Bee Removal in West Palm Beach, Florida: A Complete Guide

FLORIDA BEE REMOVAL 2016

This year looks to be especially busy for bee removal calls. Please hire a licensed and insured company for your bee removal, as bee swarms may be agressive. This unfortunate person in Florida already found out how aggressive a bee swarm can be this year. Also, please don’t try to get rid of the bees yourself. In April 2015, these people were hurt when they got too close to a beehive.

Bee removal or relocation becomes necessary when bee swarms suddenly appear on trees, in containers, or around structures. Also, established bee colonies, with combs, need removal when they interfere with normal human activities.

In the fall of 1962, some of us young boys found honey bees nesting high up in a beautiful Hickory tree. We made some safety gear and used a cross-cut saw to cut down the splintered tree and the bee colony that was in it. For several hours, there was a great deal of befuddlement and misbehavior. Upon our return, the following morning, the bee colony had formed a swarm upon a tree limb. A gunney sac was used to encase the bees and branch, upon which they had landed. A local farmer bequeathed to us an old weather-worn bee hive, in which we introduced the swarm. We placed a pane of glass under the telescopic lid of the hive body. This made it safer to watch honey bees gather food from late-fall plants like nectar, pollen, and other foods.

As Indian Summer faded, the arrival of cold weather caused the bees to become less active. There was very little left to do other than to snuggle with their honey. It’s been more than 50 years since this adventure, but working with bees is still more fun now than it was then.

Once again, it is early February. A brisk, bracing breeze greets the fiery sunrise across the Green Swamp. Blossoming red and golden Maples hum with bee visitors stocking up on early provisions of nectar and pollen. This bounty will soon be followed by Florida Willows adding to the build-up period.

By February 15, Florida Bee Removal will be called to deal with bee swarm problems from Orlando to Fort Lauderdale and in the Tampa Bay area. The degree of reproductive swarming will depend upon the success of the late winter build-up. It is not unusual to receive over 20 bee swarm concerns on a warm mid-February afternoon.

There are thousands of commercial bee colonies, now placed in close proximity to millions of acres of citrus. Honey from this source often drips from the trees, and bees can be heard buzzing among the flowers. When beehives are full of honey and thousands of young worker bees, they may send out hundreds of reproductive swarms.

If bee swarms are like in nature, about ½ of the bees in a colony, along with the old queen, leave to start a new family; 2- the swarm lands on a plant or structure; 3- search bees look for possible nesting sites; 4- a site is chosen, and the bee swarm lands near the entrance to the chosen void or space; 5- the domestic crew does a final inspection; 6- the bee swarm takes possession of the new home; 7- the bees, full of honey, secrete beeswax and make comb; 8- the old queen puts eggs in the comb until she is replaced because she isn’t producing as many eggs; 9- field worker bees collect nectar, pollen, propolis, and water; 10- nurse bees care for developing brood; and finally, 11- Florida Bee Removal is called to deal with bees that are in the way.

Since 2015 was a busy year, Florida Bee Removal has been able to buy new tools and make its methods for getting rid of bees better. We can be Johnny-on-the-spot when called upon for both routine and emergency bee service. We offer free bee removal advice and free bee removal estimates. Florida Bee Removal dba Apian Services is looking forward to sharing your bee removal adventures in 2016.

2016 marks the beginning of our 55th year in the adventurous pursuit of bee removal and relocation. I still remember well those indian summer days of fall in North Carolina. Asters and goldenrods lingered still along rural roadsides and abundantly in meadows and on hillsides. This rich floral display was the bees’ final banquet prior to winter. Drifting red and yellow leaves would soon litter the forest floor turning brown and crunching beneath our feet.

Here, In Florida, bees work year-round storing tons of honey and providing pollination of crops. In late September, brazilian pepper trees bloom profusely. This attracts beekeepers from other states as well as local apiarists. In the presence of thousands of bee hives, bee swarms are apt to appear on any day. Bee swarms take residence in structures, trees, and in containers. Some of these are accessible enough to relocate.

Pepper nectar produces yellow honecomb. The honey itself has a bitter aftertaste but is excellent for use in baked products. Because bees are important to our survival, Florida Bee Removal tries to move honeybee colonies whenever it’s possible when customers call for bee removal services. Our bee removal business has been in our family for many years, so we are ready to help you with your bee removal needs now and in the future.

