Most people get stung by bees at least once in their life—and with symptoms like sharp pain, swelling and far worse reactions if you're allergic, it would be understandable if someone wanted to avoid them. So when beehives show up in sheds or gardens, you might consider contacting pest control. However, ensure that instead of killing the bees, try to have professionals relocate them instead. Here's why.

The problem

The overall population of bees worldwide has dropped from 5 million in the 1940s, to 2.5 million today. The drop of the bee population is very worrying, and the world is slowly taking notice. The world would be a very different place without bees; they help 90% of the world's plant population breed and survive. Included in this number are many crops that people consume, such as onions, watermelons, berries, peppers and many others.

What can you do about this problem?

Avoid calling exterminators to destroy unwanted hives makes a good start. If bees are exposed to pesticide slightly, even if it does not directly kill them, it can stop them from learning about their environment. This can put a stop on its ability to adopt foraging skills, and impede its ability to pollinate plants. If you have a beehive in you area, it may be wise to use less harmful methods when dealing with other pests you may also encounter on your property.

With a quick search online or in a business phone book, some alternatives that are just as easy as contacting exterminators can be found. One of these alternatives would be to find professional beekeepers. If they cannot take in the hive, then they will often be willing to relocate it without harming the bees inside. However, this isn't an ideal solution in urban areas, as beekeepers may be too far away to reach you. 

In this situation, you can contact a pest control service that specialises in bees and wasps. It's rare that services that focus on the removal of bees will try to settle with using pesticide or other harmful substances.

If worst comes to worst, you can ask a pest control service about their policies regarding bees before you hire them. If they don't happen to have the resources to take the bees away to local beekeepers, they can likely direct you to someone who does. Always make sure that you be careful the bees in your area, because even if you don't think you need them, the world does.