# Is it illegal to kill honeybees?



## snl (Nov 20, 2009)

Is there a Federal law concerning the destruction of honeybees or does each State have their own? OR or are there no laws at all?

(Not looking to destroy any, was just wondering as I would like to post an ad in the paper for people who saw swarms to call me not kill them and would like to state in that ad that the killing of honeybees is illegal if it was in fact illegal.)

Thanks

Larry


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

Larry, don't you think we all kill honeybees in the process of being a beekeeper?


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

No there is no Federal law about killing bees. And it is very unlikely that there is a SC law making killing bees illegal.


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## snl (Nov 20, 2009)

Acebird said:


> don't you think we all kill honeybees in the process of being a beekeeper?


True, but that's not what I was referring to .......It was my intention to address non-beekeepers possibly killing swarms.


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

snl said:


> It was my intention to address non-beekeepers possibly killing swarms.


Maybe, but you can't make a law that doesn't effect everyone in most cases. What if you try to save the swarm and it ends up dead? If you want to exclude a group of people than you would have to have some form of licensing or registration / certification which still would not stop exterminators from eliminating "pests".


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## snl (Nov 20, 2009)

Ace, you're reading way too much in this.........


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## jpelley (Jun 9, 2012)

Don't know about laws, but just add into your ad that killing honeybees is destroying part of agriculture and spraying them might result in a comical swarm of bees coming after you. Should work for most people.


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## Lburou (May 13, 2012)

Acebird said:


> -snip- If you want to exclude a group of people than you would have to have some form of licensing or registration / certification which still would not stop exterminators from eliminating "pests".


It happened in Florida as Ace points out.


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## Ben Brewcat (Oct 27, 2004)

It's a common perception; when doing removals people often say they've heard it's illegal, they're protected, etc. I have never been able to find any legislation to that effect; the only organizations that would have jurisdiction over non-managed critters is Division of Wildlife or whatever it's called in your state and they don't take a position. So "no" is the answer as far as I can tell. Closest thing would be rules about pesticide application by anyone other than a property owner without a pest-app license, but if you're using soapy water for example no rules.


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## psfred (Jul 16, 2011)

In Indiana it is illegal to molest hives, but there is nothing in the law about swarms or unhived bees. It is also illegal to have non-removable frame hives.

Most people around here seem to be concerned that bees are in short supply and they would rather someone came and got them than have to kill them, even if they are seriously allergic. 

I neglect to charge for catching swarms as I want the bees. Have not done any cut-outs or trap-outs, that's another issue and I'm not really prepared to do that.

I suspect swarms would be considered a nuisance or hazard, and therefore can be destroyed at will in most states.

Peter


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## KQ6AR (May 13, 2008)

What if its you're states official insect?
Ours is a dogface butterfly in CA


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## snl (Nov 20, 2009)

KQ6AR said:


> What if its you're states official insect?
> Ours is a dogface butterfly in CA


Ours is the mosquito !!


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## cg3 (Jan 16, 2011)

Mosquitos are Louisiana's State Bird.


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## honeybeebee (Jan 27, 2013)

When I was I kid, I was told they it was a federal offense to kill a praying mantis...been on they lam since


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## cg3 (Jan 16, 2011)

In Ohio, Democrats were proposing the Blue Racer snake as the state reptile. Republicans added an amendment to declare the garden hoe as state tool.


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## tedw200 (Mar 4, 2009)

It is illegal for exterminators to kill honey bees. This I heard from a exterminator here in Illinois.
That is why I get calls from homeowners to do cutouts in their homes!


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## BeeManiac (Feb 26, 2012)

tedw200 i do pest control for a living and it is not illegal. Most pest control companies have no clue. Most people as you can see have no clue. It is not illegal but of course we all do our best to avoid it.


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

You're in two different states, things could be different.


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## BeeManiac (Feb 26, 2012)

things arent different


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## crazylocha (Mar 26, 2013)

The State of Florida Bee Advisory Board considered this for a long time. Because of the AHB issues, they advised to go to the extreme of making it ILLEGAL TO NOT KILL swarms/ wild bees. There may or may not be people I know (including PCO's) that are still trying to save what they can. 

All we can do is hope that people's mentality heightens upward from the "lowest common denominator" state. Not gonna hold my breath:ws:


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## lray (Jul 26, 2013)

Acebird said:


> Maybe, but you can't make a law that doesn't effect everyone in most cases. What if you try to save the swarm and it ends up dead? If you want to exclude a group of people than you would have to have some form of licensing or registration / certification which still would not stop exterminators from eliminating "pests".


Definitely reading too much into this Literal Lou. By your logic stated above, killing people should then be legal, since doctors from time to time kill patients even if it is by accident.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>Is there a Federal law concerning the destruction of honeybees

No.

>or does each State have their own? OR or are there no laws at all?

There MIGHT be some state with a law against it, but I seriously doubt it. Sometimes it's the only way to resolve honey bee issues when there is a colony in a place that is a threat to human safety.


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## cg3 (Jan 16, 2011)

The Orkin guy showed up to do a perimeter spray around a house I was working on. I asked him about Ohio law. He told me company policy was to not kill honeybees unless there was a clear danger to people. He seemed defensive, as if I were trying to catch him at something. When I convinced him I was just curious he showed me products specifically for bees. If he's carrying them around, I'm guessing he uses them.


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## KQ6AR (May 13, 2008)

I believe it was Orkin who killed a hive on the under cover boss television show. Would have been nice if they contacted a beekeeper to do a trap out from the tree, but the company would have lost money on that call.


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## Sharpbees (Jun 26, 2012)

There was and is currently a push for the Pollinator Protection Act in the Farm Bill but it failed to pass the last time it was tried. Currently there is no law against killing honeybees unless they are in a hive and owned by someone. I have gotten calls for cutouts where a PCO has said it is illegal but they are mistaken, I'm not telling them, they throw a lot of business my way. For the most part though most of my customers understand that honeybees are in decline and they want to save them. Most PCO's in my area refuse to kill them unless there is no other option. I have had 1 out of 20 that could not be removed due to where they were located. They were 40 feet up and between two brick walls in a historic home. I run a bee removal business and business has been pretty good due to public awareness of the bee decline and pest control companies trying to do their part to protect the bees.


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