Viewing posts from : 2022

Bee Removal DIY Do It Yourself Precautions

December 19, 2022 Bee Removal Specialist Bee Hive Removal, Beekeeping

Don’t take the risk of injuring yourself or someone else by attempting bee removal yourself. Using an expert will ensure that the bees are completely removed, quickly and safely, so that no one gets hurt.

The Dangers of DIY Bee Removal

If you have a hive of bees on your property, then it’s understandable that you’d want to do something about it. However, it should be understood that tens of thousands of bees can live in just one hive. By attempting to remove a hive via DIY methods, you don’t have the knowledge of how to handle this enormous number of bees. Be warned, if the bees see you as a threat, then they will take action.

Also, if you or your children are allergic to bee stings, then the sight of a hive can be even scarier. You may want to get rid of the bees safely and as fast as possible, but by calling a professional bee removal company, you can easily prevent anyone from getting hurt.

Remember, every year people attempt to solve their bee problems on their own, and every year, mistakes are made when it comes to approaching the removal of a bee hive.

Some common DIY bee removal mistakes include:

Swatting at the hive with a blunt object.
Spraying insect killer at the hive.
Covering the hive with a trash can or trash bag.
Burning the hive.
Water the hive with a hose.

This common mistakes will only anger the bees and could leat to a bee attac to you with the remaining bees of the hive. as a Quick note: a lot of bees are not in the hive during the day, so even if you remove or destroy the hive, the remaining bees will build another in the same place.

Bee Safe Bee Removal has the Right way to Remove Your Bee Hives

The only smart and safe way to remove bees, wasps and hives is to hire an expert. By calling Bee Safe Bee Removal, you can have your bees removed quickly and effectively – without the risk of anyone getting hurt. We often remove bees on the very same day that you call.

As professional beekeepers, we know how to capture bees without killing them, either by vacuuming them with a bee vac or placing them in a bee box. We use all the proper equipment to ensure safety for everyone, and we will remove all remnants of the nest as well.

Before you make the mistake of trying to solve your bee problem by yourself, give us a call today. We are happy to answer your questions, provide professional expertise, and remove the bees from your property!

Urban Beekeeping: A Brief Starter’s Guide

August 23, 2022 Bee Removal Specialist Beekeeping

Honey Doesn’t Get More Local Than This!

If you’re looking for a productive and fun new hobby this summer, then at-home beekeeping might be a great choice for you! Beekeeping at home is a time-honored tradition, especially here in the United States. Beekeeping in America has been around for about as long as we’ve had established settlements, with the first shipment of bees arriving from Europe in 1622. Many advancements in modern day beekeeping coming from America too; It is a deeply intertwined part of our culture! Backyard Beekeeping has a plethora of benefits as well. Not only will you have personal pollinators for your flowers and garden, but you will have honey and wax to give out (or even sell) to your friends, neighbors, and family.

“But wait, don’t I need a license or something to keep bees!?”

Depending on your state and local regulations, probably not! While it may be surprising to those not in the know, backyard beekeeping is fairly common and largely unhindered by regulations for the vast majority of cities and towns in the US. Some states, like Texas, may even offer an agricultural tax exemption on your land depending on the size of your land and the amount of hives present.

honey bee comb in hands of a beekeeper

However, it is always important to make sure it is legal in your specific city and county. A great go-to resource for finding this information is your local beekeepers association, they will be intimately familiar with local laws and requirements for beekeepers. These associations are made up of professionals and hobbyists alike and can also offer you localized advice on getting started or solutions to problems you may come across.

You can find a list of statewide beekeeping associations from the American Beekeeping Federation, the national level beekeepers association. Networking with other beekeepers is a great way to keep up with the latest news and issues that beekeepers in your area are dealing with. Most people in the beekeeping world are incredibly helpful and friendly, so don’t be hesitant about asking questions! If you cannot get ahold of your local beekeeper association, you can simply look at the local ordinances of your municipality and state online or at your local library, it will usually be included under the “Animals” section of the code. Some cities may have you pay a small fee for a permit to keep multiple hives.

Before going off and searching for a hive and a suit on Amazon, you need to consider one of the most important aspects of beekeeping: Safety. If you have a dog that uses your backyard frequently, you might consider putting the hive in a place it cannot access. Bees can seriously hurt or even kill your furry family members, so keep that in mind as you plan out your apiary. If you have neighbors in close proximity or are planning on keeping a hive close to your property line, it’s a good idea to consult with your neighbors about your plans. Understandably, some neighbors might be uneased by bees being so close to their property. Reassure them that bee attacks rarely occur outside of the immediate area of the hive, and that you’re complying with all local and state ordinances. Some municipalities will limit how close you can have hives to your property lines without permission from adjacent property owners, so again it’s good to be familiar with the laws surrounding beekeeping in your city and state.

