# I am going to cut into a very exspensive house today



## sugarbush (Jul 15, 2007)

Even 2 year old 6 million dollar McMansions are not built well enough to be bee proof. The crazy thing is that the owner tried to offer me less than the 100 bucks I told him it would cost. Now I know how some people keep their money:bash:


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## Durandal (Aug 19, 2007)

I hear ya. I only charge 250.00 per cut-out. I do not think that is much. With the increase/record foreclosures in the Cincinnati are I have received at least 5 or 6 cut-out calls. They are either bank owned or someone has bought up a couple at auction to dabble in the market a bit. They discover bees in the walls, or in a chimney, or in a box gutter.

They choke on the 250.00 as if what COULD happen if they spray (because no pest company around here touches bees...no really, they don't) themselves is less costly. I never understand it.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

I get a lot of those it cost to much for that. So I tell them pest companies charge much more here to attempt to kill the bees. When they do kill them they leave all the comb an honey inside as an invite for more bees to move in. Also when the bees are dead ants and other pest move in because the unguarded honey is an easy meal.
When they don't kill all the bees the queen is still inside laying up to 2000 eggs a day to rebuild the colony. 

Many will then pay to have the bees removed. We base our fee on what kind of job it is to remove the bees, if we have to rebuild things we remove. Last year we had a job where the girls were going in where some chinking was missing from a chiminy then traveling 4 feet along a ceiling joice to the comb. That job cost the home owner $300.00, he gave us a $85.00 tip and thanked us. We also charge a $25.00 service call due to the high cost of fuel. It's the pits to drive several miles then the owner says a can of spray only cost $4.00 tops.

 Al


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## sugarbush (Jul 15, 2007)

Durandal said:


> They choke on the 250.00 as if what COULD happen if they spray (because no pest company around here touches bees...no really, they don't) themselves is less costly. I never understand it.


I did them for free last year....this year I am charging 100.00 each. I have a lady who wants me to come out and remove the comb and honey from her eve that is dripping down her house......she had them powdered last fall and said it cost her $600.00. When everything started running out of the old colony she called the company back and they told her there was nothing they can do for her. There is nothing I can do for her now either.....don't need to be getting any of that dust on my tools and spreading it to my hives.


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## Iddee (Sep 25, 2005)

I charge 300 for the first 3 hours, than a hundred an hour after that. I just came in for lunch after spending 3 hours on one and not finishing. I will be going back in an hour and the 100 per hour will begin. I have no problem getting my price, once they realize what it entails and what the results of spraying will be. That price is for two men. Today, I am using 3 men, but the price stays the same. The third man is a trainee. I have another one to do tomorrow.


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## sugarbush (Jul 15, 2007)

I just finished it up. it was actually an easy one. They were behind a piece of molding in between 12" LBL floor joists. I spent to hours this morning removing the comb and placing it in frames. I placed a few of the frames back into the cavity and went to am appointment. then came back and the bees that had spread out everywhere had moved onto the frames that I put in place of the comb. I pulled the frames and put them in a nuc, vaced a few straglers and came home 

A am about out of spare equipment though so I may start adding the cost of a hive to it.


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## foxtrapper (Dec 23, 2003)

I've done them a few times now. God that's a lot of work.

$300 up front for the fist three hours, $100 for each hour after sounds about right to me. Most folks will go elsewhere, and that's fine. Those that really want me to do the job will be happy, as will my wallet. 

Way to much work to maybe get a colony, especially when I can buy a nuc for $80 or so.


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## sugarbush (Jul 15, 2007)

foxtrapper said:


> Way to much work to maybe get a colony, especially when I can buy a nuc for $80 or so.


I have had 100% take rate with the dozens that I have done the past few years. The feral bees in this area are mostly small and black and very calm in nature. I have only missed the queens on a couple and when that happens they raise a new one. The distance I cover means that my bees have a constant supply of new genetics and my winter kill rate had dropped to almost nothing since I started bringing in ferals. My treatment bill for mites has dropped to nothing and my mite load is down to unnoticable. 

For me when I stand back and look at the benifits they are well worth more than a few hours of hard hot labor. The only reason I have started to charge is because I have been getting so many referals this year that the gas would be killing me if I didn't charge something. I am working on getting non-profit status to do removals so I can go back to not charging and operate off of a grant.


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## reginabee (May 15, 2008)

Me, I am much more sympathetic to the bees than ignorant folk who will kill honeybees to save a buck. It is now illegal to kill honeybees, but who is enforcing that?Too bad we can't just fine the pest companies, tree services and landscapers who use toxic chemicals. I just found out that my tree service who was supposed to spray horticulture oil on my hemlocks used SEVIN!!!I am FURIOUS and i called and cancelled all future business. WHEN will they all get it???


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## Durandal (Aug 19, 2007)

I was not aware that there was a federal law that covered all States making it illegal to eliminate honey bees in ALL instances.

I think several States, especially those in AHB zones have fairly liberal guidelines in exterminating all swarms and "feral" colonies.


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## barelahh (Apr 13, 2007)

reginabee said:


> Me, I am much more sympathetic to the bees than ignorant folk who will kill honeybees to save a buck. It is now illegal to kill honeybees, but who is enforcing that?Too bad we can't just fine the pest companies, tree services and landscapers who use toxic chemicals. I just found out that my tree service who was supposed to spray horticulture oil on my hemlocks used SEVIN!!!I am FURIOUS and i called and cancelled all future business. WHEN will they all get it???


ROTFL you have a problem with Sevin dust, yet you want to spray petroleum products on your trees. ROTFL 
Horticulture oil is made from petroleum distillates.


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## foxtrapper (Dec 23, 2003)

reginabee said:


> It is now illegal to kill honeybees


I'm calling BS on that one. 



> Too bad we can't just fine the pest companies, tree services and landscapers who use toxic chemicals


Fruitcake thinking. Everything is toxic is the right dosage. You don't even believe yourself, since you wanted toxic materials sprayed on your trees. You were just upset they didn't spray the toxin you wanted.


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## sugarbush (Jul 15, 2007)

Durandal said:


> I think several States, especially those in AHB zones have fairly liberal guidelines in exterminating all swarms and "feral" colonies.


I can think of two states where it is the law that ferals are exterminated.


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## Judy in IN (Nov 28, 2003)

Saw an ad in the local Craigslist for Honeybees for sale--best offer. 

Being curious, I emailed and asked him how many deeps in the hive. 

Turns out, it's a small travel trailer with feral bees in it. He tells me they've been in there 3 years.

So this guy is trying to SELL bees that need to be extracted. LOL!

I did email him back and tell him bees extracted this late in the year would have to be fed the rest of the season, and weren't really worth anything. 

He just sends me his phone number, and the ad again. 

I would take them if they were free, but darned if I'll PAY to do an extraction!


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## sugarbush (Jul 15, 2007)

I guess they will be in there 3 more years...... Where do people come up with this stuff?

The one I get from time to time is "I will let you take them out, but I want all the honey" Like I have time to set aside all that comb for them. I throw it all in a bucket and when I am done it looks so nasty they usually change their minds on it.


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