Bee Removal, Rescue & Relocation

Honeybees will ‘swarm’ during certain times of the year when there is a lot of nectar available. Swarming is how the colony (super-organism) reproduce!  Due to the loss of survival traits and genetic diversity through selective breeding and ‘factory farming’ of Honeybees, every wild colony or natural swarm is of critical importance to their survival as a species.  Wild rescue colonies build up our genetic ‘bank account’, conserving bees who are able to thrive and reproduce without human intervention.

A large cluster of bees hanging off of a branch, or clustered on a shrub, are a colony that is looking for a new home.  They have many ‘scouts’ who leave the cluster and search for a suitable cavity such as a hollow tree or inside a wall. Swarms are relatively easy to remove and will usually not sting as they have no home or babies to protect.  Beekeepers will often remove swarms at no cost.

If you notice dozens of bees circling under your eaves, going in and out of a hole in the wall or roof, that means that the scout bees have found a potential home and are recruiting more and more bees to check it out. To avoid the expense and trouble of removing the colony AFTER it moves in, efforts should be taken immediately to block any entrance holes the bees are using.  Foam, paper, tape… whatever it takes!  Then contact me as soon as possible and I can put up a ‘swarm trap’, a removeable temporary ‘home’ for the hive.

At Artemis Smiles we network with other beekeepers around the island who do hive removal, if we are not able to help. The cost of removal for an established colony is typically between 250 and 500 dollars, depending on distance and difficulty.

Join us at ReelTime Animal Rescue to watch livestream bee rescue and beekeeping activities!