Now that you’ve figured out where you CAN put the hive, it’s time to decide where you WILL put it. Bees’ behavior is heavily influenced by temperature and the sun. Putting it in a spot where the morning sun will hit it and angling the entrance to the Southeast will get the bees out foraging earlier in the morning and in turn produce more honey. It’s important to keep temperature in mind too. If you live in a particularly warm climate that frequently reaches over 100 degrees Fahrenheit during the summer it may be a good idea to place it in a spot that gets sun in the morning and shade in the hotter parts of the afternoon. Bees keep their hives at a stable temperature of 95 degrees, and any excess heat will prevent them from foraging and making honey. Try to pick a spot that won’t have excess wind, as that also discourages foraging. If you live in a region with bears, it might be wise to install a bear fence. It’s not just a cartoonish trope that bears LOVE calorie rich honey, they actively seek it out.

Once you’ve picked a good location for your hive it’s time to get supplies. Luckily there is a wide variety of bee equipment from budget to high-end price points to choose from.

What Equipment do I need?

The Hive and Frames

While historically there have been many varieties of hive, most beekeepers today use the Langstroth hive, or a variety thereof. The Langstroth Hive uses movable frames for the bees to build their comb on. The hive body on the bottom provides a place for the queen to lay eggs, divided with a queen separator from the “supers” on top, which are only for workers and honey.

If you’re handy with tools, you can find an unassembled Langstroth hive with frames for around $150 USD. However, if you have a little more money to spend, you might want to consider the Flow hive. The Flow hive is a recent development in beekeeping that makes honey harvesting easier than ever. It has a built in offset hive structure that allow you to break up the combs, letting it flow directly down into jars. It is quite a bit more expensive than a standard hive, but they offer starter kits including a beekeeping suit, a smoker, and more for $899.

beekeeper expert

The Beekeeping Suit

With a beekeeping suit you have several options; they come in full suit and jacket styles and are made with a variety of materials. While the classic suits were made out of heavy canvas, modern suits are made with multiple layers of breathable mesh, making for a much cooler experience if you’re in a warmer climate. These suits vary in price from $50 – $200.

beekeeper gloves

The Gloves

Like Beekeeping suits, gloves come in a variety of materials, a cloth sleeve and the actual glove section that covers your hand. Harder rubber glove varieties offer better protection; however, leather gloves allow more dexterity and are easier to use.

bee removal tool smoke

The Smoker

With smokers there’s not a lot of variety in form, however there are big differences in quality and durability. If you opt for a cheap smoker and take care of it (i.e. not leaving it out in the elements) then you should be fine. These retail for around $20 – $50.

The Hive Tool

The hive tool is what you’ll use to break up wax and propolis, as well as pull frames out of the hive. These are simple tools, usually made with stainless steel, and can be purchased for under $10.

The Brush

The beekeeper’s brush is used to gently move bees off the framed hives while doing inspections and harvesting honey. Both natural fiber and nylon brushes are available and perform the function the same way. These brushes can be purchased for less than $10.

The Extracting Tools

This is the part of beekeeping that can get pricey, especially if you want to do it right. However these are also tools that you have plenty of time to save up for while your bees are making the honey. The most expensive part of this setup will be the extractor. The extractor will usually hold 3 or 4 frames in a metal cylinder and spins the frames to extract the honey using centrifugal force. It will collect into the bottom of the extractor where you can drain the honey into jars with a valve. These will usually come with an uncapping tool, which either punctures or removes the caps of the combs, allowing the honey to be released. Extractors will run you between $75 and $300 depending on the material and quality.

If you can’t afford an extractor, contact a local beekeeper or another hobbyist and ask how much it would cost to rent theirs. As mentioned before, people in the beekeeping world are often very helpful and friendly, some might let you use it for free provided you take care of and clean it. Another option is just using the whole comb honey cut up into squares, however this makes it hard to use and will end up getting wax in your tea or food. Full comb honey is often sold as a gourmet food item anyways!

While there are endless amounts of beekeeping tools and accessories, the above equipment list is all a hobbyist needs to produce jars and jars of delicious ultra-local honey. Now the only thing you need to get your hands on are the bees.

Believe it or not, purchasing bees online can be just as simple as buying a sweater. There are dozens of websites that can sell you a thriving colony of bees from a variety of different honey bee species. We recommend doing research on the specific kind of bees you want to raise, as the different species have unique characteristics and advantages, especially depending on the climate you live in.

