Pest & wildlife control

Books and taxes for bee and wasp removal companies.

Same-day wasp nest calls, slow honeybee cutouts, nucs sold to other beekeepers, and honey pulled from relocated hives. Gus sorts it, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number a month.

Book a call What we handle
  • From $197 a month
  • An accountant on every transaction
  • Cancel whenever
MayExample month
$12,000
what you made

May came in at $12,000. The two nucs sold to a hobbyist beekeeper went in as bee sales, not removal fees, since that is really a different kind of income.

  • Wasp nest removal, cashWasp and hornet removal
  • Nuc sale, local beekeeperNuc and bee sales
  • Bee vacuum maintenanceBee vacuum and cutout tools
  • Drywall Repair Co.Structural repair subcontractor
  • Fuel, service vanTrucks
Money in$39,000
Money out$27,000
Set aside for taxes$2,400
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

Bee and wasp removal books go wrong in the same five places.

A generalist sees deposits and bills. Your business is really two businesses under one roof, a fast chemical wasp call and a slow, careful honeybee cutout, plus a side trade in nucs and honey. When the books do not know that, none of the numbers mean much.

  1. 1

    Wasp jobs and bee jobs are not the same business

    A same-day wasp nest spray and a slow, careful honeybee cutout charge completely different prices and take completely different amounts of labor, but lumped into one pest control income line, neither number tells you anything useful about either service.

    What we doKeeps wasp extermination and bee removal in separate income lines, so you can see what each side of the business actually earns.
  2. 2

    A cutout job brings in a drywall subcontractor

    Removing bees and comb from inside a wall usually means opening up siding or drywall, and the repair afterward often gets handed to a contractor. If that invoice gets buried in your own materials, you cannot see your real margin on the cutout.

    What we doBooks the repair subcontractor's invoice as its own cost against that job, so your cutout margin shows up clean.
  3. 3

    Selling a nuc is livestock, not pest control

    Selling a relocated colony as a nucleus hive to another beekeeper is really a livestock sale, and if that check lands mixed in with removal fees, you lose track of a revenue stream that has nothing to do with how many calls you ran.

    What we doKeeps bee and nuc sales in their own category, separate from removal and extermination income.
  4. 4

    Honey is a byproduct, not a service fee

    Honey harvested from relocated hives and sold in late summer is seasonal product income, not a pest control fee, and folding it into removal revenue hides a business line with its own cost of jars, labels, and extraction equipment.

    What we doKeeps honey sales in their own line with their own materials cost, so that side of the business shows its own numbers.
  5. 5

    The bee vacuum is not a spray bottle

    A gentle bee vacuum built to capture a colony alive without harming it can cost as much as a used truck, and filed as a supply purchase it disappears into a single crowded month instead of getting treated as equipment.

    What we doFlags bee vacuum and extraction equipment the day it hits the bank statement and logs it as equipment, so the accountant decides how to write it off.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a bee and wasp removal company.

Set up once for how you get paid and what you spend. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.

Money in

  • Wasp and hornet removalSame-day nest treatments, usually the fastest and cheapest calls.
  • Honeybee swarm captureLive collection of a swarm, often relocated the same day.
  • Cutout jobsBees and comb removed from inside a wall or structure.
  • Nuc and bee salesRelocated colonies sold to other beekeepers as starter hives.
  • Honey salesJarred honey harvested from relocated or maintained hives.

Money out

  • Bee suits and smokersProtective gear and hand tools for live bee work.
  • Bee vacuum and cutout toolsSpecialized equipment built to capture a colony alive.
  • Wasp and hornet insecticideChemical product used only for wasp and hornet jobs.
  • Hive boxes and equipmentBoxes, frames, and apiary gear to house relocated colonies.
  • Repair subcontractorsWhat a drywall or siding contractor invoices after a cutout.
  • Apiary land or storageRent or upkeep for land where relocated hives are kept.
  • Sting liability insuranceCoverage tied to the risk of live bee and wasp work.
  • Trucks and lead feesFuel, maintenance, and marketing for the service fleet.

What we watch for you

  • Bee vs wasp mix

    Live bee work against wasp extermination revenue, since the two price completely differently.

  • Cutout labor cost

    Hours on structural cutout jobs against what they billed. Slow jobs can underprice themselves.

  • Honey and nuc income

    Byproduct sales tracked apart from service calls, so product income does not skew the pattern.

  • The set-aside

    What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.

Ask Gus

Things bee and wasp removal owners ask Gus.

Text him like you would text anybody. He answers in plain English, and when a question is above his pay grade, an accountant looks and gets back to you.

My wasp calls and my bee cutouts both just say pest control income. Can that be split?

Yes. I keep wasp extermination and bee removal in separate lines, so you can see what each side of the business actually earns.

I sold two nucs to a hobbyist beekeeper this month. Where does that go?

In its own category, separate from your removal fees. It is closer to a livestock sale than a pest control job, so it deserves its own number.

