Hi Chickadeedee!
I hope it works out for you and you can find a honeybee removal person, preferably for free. There are beekeepers out there that will.
Most people don't know what is involved, so I'll mention a few things....
Unfortunately, there isn't really such thing as "free" hive, and you can probably expect to pay somebody to remove them for you. It usually involves removing one side of the wall, and includes about 4 hours of hot messy work in bee suit, and the hive that is removed may or may not be a good hearty hive (usually is, but they can be duds).
Compare that to just buying a package of bees for $60, or splitting an existing hive for free....
If you just kill them off, you are leaving 40-100 or more pounds of honey, pollen, brood, wax, dead bees inside the wall that will do ??? melt, drip, rot, mold, attract other bugs ???, not to try to scare you that much.
Rick