Do you Need to Pay for Live Bee Removal or Is it Free?
You’ve found a hive in your home, and don’t want it to spend another day under your roof. A few friends have told you of cases where beekeepers have performed bee removal services for free. You may also have heard about other instances where homeowners have had to pay for such services. There can be a lot of inconsistencies across the board and you may be confused. We’re here to set the record straight so you can know what to expect. Will you need to pay your local beekeeper for live bee removal? We answer that as we delve into more detail.
Bee Removal Misconceptions:
Beekeepers are paid in kind
Those who would want bee removal services for free often think that they’re doing beekeepers a favor. That giving them bees is equal payment to the trouble and skill of performing the removal. After all, they’ll make a lot more with bee products they get in return such as wax, honey, etc. Well, therein lies a huge misconception. Beekeepers who offer their services don’t always want or need the bees they remove. In fact, most of them even have no use for the bees other than relocation. This line of thought is the equivalent of offering a rusty sink to a plumber as payment.
Bee removal can be time-consuming, complicated, not to mention very risky. These professionals use their expertise and time to perform a service that can sometimes be outright dangerous.
Bees always equate to honey
We share the world with over 20,000 species of bees. Did you know that only one variety produces honey? The math here indicates that less than 1% of the total bee population has honey to give. Therefore, it’s unlikely that the colony in your backyard is made up of honeybees. And even if it is, honeybees can take up to a month or two to make substantial amounts of honey. Probably, you took notice of the infestation way before then. A lot of other factors influence honey production. There are probably only trace amounts to work with by the time of removal.
Bee removal is easy
If bee removal was as straightforward as some people make it out, there wouldn’t be professionals dedicated to the study and removal of bees. The difficulty level varies from one specific job to the other. Even the simplest-looking infestation requires a lot of know-how to ensure the safety of the expert, the bees, and the homeowners.
Bee removal generally falls into one of two categories. If the bees have newly arrived and there’s no visible combs or structure, only a ball of the gathering insects, you’re looking at swarm removal. This type is generally easier. Many beekeepers relish swarm removal. Hobbyist beekeepers who offer free services often only perform swarm removal.
The more time they’ve spent in the same place, the more complicated the task of getting them out safely. If these bees have nested for more than a week, it’s reasonable to assume there’s a comb somewhere even if it’s not visible. The size and complexity of the comb depend on the time they’ve been there. If they have been around for long, then you have a colony removal problem on your hands. You’ll be hard placed to find anyone who would want to take the risk and time of such a removal without charging a dime. The associated costs of removal alone would considerably set back the professional. Factor in the dozens of stings and reaching into hidden structures, colony removal is far from a walk in the park.
Bees equate to lots of money
A new colony of bees may set back a beekeeper up to $200, excluding other expenses like the cost of equipment. Some people associate this value with the wild colony they need removed. The wild bees in your backyard may not necessarily hold the same market value. Beekeepers go for special bees bred into honey production, disease resistance, and docility. The same can’t be said for a random colony of bees that has set up camp in your home.
Bees from the wild can be feisty. They may be so ill-tempered that domestication may not even be an option. The colony is more often than not in poor health and without a queen. Bringing the new colony to his other hives may even start a pandemic among his bees. Queen bees, aside from shoulder the exclusive responsibility of production, also play a huge role in hive unity. To shape a wild colony into a profitable one, a beekeeper would need to spend hundreds of dollars.
However, it is true that wild bees can also be valuable. Perhaps they contain rare genetic traits that would make the colony worth a lot. It’s hard to tell at first sight. And that only pans out about one out of ten times. So most of the time, a colony doesn’t necessarily translate to money for the beekeeper who removes it.
Think of keeping bees like planting vegetables. The better you care for the garden, provide nutrients, water, etc., the more likely you are to get better yields. With little care and attention, you probably won’t get the best produce. Wild bees are highly likely to be untamable and unprofitable. Often, removal experts have no choice but to release them back into the wild somewhere safer.
How the Bee Removal process costs the beekeeper
A beekeeper digs into his own pocket to perform a removal. Some of the costs may not be obvious at first, which is why some people would want to have it done free of charge. Here are some of those expenses that beekeepers incur in the process:
Gear and equipment
Bee removal gear and equipment are anything but cheap. The simplest removal setup sets him back no less than 150 dollars. And that’s not a one-off price tag. He spends a similar amount for every colony he removes. Factor in the maintenance costs and you’re looking at an even larger figure.
Gas and time
The beekeeper foots as well the transportation expenses they incur to get there. That cost goes up if they have to hire transportation not only for themselves but their equipment as well. Not forgetting that the beekeeper may spend a lot of time working on the removal. He or she may even have to help out with the clean-up process to ensure bees don’t return.
Education and experience
One doesn’t simply wake up one morning and they’re competent bee removal experts. Like a lot of other careers in life, beekeepers invest time and money to hone their trade. They may even take years to master complex colony removals. Some of the things they learn on the job, often after making mistakes. The knowledge and expertise they bring to the table cost them massively to acquire.
Health and safety
There’s no telling how bees will react to the process. Some wild bees are ill-tempered, construing every intrusion as an act of war. Removal is therefore a delicate dance between man and angry insects ready to sting at a moment’s notice. Additionally, beekeepers have to work with all sorts of dangerous tools and heights. An accident is always not too far from the imagination. Some bees such as Africanized bees have a massive sting radius. That means the experts also have to factor in the safety of neighbors and bystanders. The beekeeper may also be exposed to harmful materials like asbestos and lead paint as they cut through structures. Overall, there are numerous risks that beekeepers are exposed to.
Rental charges
Bee colonies take up vast amounts of space. The beekeeper may not be able to satisfactorily provide that space in his residential home. He probably rents land for the apiary. Each new colony adds to these space requirements.
Upkeep expenses
The new colony is now under the care of the beekeeper who removes it. Until he finds a safe place to relocate, he must provide basic amenities and other provisions to sustain it. That could take weeks, even months, meaning beekeepers constantly spend money even after the removal process.
Insurance and miscellaneous costs
Bee removal can be dangerous work. Experts, therefore, seek insurance. Insurance fees need to be paid periodically. So beekeepers keep on dealing with that expense. Maybe they also have a website they need to maintain. Doing that, and advertising as well, is not cheap.
It’s time to reset bee removal expectations
We can all agree bee removal can be a dangerous affair even for professionals. They stand much more to lose than there is to gain by performing free bee removal. That’s not to say that there aren’t any beekeepers who offer such services for free. It all depends on your location and the culture and nature of beekeeping in that area. A hobbyist is likely to want no pay, a business, on other hand, which has heavily invested in their business, wouldn’t do it for free. Find out which is which when reaching out to beekeepers.
It’s also a common courtesy to show gratitude even for free services. The beekeeper took time out of his schedule and spent a bit of money on gas and equipment. It’s only fair to reimburse the expenses and appreciate their efforts.
