Live Bee Removal services in Catalina
Catalina Bee Removal Company has noticed an increase in "self proclaimed" beekeepers, new Catalina "live bee removal" companies and some Catalina pest control companies offering live bee removal services that are advertising in Catalina, many with low cost pricing and many with "lip service" guarantees. These people offering live bee removal are particularly targeting the greater metropolitan areas of Phoenix and Catalina, Arizona and Catalina, Arizona. Their presenting sales approach is that honey bees are scarce now because of a phenomena called "Colony Collapse Disorder" (CCD), as has been recently popular in the news media, and that honey bee colonies and bee swarms, Africanized or not, have value to the environment, to beekeepers, and should, at all costs, be saved and protected. They generally advertise humane treatment and promise that the honeybees will be safely hived and maintained. Many will say that your honeybees are not African honeybees and assure you that you did the right thing by calling them.
African beehives are resistant to a new variant of the Nosema virus that is attributed to cause Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). Our Catalina, Arizona dry desert environment does not support the Nosema virus. Additionally, African bees themselves swarm frequently to avoid disease and Varro Mite infestation as part of their survival strategy; and because Africanized honeybees swarm frequently, they will infest an area with abundant forage and water sources very quickly throughout the year. Arizona is the only state in the US that has been declared completely Africanized from border to border in our feral wild bee population by the US Dept. of Agriculture. Catalina, Arizona is particularly vulnerable to African bee infestation because of the abundant flowering plants and trees and water sources available in Catalina residential areas. Also, to recondition an Africanized honey bee colony back into a domesticated European honeybee colony takes a great deal of work, time, expense and constant vigilance by a professional beekeeper. Most commercial beekeeping companies will not take the time or suffer the expense to do it at all. Many of these "save the bees", "live bee removal" companies simply kill the bee swarm or bee colony after they are removed from your site, release them elsewhere or allow them to suffocate in a closed container during transport away from your Catalina home or property.
If you really want to save the African bee swarm, beehive or bee colony, you will have to be patient and search the internet for legitimate beekeeping associations and inquire to see if any of their beekeepers is collecting Africanized honeybees for their own use. If a beekeeper really wants them, he will do the bee removal and honeycomb removal for free, do it properly and give you some assurance that bees won't return to the site. Be careful here as well. Usually, the beekeeper is unlicensed by the State of Arizona Office of Pest Management and will be only interested in the bees and not worry about the damage to your home or your liability if people are hurt in the process, much less have the insurance or the skill to protect you or your home investment. Most beekeepers and "live bee removal" companies will not even attempt to remove African bees in a structural cavity on your Catalina home or on your property, but will then try to sell you bee extermination once they arrive on site after saying they can't save them because of the difficulty. Again, buyer beware, you get what you pay for!
If you intend to employ these people that offer a live bee removal, there are many important questions that you should ask them first before you hire them:
- What are your credentials as a beekeeper? Do you have a U.S. Department of Agriculture License? Do you have an Arizona Business License? Are you licensed with the State of Arizona Office of Pest Management?
- Is this a "live bee removal" and/or a "free honeycomb removal"? What do you intend to do with the bees?
- What do you intend to do about any residual honeycomb, dripping honey and bee pheromone scent left at the site? What will you do about any necessary repairs?
- How do you intend to transport the honeybees safely to the area they will be hived at?
- Can you guarantee the honeybees safety? How will I know the African honeybees are safely hived?
- What will you do if the African bees come back or if I still have African honeybees after you're done? What is your guarantee?
- Is it really true that you can recondition an Africanized bee colony? How does that work?
- What is my liability while you are trying to remove the African bee swarm or African bee colony? Are you insured?
- How much public danger is involved during the African bee removal and/or honeycomb removal process? Fully explain your procedures.
- Who is responsible for any structural damage that you may cause to my home or property during the African bee removal?
If you do not get straight answers on any of the above, I recommend that you move on. A thorough, professionally done bee removal and honeycomb removal is hard work and takes a good amount of time to do properly. Most of these self proclaimed and unlicensed beekeepers and live bee removal companies are inexperienced in bee damage and are not even aware that if you do not remove every trace of honeycomb, dripping honey and bee pheromone, that another bee infestation is very likely to occur at the same bee colony site or nearby on the same structure even if the entrance to the bee colony site is sealed. Bee pheromone scent cannot be properly removed just by scrubbing with soap and water. There is usually a reason that these companies or individuals quote the price so low and offer a live bee removal; many, many times it is a bait and switch as they will raise the price once they get on site at your Catalina home or property and will try to sell you a bee extermination – again, buyers beware! Call Catalina Bee Removal Company and get the bee removal and live bee removal facts and straight answers first before you call anyone else.