After you’ve got your bees and equipment, all there is to do is sit back and let them do their work. You’ll need to inspect your hive once every few weeks. Learn how to identify mites like Varroa, one of the worst hive mites that can make your honey unusable. You should also be able to recognize bacterial infections like Foulbrood. Keeping the hive healthy lets the bees produce honey more efficiency, but don’t over-do it. Frequent inspections can stress the bees out; once every 7-14 days will be just fine.

Stolen Beehives Tracked by Beekeepers

June 28, 2022 Bee Removal Specialist Beekeeping

Stolen Beehives Tracked by Beekeepers

During the springtime, it’s common for beekeepers to rent out bees nationwide to states that would benefit from the small pollinators. Almond farmers, California’s most important crop, rent out bees to help with the growing process. However, as almond trees blossom into beautiful white and pink flowers, theft crimes rise to capture the valuable beehives that help sustain California.

Beekeepers have been dealing for years with theft crimes related to their beehives. Beekeepers have methods to make sure they can obtain their beehives again by tracking (from a range of GPS devices, surveillance cameras, and other anti-theft products) where the beehives go. While the beehive thefts may come to a surprise to readers, they are a major problem to beekeepers because of how bees truly affect our ecosystem in a positive way.

If beehives aren’t taken care of or used in the wrong manner or in locations that can damage the environment, they can become a danger to people. In Pennsylvania, three beehives were illegally removed from a garden of a grocery chain. If we calculate how many that could have been, that means over 60,000 bees were stolen away! That’s only in Pennsylvania. In California where pollination from bees is important, beehive thefts happen more frequently and at a bigger scale during peak bee season.

In the last few weeks where peak bee season has not even occurred yet, over 1,000 beehives have already been stolen from orchard trees. Authorities have announced a $10,000 reward, given by the state beekeepers association, for important information about the largest burglary involving 380 beehives near a farm in Mendocino County. Tauzer Apiaries wrote on Facebook how difficult it felt to have worked hard to take care of bees for a year only for the beehives to be stolen from them. Fortunately, an anonymous person provided valuable information that led a recovery rescue for most beehive boxes (and a stolen forklift) that were 55 miles away from the family-led Tauzer beekeeper apiary. Authorities also found bee frames that belong to another beekeeper. The victim, Helio Medina, has been rumored to have lost over 250 beehives last year. Medina said that the theft events from last year negatively impacted his apiary, so he learned to put GPS trackers in his cable-locked beehive boxes from now on while putting cameras around his property. One suspect in this burglary, that led to the rescue, was arrested too.

Beekeepers feel like they have to do what they have to do to protect their important beehives, because in reality, there’s not a lot people can do to help them. Medina also said to keep an eye for beehives in the night to see if he can capture any robbers, since that’s when burglaries are most common. What’s unfortunate, most robberies are done by beekeepers or people who know about bee transportation. A detective stated that most of these robbers’ goal is to make as much money as possible with bees and leave the hives to die.

Not only are beehives valuable to be stolen, but robbers have also stolen beehives due to an increase of renting prices. What used to cost $50 to rent a beehive now costs around $230. For many beekeepers or farmers who depend to continue growing, that cost has proved to be way
too high. However, the increased price might be warranted, because there’s been huge demand to grow almonds in California to the point that over 1.3 million acres is used just to grow almonds alone. The demand is so high that professional beekeepers have calculated that
growing all the almonds in the U.S. would take 90% of all colonies nationwide (from locations like Texas, New York, and Florida to name a few).

Bees are rented all over America to farmers in California. But hundreds of them, valued at as much as a million dollars, go missing. Here’s why #tictocnews pic.twitter.com/ZSSHQxWzcg

— Bloomberg Quicktake (@Quicktake) July 1, 2018

Although farmers need beehives, beekeepers need to take in account the dangers of the different environments beehives will encounter. From loss of habitat, insects, and disease, beekeepers have to be careful with changes like droughts and having to artificially supplement
bees with sugar to keep going. These additional costs can turn into a nightmare for beekeepers. If a beekeeper loses a beehive, not only does that mean the death of thousands of bees but also a loss of honey production, pollination, and income. So, some beekeepers barely break
even. Beekeeping and renting out takes a lot of time and money to make sure bees are healthy and employees are paid out in time. Therefore, if farmers steal it is because they can not afford to pay renting costs of beehives. If beekeepers steal, that’s because they can not afford to take
care of bees since in the end it may mean they will only break even.

To combat beehive thefts, startup company Bee Hero aims to create a beehive box with GPS enabled. For now, beekeepers advise other beekeepers to write their names, phone numbers, cameras, and SmartWater CSI so detectives can easily track back beehives to their original
owner. Also, the almond industry is researching ways for almonds to require less pollination from bees that has raised $15 million from California government to create smart agriculture that will be efficient for not years to come, but decades too.

