowledgebase

are honey bees protected? #779832

Asked January 06, 2022, 1:51 PM EST

There was a large colony of honey bees in our tree and the city workmen closed the hole with foam to stop them from coming out. Is it legal to kill these bees that are hard to find anywhere? I informed them of the bees and they did it anyway.

Macomb County Michigan

Expert Response

Hi Helen,

Thanks so much for looking out for the bees! Honey bees are not on the endangered species list. Each year a large portion of honey bee colonies die, but beekeepers are able to split surviving colonies in the spring/summer, so the total number of managed honey bee colonies in the U.S. has remained relatively stable over the past decade or so. There are, however, some other species of bees that are in decline.

I'm surprised to hear that workers killed a honey bee colony, especially in the winter when honey bees don't pose much of a nuisance. In case it may help, here is a map of people who remove honey bee colonies from structures: Building “Cut Outs” – Michigan Beekeepers Association (michiganbees.org).

Thanks again for looking out for the bees!

Ana HeckApiculture Extension EducatorMichigan State University Extension Replied January 06, 2022, 5:08 PM EST

Loading ...