A couple years ago the picture above told us we definitely had a bee problem in the eaves of our house. But we’re bee proponents – we plant plants on our property to nourish them year-round and we’re concerned about the die-off that’s been publicized. So – we were glad to find ‘live bee’ removal services that cost the same or less than exterminating them.
Below is the process that Donald Stephens of Stephen’s Honey used to live remove our bees here in Southern CA. Except for me getting stung twice (& developing a reaction to them ..) it was fascinating to watch. Plus, we got the satisfaction of knowing the three full boxes of bees and honey from the multiple combs in our eaves would go to good use.
Some thoughts/resources:
“Most people eradicate them. Many people have no clue how endangered our bees are…Normally it costs the same to remove them live and sometimes we’re a lot cheaper. ” Brian’s Living Bees
- Bees are already struggling to survive, likely a combination of many theories that include habitat loss, one crop farming, pesticide use, and viral and mite diseases. “Most people eradicate them. Many people have no clue how endangered our bees are,” says Brian Romberg of Brian’s Living Bees, a live bee catcher, bee keeper and master gardener here in Southern California. Check out his bee blog.
- How to find someone: Best bet is to google live bee removal and your city.
- Live bee removal should cost the same, sometimes less than exterminating them. We paid only $200 for our removal, which involved cutting into the eaves. Brian says he has removed bees behind walls.
I’ll have an upcoming entry on “Plants to keep bees happy year-round”
This is fantastic! Save The Bees!