Bee Removal at JCPenney Store – Large Hive Behind Exterior Signage

Project Overview

Large retail properties often have potential nesting sites that go unnoticed until the bee population becomes too large to ignore. In this case, the hive had formed behind a brick façade and was concealed by the exterior signage.

What made this job especially complex was the hive’s location: behind the large “J” in the JCPenney sign. To safely remove the hive, we needed to partially disassemble the sign and cut into the brick behind it.

Challenges

Access: The hive was hidden deep behind the sign and brick, requiring structural removal to reach it.
Size: The hive had grown large enough that relocation required multiple steps and equipment.
Future Prevention: If the site was not sealed properly after removal, pheromones left behind in the brick and signage would attract other swarms to the same location.

Our Approach

Brought in a bee box to relocate the hive safely.
Removed the letter “J” from the storefront sign.
Carefully cut into the brick façade to access the hive.
Extracted the full comb and transferred it into the bee box for relocation.
Applied a complete seal to the void, preventing new bees from being drawn by leftover pheromones.

Results

The large hive was successfully relocated and the comb removed without incident. By sealing the cavity behind the sign, Wildlife Works ensured that future swarms would not be attracted to the same location.