The Strangest Places Las Vegas Beekeepers Have Found Honeybee Colonies
LAS VEGAS, Nevada – October 19, 2026 – Honeybee colonies can establish themselves in familiar places around a home, including trees, wall cavities and roof spaces. But some discoveries are less predictable. For Las Vegas beekeepers Pete Rizzo and Betsy Lewis of Vegas Bees, two unusual examples include a colony that built extensive honeycomb inside a barbecue grill and another that covered the exterior of a birdhouse.
In the barbecue grill case, the colony had constructed multiple layers of honeycomb within the appliance. The comb, visible in the photographs taken during the removal, illustrates how much space a colony can occupy when bees find a protected location and have time to build. A grill that might otherwise appear to be an ordinary backyard fixture had become home to a substantial colony.
Another discovery involved a birdhouse that became the site of a large cluster of honeybees. Bees covered much of the exterior beneath the roof, with additional activity visible around the entrance. Although birdhouses are intended to provide nesting space for birds, cavities and sheltered openings can also attract honeybees looking for a place to establish a colony.
These discoveries highlight a distinction between a passing swarm and an established hive. A swarm is a temporary cluster of bees that has left its original colony while searching for a new nesting site. An established colony may build wax comb, raise young bees and store food inside a cavity or other protected space. The longer a colony remains in a location, the more extensive its comb and stored resources can become.
In residential areas, the location of a colony can also affect how it should be handled. A cluster hanging from a branch is a different situation from a colony established inside an appliance or enclosed structure. In the latter case, locating the full extent of the colony and its comb is an important part of understanding the situation.
Rizzo and Lewis, who specialize in live bee removals in Southern Nevada, document unusual nesting locations encountered during their work. Their photographs provide a record of the variety of places honeybees can occupy in a developed desert environment, including objects that homeowners might never consider potential nesting sites.
For homeowners who discover an unexpected concentration of bees, the location alone does not establish whether the insects are temporarily resting or have built a permanent colony. Observing the activity from a safe distance and seeking an assessment from a qualified bee professional can help determine what is present without unnecessarily disturbing the bees.
About Vegas Bees
Vegas Bees is a Las Vegas Valley beekeeping business operated by Pete Rizzo and Betsy Lewis, specializing in live bee removal and relocation. The company focuses on rescuing honeybee colonies and relocating them to managed apiaries rather than exterminating them. Trained by a master beekeeper, Rizzo and Lewis have completed hundreds of bee and swarm removals throughout Southern Nevada. Their work emphasizes responsible beekeeping, public safety and the preservation of honeybee colonies.
Media Contact: Pete Rizzo Vegas Bees Phone: (702) 472-3869 Website: https://www.vegasbees.com/
Media Contact
Company Name: Vegas Bees
Contact Person: Betsy Lewis
Email: Send Email
Phone: 7024723869
Address:612 Thrush Drive
City: Las Vegas
State: Nevada
Country: United States
Website: https://vegasbees.com/