Bees Can´t Fly at Night

March 25, 2022 Bee Removal Specialist Uncategorized

Bees Can’t Fly at Night

Did you know that bees can’t really fly at night? A viral video coming from popular sites like Twitter, Reddit, and Facebook with over 11 million views have shown bees crashing down the second the lights are turned off in a laboratory.

Bee Experiment Explodes Online

The viral video is captured by postgraduate Hamish Symington, who is currently doing his PhD on pollination, flowers, and food security at Cambridge University. His main objective is to make flowers more attractive to bees, give more nectar, and increase pollen to help feed the world. In the video, he switches off the laboratory lights which makes the flying bees drop to the ground almost immediately. He states that he’s quite surprised that the bees drop like an on/off switch without trying to land safely or glide down. In retrospect, dropping down quickly can be thought of as dangerous for bees.

The video helps support the fact that most bees, like bumble bees and honey bees, can’t fly at night. Instead of being nocturnal, bees are diurnal which means that bees only fly during the day. All their main activities like flying, retrieving pollen, constructing outside the beehive, and swarming are done during the day. Bees can crawl during the night, however the limited mobility affects how fast they can do tasks.

Here’s another video of bees falling out of the sky when the lights go out. I’m surprised it’s an on/off choice for them – no graceful trying to glide to land or anything like that, they literally just stop flying and plummet. Surely that’s more dangerous than keeping flying? pic.twitter.com/TotxihLywQ

— Hamish Symington (@HamishSymington) December 3, 2021

Not All Bees are the Same

Bees don’t see the world the way humans do. In fact, bees can’t technically see in the same sense we do at all! Instead, they navigate using the sun’s polarized light rays to guide them. Their eyes are compound-shaped, made up of thousands of tiny lenses. Interestingly, just like we appreciate clarity and focus in reading good night wishes, bees rely on precision too. Above their compound eyes, they also have three simple eyes that help them detect light and movement.

However, there are certain bee species who can see at night. Some bees are crepuscular. They usually travel during dusk, night, and early morning. These special bees can fly during the night with little light. Other bees are completely nocturnal, like the Sweat Bee (Lasioglossum Texana). These unique bees can fly during the full and half moons. Then there’s other types of bees that do not need light at all to fly. Going by the name of Halictidae, these forager bees have evolutioned to fly during the night without needing light. These rare bees have way different eyes than bees that fly during the day. The forager bees have been able to neurologically trick their eyes to strengthen the signal that each photon sends to their little brains. These bees do this to gather nectar in the less competitive night and retrieve pollen from nocturnal flowers. These different bees go out to show how special bees really are.

What to Do With a Bee Swarm

March 10, 2022 Bee Removal Specialist Uncategorized

What to Do With a Bee Swarm

Bee season has been occurring for the last couple of weeks, and more bees arrive at the end of the month. Our bee removal owner, Harold Wright, spoke to us about what a person should do if they encounter a bee swarm. We also gathered relevant and current insights from Chris Barnes, the founder of Brazos Valley Beekeepers Association.

How to Get Rid of Bee Swarms

The first on your to-do list is not spray. DO NOT SPRAY. You do not want to spray them with water and you certainly do not want to spray them with any store-bought pesticide. Bees are commonly gentle. Bees don’t have any reason why to sting you. Their life is as important as yours. However, be warned that the bee hive will attack the second you start hurting them. If you see a bee swarm, the best thing to do is call a bee removal service company like us, Bee Safe Bee Removal, to help you.

During the month of March, bee swarms become common. Bee swarms look like a ball of bees huddled up in an area. They do not have a hive yet. A bee swarm occurs because the originating bee hive has split up into two colonies. The other bee colony flies away to look for a spot to reproduce. Since bee swarms means scouting bees are looking for a new home, bees are not going to get defensive about their spot. This scouting stage lasts for about 12 to 48 hours. If you see a bee swarm on your property, waiting is mostly your best bet. However, if you can’t wait for any reason, you can call Bee Safe Bee Removal!

Study shows that Bee Appearance and Behavior could be Related

January 28, 2022 Bee Removal Specialist Uncategorized

A new UF / IFAS study identified genetic characteristics associated with the production and behavioral attributes of these two important bee variants. For example, researchers have found that Cape honey bees are significantly darker than Africanized bees. This dark color may be genetically correlated with those unwanted behaviors.

