This is what I was thinking as well....Are they in the flue of the chimney or in a cavity next to the chimney? How big of an entrance are the bees using?
Yes I have, but I have never came across one that was actually in the flue (due time I am sure). I have come across a chimney that did have a crack in the upper half of the flue, that gave the bees access to the interior brick cavity around it, they choose the cavity, not the flue. It seems crazy to me to have an exterminator try to kill them & then open up the chimney to remove the colony. If it will be opened regardless, I would skip the exterminator. In this case if it has only been 48 hours, & no previous colony, there may be only a small amount of comb & no need to open the chimney to remove comb and dead bees. Obviously though, the dead bees will be layered at the bottom of the structure.Has anyone seen a swarm in a chimney like space that did not have something solid for the comb to hang from; ie with the comb attached only to the sides?
Such an extraction must be paid. Around here exterminators have been known to charge 1000 - 1500 (us$) for bee removal.