Bee Relocation
DISCLAIMER: SBA is not party to any arrangements between you and the Florida Registered Beekeeper.
SBA merely provides contact information as a courtesy. Most beekeepers charge a fee for their services.
For a list of SBA members who perform relocations, please visit the Buy Local Page and search for "relocation".
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Swarm
| A swarm is a cluster of bees that are gathered on a temporary location. They are usually very docile as they do not have a home or brood to defend. Swarms will usually leave in 24-48 hours. Some beekeepers will collect swarms without a fee. |
Trapout
A trapout is used to remove a colony of bees from a wall, tree, or structure when it cannot be opened to access the hive. A cone is mounted over the hole and the bees are able to come out but not re-enter. A hive box is mounted next to the opening to lure the bees. This is not a quick process and can take 3-6 weeks on average for all the bees to exit the cavity. Once all the bees are out, it is important to put something over the hole so another colony does not move in. Trapouts are usually the costliest of relocations since it takes multiple trips to setup the trap, make sure bees haven't found additional entrances, and to move the hive when complete. |
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Cutout A cutout is where the comb is exposed or can be easily accessed. Many times, sections of the comb can be put into a frame and transferred to the hive box. |
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The State of Florida authorizes Florida Registered Beekeepers
to charge to relocate honeybees.
Aside from Licensed Pest Control Operators, only Florida Registered Beekeepers are
authorized by the State of Florida to charge to relocate bees.
Important - Florida Registered Beekeepers expect payment for their services. The beekeeper always has a cost involved. Rescuing and relocating bees is risky, serious work requiring training, equipment, and experience. Transportation, specialized clothing, specialized capture equipment, hive equipment to house the bees, and materials to set up the new location all cost money. Additionally, many registered beekeepers carry insurance to protect themselves.
Depending on where the bees have settled, a beekeeper could spend a long day removing bees from a location. It could involve carefully removing them and their comb and installing it into a hive box. They will then need to move the bees to a location that has been prepared to receive them. Often times, the beekeeper will go back to check on the bees a day later, only to find that the rescued bees have left their new home to set out on their own! An experienced beekeeper has described rescuing bees as, "It is like trying to make a feral cat into a house cat...it is a great idea and well-intended, but... it doesn't always work.” The bees will probably be all right and you got the bees out of your wall/home/tree, but the beekeeper has lost out on time, energy and bees.
Paying the beekeeper partially offsets these inevitable costs and potential losses.
If the colony stays, most beekeepers have to purchase a new queen in order to minimize the likelihood of
transmitting Africanized Bee genes to the kept bee population.
While we often get calls for beekeepers to come collect "free bees", there is no such thing as free bees.
The Suncoast Beekeepers Association is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
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