Just checked out a potential removal ten minutes from home, right across from a Lowe's. Entrance is near top of chimney under a capstone where the chimney narrows from 4 feet to 2 feet wide. No bees in the flu. I figured on removing the capstone and if necessary, some bricks to remove the hive. I quoted the tenant $400. THEN I checked more thoroughly inside the house. Bees are coming into the living room between the floor and wooden fireplace mantle. I could easily hear a mass of bees humming and buzzing in several locations of the wall next to and above the fireplace, and in the mantle itself! The floor is approximately 18 feet down from the entrance the bees are using. It appears that the colony found a gap in the brick and extended the nest down inside the wall. I have a feeling this is like one of those hives you see on the news, with a couple hundred pounds of honey in the wall! The homeowner rents out the house, and isn't too pleased about paying to remove it. The tenant told me she will move out if he doesn't!! And, she said if he just sprays them, she is out of there! I withdrew the quote and told her I need to "tweak" the price a bit before she gives it to her landlord!
I may need some help if I get this job! :-D