Both variants are undesirable in the United States. The first is the “killer bee” or “Africanized bee,” scientifically known as A.m. scutellata is a bright-colored bee known for its territorial and defensive properties. This subspecies was introduced to Brazil from South Africa’s natural habitat in the 1950s. There she mated with a subspecies of European honeybees bred by Brazilian beekeepers, then moved to the United States. A.M. scutellata is considered an invasive bee and can inherit colonies from controlled bees, potentially reducing the interests of beekeepers. They are also known for their increased defensive behavior.

The second subspecies studied, the “Cape honey bee,” is scientifically known as the morning. capensis causes many problems for beekeepers. These bees are more submissive than Africanized bees, but are more likely to inherit urticaria. Cape honey bees are considered social parasites. Unlike other bee variants, cape worker bees can replicate themselves and lay female eggs without first mating. These clones can take over the honeycomb. These workers cannot breed at the same rate as the traditional queen, and the colonies eventually diminish and collapse. This is a phenomenon known as the “Capensis Catastrophe.” “More amazing than the ability of Cape Worker bees to replicate themselves is the speed at which they can take over other colonies,” said Jamie Ellis, a UF / IFAS professor. “We are working to keep these bees from invading the United States, because in most cases when these bees take over the colony, the colony is destined.”

For living things. In this case, researchers sought to understand what genetic characteristics contribute to the appearance and behavior of these bees. Using data collected from South African bees from previous studies funded by the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service in 2013 and 2014, scientists can determine which genes are responsible for the physical characteristics of these subspecies. I tried to understand.

Laura Patterson Rosa, a PhD student at the University of Florida / IFAS and co-author of the study, said: “What we have found has many implications. We have not yet been able to validate these new discoveries with additional populations, but if the results withstand the challenges of time, we will see behavioral changes. Can partially explain the reasons, the reasons for not recognizing the existence of other queens, and why they can be self-cloned when other bees cannot.

“The color phenotype is of beekeeping management. It’s an important aspect, “Ellis said. “It helps beekeepers know what kind of bees they have.” Cape honey bees are considerably darker than Africanized bees. This dark shade may be genetically correlated with their cloning and colonization behavior. “There are potentially more than 30 variants of honeybees. Only two have been examined in published studies,” he said. “Does this finding apply to other dark-colored bee variants?

It is interesting to look for these mutations in all variants of Western honey bee and determine if this is the case. Special thanks to the supporters of this study, including USDA APHIS and the Florida Agricultural Consumer Services Authority, led by Honey Bee Technical Council.

Winter: A Honeybee Story

January 5, 2022 Bee Removal Specialist Beekeeping

Winter Bees

As a snowflake may drift into a front yard, you will find three kinds of people. Some may run out with joy at the winter wonder. Others stare with curiosity from the window. The rest cuddle up indoors and try to think warm thoughts.

Honeybees fall into the third category, though they cuddle up much sooner than we do. Once temperatures fall to 50 degrees, honeybees—or should I clarify, the female bees—gather inside their hive. Male drones are often left outside to freeze, as breeding season is over and their large consumption needs threaten the winter supply (see our “A Bee’s Life” blog post).

Beginning of an End

While low temperatures prevent bees from flying, the pollen level is the true trigger for when diutinus bees start to be produced. As pollen becomes scarce, the colony prepares for winter by creating diutinus bees from female eggs, in a similar fashion to dedicating a queen from a female egg.

A queen bee is born by feeding a female egg a diet of royal jelly. Like the queen, winter bees have a special, lean larval diet—in contrast to the queen’s rich diet. This protein-deficient caste grows fat-enlarged bodies to produce vitellogenin, which can supplement a pollen supply if needed.

Survival of the Honey Bee

To survive the winter, the bees must stay warm and fed. The colony will swarm within the hive and form a tight winter cluster, placing the queen at its core. The workers will shake and shiver (vibrating as we have seen them do in a waggle dance) to generate heat.

The center of the swarm will maintain a temperate around 90 degrees, while the outside of the swarm will be around 50 degrees. To survive, the swarm will crawl together in formation to reach their reserves of honey.

And this is how they live for the entirety of winter. In a giant mass, constantly swapping places to keep everyone warm and fed.

Will The Winter Bees Make It?

The colony’s survival entirely rests on the preparations made in the previous season and if any notable season. A diutinus bee can run out of vitellogenin, and if a dry spring follows winter, the colony may very well perish to starvation.

What If Temperatures Rise?

As we have seen this winter in Texas, sometimes a winter may stay above 50 degrees. What then?

If the temperature goes above 50, the colony may briefly leave the hive to dispose of excrement. But, without pollen to collect, the colony will retreat to the hive to stay warm and hold on until pollen and heat become plentiful.