# Undercover Boss - Orkin killing bees



## DLMKA (Feb 7, 2012)

Anyone see the episode of Undercover Boss on CBS tonight where they killed the colony of bees? Keep it classy Orkin.


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## Lazy W (Apr 14, 2012)

Boooo :no:


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## Roland (Dec 14, 2008)

I did. Does anyone know how to contact the "Boss"?

Crazy Roland


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## TheBuzz (Feb 8, 2012)

Flood the contact us box with emails or their Facebook page. They should be using local beeks to take honeybee colonies out.


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## Rob Renneker (Aug 7, 2006)

They talked about the bees being aggressive but they looked pretty calm to me. I thought they could have done without airing that segment at all-it was a little ridiculous.


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## Lazer128 (Dec 15, 2012)

I saw the very end of the show. I am disappointed too. There is a lot of ignorance out there. We have a lot of opportunities to educate....even the "professionals".


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## Tenbears (May 15, 2012)

Yes, and it will do a lot to inspire hundreds of people to flood them with emails. I do not want do alarm anyone but Orkin is a pest disposal service, they make their living by removing problem insects and such, not by referring their customers to local bee keepers. All we will do by flooding them with emails is lead them to believe bee keepers are yet another bunch of extremist. How about someone write a rational letter to the CEO of Orkin explaining the plight of honey bees, and discuss a cooperative effort between Orkin franchise owners, and established well qualified beekeepers capable of helping them out with removing bees in a manner that is safe for the bees, as well as cost effective for Orkin. That way the bee keeper saves the bees and Orkin does not loose the sale. 
We must remember that not everyone loves bees and sad to say not everyone cares, to some, bees are nothing more than pests. Although we all should be concerned with the longevity of the bee population. The reality of things is that bees are neither endangered, nor protected. (Trust me that is the last thing bee keepers would ever want.) And riding your home of them is not illegal, or immoral. No matter how distasteful we may find the destruction of bee we must consider the way we react to others doing what they do. To be informative, is one thing, but to overreact can often have a counter effect.


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## Mr.Beeman (May 19, 2012)

I have contacted them a few times over the course of last year and this year. Contacts were made through their contact form online as well as calling them directly. 
I was simply offering my service to their company in our area as an alternative means of "controlling" their honey bee safety issues. I also offered to work as an independent business (refer their bee removals to us) or as a sub contracted buisness (we would get a percentage).
I have yet to be contacted by any Orkin employee or official.


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## tefer2 (Sep 13, 2009)

Over the years I have offered our services to several bug killing outfits in the area.
They all smile and say they will contact us. The only time they call is when they can't figure out how to kill them. Manager said they are not in business to refer the work out and not make their full price. People can be real stupid sometimes.


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## bjtmjc (Jul 11, 2010)

I think Tenbears approach is constructive. While it's true that companies such as Orkin are in the business of killing unwanted bees, the approach of explaining the benefit of relocation over extermination, as well as mentioning, if it is the case, that it is at no cost to them, is more likely to generate a constructive response.


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## Splatt (Jul 11, 2012)

I didn't see it (I don't watch TV all that much), but it doesn't surprise me. Economics seems to trounce everything these days. With all the attention that CCD has been getting (our paper here just ran another article on it) I'm surprised that there hasn't been a bigger uproar. I'm also surprised that they haven't found a way to remove bees and make a profit. I know of an exterminator that traps bees and then sells them, often to orchards. They get paid twice: once for removing the bees, and again when selling them!

We just discovered a colony of bees living in the soffit of a 101 year old building here in town. They picked a good spot! At three stories up with no easy way to get to them, nobody is going to bother them. The building is set to be renovated, and I'm afraid they're just going to kill them.


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## Hoot Owl Lane Bees (Feb 24, 2012)

I was watching it and sent them a nice massage stating with the loss of so many Honey Bee's over the past years why not contact a local club? I would rather do a free trap out than see them killed.


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## Hoot Owl Lane Bees (Feb 24, 2012)

I received this reply from Orkin to day. 

Thank you for expressing your views regarding Orkin’s recent Undercover Boss episode that included a bee treatment.