Florida’s honeybee populations were hurt by a number of things during this time, including the lack of nectar flow, storms, and exotic pests, to name a few. These conditions contriuted to diminished bee colony numbers which resulted in loss of income to beekeeepers.

Florida beekeepers depend upon spring honey flows to bolster their investment income for the year. 2017 was a failure for orange blossom honey. Palmeto and gall berry sources did not adequately produce in the late spring. A lot of the summer was spent making up for losses by splitting up bee colonies and giving them extra sugar syrup and pollen.

In March and April, when orange blossom season was at its peak, strong winds hit the Highland Ridge and blew the blossoms off the trees. Hurricane Irma brought high winds and heavy flooding to Southwest Florida, which destroyed almost half of the bee colonies. Honeybees suffered losses from Little Hive Beetles, Tracheal Mites, Braula Fly, and Foulbrood (both American and European).

The majority of wild bee colonies are those which have swarmed and relocated from commercial hives. When bees and beekeeper suffer losses, the need for bee removal services diminishes.

2017 was below average for bee colony survival. This meant that Florida Bee Removal, Inc. had to remove fewer bees, even though our Google listings were near the top of page 1 for most Florida cities.

Florida Bee Removal Adventures have begun to diminish as an arctic cold front sweeps across the United States. Florida bee keepers will not feel the effects of frigid weather as much as others. This means that a lot of beekeepers who move their hives during the winter will do so here in central and southern Florida. People will continue to call Florida Bee Removal for small bee and wasp problems, and we’re happy to help.

Bee colonies need ample honey stores in order to overcome the cold of winter. Bees radiate heat when they consume sufficient honey. This radiant flow keeps their brood ( baby bees ) warm as well as themselves. Bee keepers often supply their colonies with sugar syrup when honey supplies are low. Bees will freeze to death when they run out of fuel.

When bee removal activities slow down, an occasional adventurous opportunity may present itself. I recall such an event in the winter of 2011. U. S. Sugar Corporation employed “The Bee Sting Operation” to remove 20 bee hives from several farm structures. The location was approx. 30 miles south of Clewiston, their headquarters. The Bee team cut open the bee colonies and took out a 55-gallon container of honey and about 100 pounds of honeybees.

As we drove back north to Clewiston, we saw thousands of acres of sugar cane that had been baking in the Florida sun. Two eagles flew high in the sky, and an osprey flew across a body of water with a fish in its beak. People on the team were moved by this place’s wild beauty, and we felt very proud of our bee adventure as we celebrated.

JULY HEAT CAN CREATE STRESS IN HONEY BEE COLONIES

Adult honeybees can survive temperatures as high as 122 degrees F. However, their survival depends upon an efficient HVAC crew to remove excessive heat from their hives. A bee colony employs ventilation and H2O evaporation to accomplish necessary cooling of themselves and their hive environment.

AC bees set themselves up in a way that lets air flow into and out of their home on hot summer days. When water is present, in the colony, the airflow caries calories of heat to the ambient air outside.

When relocating bee colonies, this heat production must be controlled. The bees should not be transferred with combs and honey. Also, the colony needs to be housed in a container with an open top that is big enough to give each insect plenty of room to move around. Cardboard boxes are good for these types of honey bee relocations. Never cram a bee colony into too small a space.

The Sting Operation uses mesh laundry bags to cover the boxed bees. They usually travel comfortably when placed in the AC within the cab of our vehicles. An occasional sprinkling of water helps cool a bee colony in transit.

Remember this—Bees-in-heat are stressed and easily agitated. Let our bee removal specialists safely and efficiently handle your problem bee issues.

Sometimes, a swarm of honeybees will choose to build their wax net on a tree branch or a building. Bee colonies that are out in the open have problems that aren’t common with bees that live in wall voids or are kept inside and out of the weather. Bee colonies that live outside are more protective of their nests because predators can easily get into the beehive and honeycombs can fall off in strong winds.

Disturbed honeybees often attack in large numbers, sensing that surrounding people and animals have threatened them. Often, there are two problems to deal with: bees on the ground and bees still on comb remnants in the tree or structure.

Fallen honycombs, from exposed bee colonies, pose an immediate danger. For safe handling of this kind of problem, call Florida Bee Removal, a company with over 50 years of experience.

Bee Removal West Palm Beach Florida 561-804-9500 – Critter Control