Bees or Wasps Complaint

Call 911

Call 911 to report large or unusual numbers of bees or wasps swarming at a specific location in New York City.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Alert

The Health Department is currently reviewing all complaints and responding primarily to those that pose an imminent threat to public health or safety.

Non-emergency complaints will be logged and responded to when regular operations resume.

Need something else?

NYCHA Public Housing Maintenance Complaint to report bees or wasps on NYCHA property

The City does not accept requests to eliminate bees, wasps, or their hives. Residential and commercial property owners are required to remove most wasps and bees from their own property.

Get information about bees.

Get information about wasps.

You can make a complaint about private or commercial property owners who do not remove bees and wasps from their property. You also can make a complaint about a beekeeper if the bees are creating a nuisance.

The Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) does not accept complaints about bees, wasps, or other insects in trees or bushes. These creatures are an important part of nature, so DPR will not destroy them.

If you want to have an insect nest or hive removed from a City tree, you must obtain a Tree Work Permit to hire an insect re-locator.

DPR will not be responsible for any costs associated with this work.

The Department of Health does not accept complaints about bees or wasps on public property.

Public property includes:

Utility poles
Street signs
Light poles
Public transportation sites
Government buildings
Public schools

If bees or wasps are in a utility pole, you must contact the utility company that owns the pole.

The Department of Health will not remove bees, wasps, or their hives from any private property.

If you are a homeowner or a commercial property owner, you are responsible for removing bees and wasps from your property. You can consult the yellow pages or search the internet for a bee removal service or exterminator.

You can make a complaint about private or commercial property owners who have nuisance bees or wasps on their property and do not remove them. You must provide the name and address of the property owner or building management company. If you are a tenant in a building with bees or wasps, you should first contact your landlord or building management company.

You can also report beekeepers whose bees are a nuisance.

Beekeeping Nuisance Complaint

New York City Health Code allows the keeping of honey bees in New York City. Beekeepers must follow guidelines and not allow their honeybee colonies to become a public nuisance. Learn more about bees and beekeeping.

You can report the following:

Multiple honeybees stinging a person, a group of people, an animal, or a group of animals
A honeybee colony not residing in a hive structure intended for beekeeping
A swarm of honeybees
A honeybee colony in a hive that has been abandoned by its beekeeper
A honeybee colony in a public path or in the walls of a public structure
A honeybee colony kept in such a manner to disturb the normal use and enjoyment of human or animal life or property

Report a private property owner or beekeeper with nuisance bees or wasps.

Was this information helpful? Yes No

How can we improve this page?

Was this information helpful?

NoYes

Knowledge Article

IP Address

Bees or Wasps Complaint

Bees or Wasps in a Tree

Bees or Wasps on Public Property

Bees or Wasps on Private or Commercial Property

Report a private property owner or beekeeper with nuisance bees or wasps.

Was this information helpful? Yes No