I called all of the pest control places around town and gave them my name and number. They ALL were happy to hear about me as there is nobody else in our area that does this. They agreed that me getting the bees was alot better than them having to kill them. Just something to think about for yall who want to build up your numbers.
Don't forget to call the your city's "animal control". Also, put that you do "swarm and hive removal" on your business cards. You'd be amazed how those get around.
Be warned. Once you are on that list, you may get more than you bargained for.
Don't forget to charge for a removal. Free bees in a wall, are not free bees at all. It is 4-6 hours of hard stinging work, for bees that might have been sprayed last night or last year. You have to put up with extra liability, bouncing checks, and a hive that has about a 1 in 3 chance of dying out or absconding.
I charge $200 - $300 and only take one that look interesting for video. I do others for free that are charity cases, like little old ladies and single mom's down on their luck.
Swarms for free (donations accepted), removal charge is quoted at $300 minimum. I lose some but my time, equipment, and experience is valuable and I've got no problem walking away on occasion.
Quote from: D Coates on February 15, 2011, 08:15:45 PM
Swarms for free (donations accepted), removal charge is quoted at $300 minimum. I lose some but my time, equipment, and experience is valuable and I've got no problem walking away on occasion.
The most valuable piece of advice I ever got on swarms, was to drop in a borrowed frame of open brood. That will anchor them and remove the 1 in 5 chance of absconding. Nothing sucks like a 8# swarm leaving your hive the next day, brood it for an anchor.
Thats great advice grandma dog on anchoring the swarm. I did as John said and called all my local pest control places and believe it or not i was suprised that they were more than happy to call me when they have a honey bee problem. Many of them have said that its hard to find beekeepers in the area most of em are getting older now. I told them im 34 and there seems to be more younger girls and guys getting involved in helping the bees. Chris
I'd say "bees that were probably sprayed last night..."
I tell them on the phone I'll charge them to show up and that I'm only interested if they haven't sprayed. I smell the entrance. If it smells like insecticide. I bill them for showing up and I leave. I have no use for dying bees.
I told the pest control people that "I'm a one man band, if i think that I can handle them I will." I think they were just glad to hear of someone that they could call instead of killing them all. Most all of those guys are aware of the hardtimes that our bees are enduring and really don't want to kill them but have had no choice.
Quote from: Grandma_DOG on February 15, 2011, 08:26:51 PM
The most valuable piece of advice I ever got on swarms, was to drop in a borrowed frame of open brood. That will anchor them and remove the 1 in 5 chance of absconding. Nothing sucks like a 8# swarm leaving your hive the next day, brood it for an anchor.
Can I get an AMEN for the man with the monkey on his shoulder! ;) Sorry, I just saw State Farm add with the guy asking for the hot tub...
I second Grandma Dog. It takes a little extra time to get a frame of brood but it pays off. That little extra time is nothing to the time lost if you're captured swarm decides to become "uncaptured". I've never lost a swarm using a frame of brood as an anchor. This is another excellent use for a nuc. Shake off the nurse bees from a frame with eggs, larva, and capped brood. Make real sure you don't have the queen on there and you've got your anchor. A nuc bounces back quickly and it won't affect your production hives.
MB is definately on target with dying bees. I told them myself that if the home owner or they sprayed the bees i wasnt interested in removing them and if they did id remove them for a price.
Thanks for the heads up michael. I guess if they have been sprayed before i get there i will tell them good luck and pack up my toys and go home. I have enough irons in the fire without trying to save a sick hive!!!
If you really want to go whole hog on your contact list add the county extension agents, realtors, property management companies, fire and police departments and feed and grains. If you want to keep getting those referrals be sure to give back. Take a jar of honey to those folks who give you leads or better yet learn to ask "who does your pest control" and take the lead back to your lead sources.
John Adams, there is at least one in your area doing bee removals. ACE or Animal Control Experts, LLC is a NWCO company that advertises in your area and will do removals with a spray can. There is also Critter Control same method of removal. Be sure to use the pesticide use to thump them over the head. I hate talking against my own (and I used to be a manager for ACE) but I'm trying to move my industry away from killing bees.
You can also let your pest control contacts know this as well, particularly Critter Control as they also do pest control, since a referral to them may result in a lost customer to the pest control company.
Personally i am with Michael: sprayed = walk away; but i heard of keepers who will remove and just tack on an additional fee. An hefty fee will also teach them sprayers a lesson in the pocket book.
i usually take $4-500 as base price; it goes up if the ladder has to go up higher or if it has to be an inside job.
Don't forget to go here and add your info to the map:
http://forum.beemaster.com/removal/swarmmap.php (http://forum.beemaster.com/removal/swarmmap.php)
This is attached to the little triangle at the top right of the forum page that says
Need Bees Removed
I'm planning to drop of business cards on all of the local pest control companies at the beginning of March. Saw an ad on T.V. for Vista Print and got 500 NICE business cards, a tee shirt with my info and a car window decal for 28 bucks! I was even able to customize the decal and cards because their internet system doesn't care if you put other info in the fields for fax numbers etc. So my car decal has my name, phone number, a nice bee picture, and the words "We remove bees!" on it. I figure if I drop cards on everyone at the start of the swarm season, there is a good chance that they will still be kicking around the desktop when they get a bee call. If not, it will still be fresh in their memory.
I have a good friend who is an exterminator, and he says they want nothing to do with honeybees. They have enough work to do without dealing with that mess. It's funny, I hate yellow jackets because they are so quick to sting, he hates honeybees because they won't give up - he says honeybees follow much farther than yellow jackets. :-D
I do swarm calls free, unless they are far away, then charge gas money. Cut outs get a charge for sure! And they have to sign a release form. I will cut my rate for those who are on fixed income and don't seem to be handing me a line. Sprayed bees get some advice to the owner and I walk. I don't want to contaminate my equipment. But whether a swarm or a cutout, the best advice I ever got from an older beekeeper was "Know when to walk away." If you get a hinky feeling from someone, don't mess with them - walk away.
JC
greenbtree can you send me a copy of your release form. i have been thinking about the liability aspect of cut outs.
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