Honeybee Removal & Relocation
We offer three types of removal & relocation, depending on the location and status of the honeybees. These are described below. Our photos and videos illustrate the process.
Moving an established colony of bees can be likened to a forced eviction without notice. If not handled with a certain finesse and compassion, the situation turns ugly quick. Swarmhunter, aka, Chris Richmond has honed his skills over the past six years and provides a professional service.
If you need help identifying honeybees, look here.
Established Colony Cut-out
“Cut-out” is the term beekeepers use to describe removing an established colony of honeybees from a structure. Chris locates the precise location of the colony, determines the best way to access the whole colony without compromising the integrity of the structure they’ve moved into, & discusses options with the homeowners before making any cuts.
In addition to the honeybees, Chris removes the comb they’ve built; which, if left in place, acts as bait to lure a future colony to the space.
If you suspect a colony of honeybees have taken up residence in a home or building, call us for an estimate sooner than later. The bees' endearing trait of producing & storing a surplus of honey can result in an entire wall of honey!
Swarm Removal
This is a free service. Swarms are extremely time sensitive; call or text immediately. We’ll either be there ASAP or send another beekeeper from the local beekeeping community.
Swarming is a colony’s response to outgrowing their home. Approximately one-half of the colony follow their queen in search of a new living space, leaving the old space to a newly hatched queen and a new generation of honeybees.
The honeybees leave in mass, fly in a cloud formation following the queen, occasionally landing together on a limb, the side of a building, sometimes on the ground. They will not stay in this location for long, but are relatively easy to adopt with the right equipment. After all, they are looking for a new home.
Removal from a Bee Gum / Tree
Swarms regularly take up residence in the hollows of old trees. This is fine, they’re usually high in the air, often go unnoticed, and aid in neighborhood pollination. But old trees eventually fall or are taken down because they threaten a structure. Call; we’ll extract honeybees from said tree and move them into one of our hives.
Check out the photo gallery for some great photos of Chris removing bees from a tree trunk!