A school-based daycare in Marieville, on the South Shore, reported the presence of a bee colony in a hollow tree located less than four metres from the children’s exit. The facility, located in the Sainte-Rose sector, welcomes preschoolers, many of whom have known food allergies or sensitivities. The director made the decision to contact our team as soon as the first observations were made in order to secure the outdoor environment before the resumption of outdoor activities. Our bee extermination and relocation service was deployed as a priority given the particularly sensitive context.
Site inspection and risk assessment
The nest was housed in the cavity of an old oak tree whose trunk base had an opening of about ten centimetres. Since the tree is located on the edge of the playground, any normal activity of the children outside represented a potential risk of bites. Our technicians performed a complete inspection of the exterior perimeter, also checking the window sills, awning boxes and play structures. The nest in the oak tree was the only active site, but we noted several preventative points of interest on the roof of the adjacent bike shed. The colony exhibited a non-aggressive behaviour typical of honey bees during foraging periods, but the volume of activity around the opening warranted immediate intervention.
Relocation of the colony off-site
After consultation with the management of the establishment, we opted for a complete relocation of the colony rather than an insecticide treatment, because the tree was healthy and the destruction of the nest by chemical product would have required a prolonged exclusion zone incompatible with the operation of the daycare. The intervention was held on a Saturday morning, outside the hours when the children were present. The technicians used a soft suction machine designed specifically for the transfer of live bees, allowing the workers to be captured without injuring them. The queen was located inside the trunk using a flexible endoscopic camera and then retrieved manually. The entire colony was transferred to an adapted hive and given to a beekeeper in the Boucherville region for integration into a professional apiary.
The cleaning of the arboreal cavity followed immediately: wax residues, propolis and honey were extracted with an industrial suction tool, and the inside of the cavity was treated with a natural repellent based on essential oils approved for environments frequented by children. The opening in the trunk was partially sealed with a fine-mesh mesh to discourage resettlement while preserving the life of the tree. Our achievements in bee relocation show the variety of contexts we treat with this respectful approach.
Preventive treatment of the external environment
Beyond the main nest, we applied an exterior insect treatment around the perimeter on the yard structures and the roof edges of the shed. This treatment forms a residual barrier that discourages colonizing insects from establishing themselves in the available cracks and cavities. We gave the director a list of visual inspections to be carried out each May and June, as the swarming periods are the most conducive to the establishment of new colonies. Staff members also received a five-minute training on how to distinguish honey bees from bumblebees and wasps, in order to respond appropriately if a similar situation arose in the future.
Return to normal and satisfaction of the establishment
From the Monday following the intervention, the playground was fully secured and outdoor activities resumed normally. Our extermination team in Marieville regularly intervenes in educational institutions, daycares and care settings on the South Shore, adapting the methods to the constraints of each environment. If you manage a facility in Marieville, Sainte-Rose or the surrounding areas, consult our pest prevention plan for institutional and educational facilities. An annual precautionary inspection helps detect potential nesting sites before colonies take hold, avoiding emergency situations. Trust Nova Extermination’s certified exterminators to ensure the safety of your facility and the peace of mind of your staff and the families you serve.