A cutout job needed a drywall guy afterward. How does his invoice get handled?

As a subcontractor cost against that specific job, so your real margin on the cutout stays visible instead of hiding in materials.

The tax side

The tax side of a bee and wasp removal business.

Most of what trips up this business is that it is really two businesses: one taxed like pest control, one that looks more like small livestock and honey sales.

What your return has to get right

Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.

  • Bee vacuums and cutout toolsExtraction equipment and other cutout tools can often be written off in the year you buy them. Bonus depreciation is back to 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
  • Repair subcontractor 1099sA drywall or siding repair contractor you hire after a cutout gets a 1099-NEC if you pay them $2,000 or more in 2026 and they are not your employee.
  • Employee or contractorA tech who works your schedule with your gear is usually an employee. A structural repair contractor who brings their own crew may be a legitimate contractor.
  • The pass-through deductionMost owner-operators can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when the books are right all year.

Deductions bee and wasp removal companies miss

Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.

  • Bee suits and smokers
  • Bee vacuum equipment
  • Hive boxes and frames
  • Wasp and hornet insecticide
  • Repair subcontractor fees
  • Apiary land or storage rental
  • Honey jars and labels
  • Sting liability insurance
  • Truck fuel and repairs
  • Beekeeping courses and certifications
  • Lead fees and marketing
  • Phone and camera for inspections

General information about 2026 federal rules, not advice for your business. Your accountant looks at your actual numbers before anything gets filed.

All year, not just April

A bee and wasp removal year, kept every month.

Swarm season fills spring, wasp calls take over summer, and honey comes in near fall. Your taxes come on a schedule through all of it, and Gus keeps you ahead of it. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.

  1. January

    Plan the year

    Last year's return gets started, any repair subcontractor 1099s are ready, and a monthly set-aside means April holds no surprises.

  2. April

    Filed and signed

    Your return is filed and signed as spring swarm season starts bringing in bee calls, because the set-aside has been running since January.

  3. July

    Midyear check

    Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether summer's wasp calls and swarm season changed the number.

  4. October

    Before honey harvest wraps

    As the last honey gets pulled and jarred for the season, Gus looks at equipment worth buying before December.

What you get

Starts at$197a month

What you pay depends on what your business needs, and it does not move after that, busy season or slow. No hourly bills, no surprise invoices, no setup fee.

Book a call
  • Monthly bookkeeping

    Every transaction sorted into categories set up for bee and wasp removal companies. You never categorize a thing.

  • An accountant checks every transaction

    Real review, every month, before your books close. Not a spot check.

  • Your business tax return, filed

    Prepared, reviewed, and signed by that same accountant every year.

  • The monthly number

    What you made, what you spent, what to set aside for taxes.

  • Your own bookkeeper

    A real person assigned to your business, in the app whenever you need them. No hold music.

  • On your books all year

    Every month, not just in April. Your team speaks up whenever something is worth your attention.

  • Cancel any time

    No contract. No cancellation call. Your books are yours.

Straight answers

Questions bee and wasp removal owners ask first.

My wasp jobs and my honeybee cutouts get mixed together in my reports. Can you fix that?

Yes. Gus keeps wasp extermination and bee removal in separate income lines, since the two take completely different time and price completely differently.

I sell a few nucs to local beekeepers each spring. Is that pest control income?

Not really. Gus keeps bee and nuc sales in their own category, closer to a livestock sale than a removal fee.

I harvest and sell honey from relocated hives. How is that tracked?

As its own product line, with its own materials cost for jars and labels, separate from your removal and extermination income.

A cutout job needed a drywall repair afterward. Does that complicate the books?

No. Gus books the repair contractor's invoice as a cost against that specific job, so your real margin on the cutout stays visible.

Do you handle the beekeeping side of my business, like hive management?

No. Your team keeps your books and files your return. Hive management, apiary permits, and beekeeping practice stay with you.

My bee vacuum cost more than I expected. Does that change my taxes?

Often it gets treated as equipment rather than a supply expense, and can sometimes be written off in the year you buy it. The accountant makes that call with your full year in view.

Is a real accountant checking my books?

Yes. You get your own bookkeeper, Gus does the first pass on every transaction, and an accountant checks every one before your month closes. That same accountant prepares, signs, and files your business return. Goatkeeper is not a CPA firm, and we never pretend a person looked when they did not.

What does it cost, and can I cancel?

It starts at $197 a month, depending on what your business needs. No setup fee, no hourly bills, no contract. Cancel any time from the app, and your books go with you.

More in pest & wildlife control

We keep books for the business next door too.

What makes a bookkeeper worth paying for Every business we keep books for

Book a call

Pick a time. That's the whole signup.

Fifteen minutes with a real person on our team. They look at where your books are, tell you straight what it takes to get caught up, and get you set up on the spot if it fits.

  • $197 a month to start
  • An accountant on every transaction
  • Cancel whenever