PeterSieling.com
About the author:
Peter Sieling has been a woodworker, lumber processor and kiln operator for over twenty five years. He has written books for Mason Crest Publishing and Garreson Publishing, and articles for Bee Culture, Popular Woodworking, Sawmill and Woodlot, Better Homes and Gardens Wood magazine, and Christian Science Monitor. He owns and operated Garreson Lumber Company, keeps bees, and sells honey.
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Place your order by mail or phone using a check, money order, or credit card. All books prices include shipping.
Exterminators often aren’t willing to kill honey bee colonies. If they do, you are still left with a dead colony of bees inside the wall. That can mean one to five gallons of dead bees and up to several hundred lbs. of honey and comb; a smelly, sticky, rotting mess that will have to be removed quickly to prevent odors and staining.
We remove unwanted colonies humanely, often for less than the cost of extermination. We never use pesticides. We provide a home for the bees and feed them until they have recovered from the stress of removal, then find them a home.
Worldwide, honey bee numbers are declining. Over the last 3 years, beekeepers have been losing a third of their bees every winter. Our bees are facing epidemics of new and old diseases. Most beekeepers give their bees a variety of pharmaceuticals to keep them healthy, all the while realizing the only long term solution are genetically superior bees that have survived without the use of chemicals. Wild bees, the bees that are living in your walls, may have genetic disease resistance.
Cost
It’s impossible to estimate the cost of removing bees because of the number of variables. Most jobs fall with the $200-$300 range. Part of that cost is an assessment fee of $1.00 per mile to look at your situation. We have to charge that because we frequently find no bees when we arrive. In many cases, we can remove the bees at that time or determine what extra equipment we need and come back at a later date. We usually can complete the removal in one day.
What we do
We usually remove bees through an inside wall. First we locate the nest, seal off the room from the rest of the house, and then cut a hole in the wall, exposing the colony. We remove the colony. We isolate the queen if possible to prevent injury, placing her in a small cage. Afterwards, we vacuum the area. We let the homeowner choose the best method of closing the colony entrance and repairing the wall. It is important to seal the entrance and fill the cavity with insulation. Otherwise, a new swarm may move in.
When we return home, we transfer the bees to a bee hive, cutting the comb to fit into frames with minimal disruption to the young brood. We put the queen into the hive. Most bees require several weeks to recover from the stress of removal. By that time they can’t store enough honey to survive the winter. We feed them for several weeks, until they can manage on their own.
We remove unwanted colonies humanely, often for less than the cost of extermination. We never use pesticides. We provide a home for the bees and feed them until they have recovered from the stress of removal, then find them a home.
Worldwide, honey bee numbers are declining. Over the last 3 years, beekeepers have been losing a third of their bees every winter. Our bees are facing epidemics of new and old diseases. Most beekeepers give their bees a variety of pharmaceuticals to keep them healthy, all the while realizing the only long term solution are genetically superior bees that have survived without the use of chemicals. Wild bees, the bees that are living in your walls, may have genetic disease resistance.
Cost
It’s impossible to estimate the cost of removing bees because of the number of variables. Most jobs fall with the $200-
What we do
We usually remove bees through an inside wall. First we locate the nest, seal off the room from the rest of the house, and then cut a hole in the wall, exposing the colony. We remove the colony. We isolate the queen if possible to prevent injury, placing her in a small cage. Afterwards, we vacuum the area. We let the homeowner choose the best method of closing the colony entrance and repairing the wall. It is important to seal the entrance and fill the cavity with insulation. Otherwise, a new swarm may move in.
When we return home, we transfer the bees to a bee hive, cutting the comb to fit into frames with minimal disruption to the young brood. We put the queen into the hive. Most bees require several weeks to recover from the stress of removal. By that time they can’t store enough honey to survive the winter. We feed them for several weeks, until they can manage on their own.
If you need bees removed, email Peter Sieling at petesieling@gmail.com or call 607-566-8558