Given the very short Undercover Boss segment that aired, it's understandable that people are upset that we treated the bee hive, but there's more to the story than just the few minutes that everyone saw. This property is a rental, and the tenant, who has been there for about a year, told us that addressing the bee hive was her responsibility. The landlord had looked into relocating the hive in the past, but it had been too costly. Full disclosure - Orkin was not part of this conversation, so we don't know who quoted the removal or how much it was - just that it wasn't an option for the landlord or the tenant because of cost. The tenant has a two-year-old daughter, who could not play outside because of the bees, so she called us. I hope you noticed the employee's remarks that having to treat the hive was unfortunate, but it was the tenant's only affordable option. We were interested to see the note in at least one post that some apiarists will remove hives at no cost. We're not sure if the landlord or the tenant knew of this option, or if such an option was available in that area of the country.

Orkin realizes how important bees are to the environment, and we treat them only when they pose a danger to families or pets, and removal options are not possible or economically feasible. We already work with the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign on bee educational programs, and we will commit to working with the NAPPC to be sure that all Orkin branches have lists of local apiarists to refer customers before we proceed with a treatment. This practice is already in place in most branches, but we will formalize it and communicate it, so that all branches are aware of the options in their areas to relocate bees.

Very best regards,
Martha
I think we should all contact our local Orkin dealer and let them know we can collect the honey bee's for them.
Jim


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## Lazer128 (Dec 15, 2012)

I got the same response today from Martha.


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## TheBuzz (Feb 8, 2012)

So people in California should start keeping bees then. Oh wait they already do.


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

Hoot Owl Lane Bees said:


> We were interested to see the note in at least one post that some apiarists will remove hives at no cost.


Timing and liability comes into play. If a beekeeper is willing to remove the bees for free they are probably not in business and don't have insurance or Workman's Comp. A landlord or a tenant can get in a lot of trouble should an accident occur. Orkin doesn't kill enough bees to make a difference in the population.


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## Paul McCarty (Mar 30, 2011)

I personally think the pest control industry works against us, and perpetuates the fear of AHB for their own profit. It makes me ill. Lots of un-needed bee killing going on.


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## delber (Dec 26, 2010)

Contacting the big company may not be the way to do it. I have a friendship with a exterminator that I refer all of the Yellow Jacket / Hornet calls I get and he has agreed to give me the honeybee calls. (I haven't gotten any calls from him yet as I only started this last year, but I have referred 3-4 to him) My thoughts with this is he gets a easy job that pays HIS bills so hopefully when the opportunity comes up he'll pass it on. I'd encourage you all to contact local guys not corporate guys in a big building. Just my 2c.


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## Paul McCarty (Mar 30, 2011)

I have an agreement with a small local company - he does give me a lot of referrals. He is an entomologist too, and does not like seeing honeybees killed. The big companies - zilch.


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## beehabitat (May 28, 2015)

Did you also see where when you do a Google search for the keyword ' Bee habitat ' orkin comes up in the Google definition at the top of the page. I clicked on the little grey feedback button and asked Google to replace that definition with one from Xerces Society or another reputable organization that protects our pollinators... can you please do the same? I have attached a print screen. thanks so much! view image here: http://beehabitat.com/wp-content/up...fix-search-results-for-bee-habitat-please.png


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## fieldsofnaturalhoney (Feb 29, 2012)

I love how Orkin used the words "treated the bee hive", is that what was done? I am never treating my hives again, if this is what happens when I am done:lpf:


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## Agis Apiaries (Jul 22, 2014)

Maybe someone should tell Orkin about:

http://www.beeremovalsource.com/


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## bobsim (Jan 27, 2015)

I followed the 'locator' link on Orkin's page and checked out the info for my area, Jacksonville, Fl. This is what you find after scrolling at the bottom of the page:

More About Honey Bees
Bee in the know.

Honey bees can produce substantial amounts of honey, as can several other bee species. As pollinators, honey bees are critical to the environment and the food supply. Unfortunately, they also can become a medical and structural threat if they nest near people and buildings. Bees and other pollinators are protected in many states, so if an infestation should occur in or near a dwelling, you should consider contacting a local beekeeper to relocate the nest. A beekeeper can assess the situation and determine if it is feasible to remove the nest. This can be an intensive process, especially if the nest is large. For more information on honey bee nest relocation, contact a local beekeeper of an apiary society. [http://www.beeculture.com/content/whoswho/]



"Unfortunately, they also can become a medical and structural threat if they nest near people and buildings." 

I suppose this could be argued and nit picked but it seems to me they have done an adequate job offering an alternative to poison, considering their trade I would even consider it commendable.


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