# Gotta vent about customers' expectations of charges



## PatBeek

.

So APPARENTLY, multitudes of people have gotten some sort of memo that these bees are "worth something", and that honey is "worth something".

They somehow think they are doing you a favor by GIVING you these bees - that they somehow don't need to pay anything for you to suit-up (and sweat butt off), spend gas money, tear down walls and repair them, the time spent, the angry bees coming at you while laying on your back under a mobile home, etc, and so-forth. And - oh yes - often times I have to go back to these places to retrieve the hive at night to make sure all the bees follow the queen inside. The gas and time start racking up !!!!!

For one thing, those bees have to be taken somewhere and given time to repair their own colony before you can ever think about selling them to someone, and that's IF they don't get stricken by small hive beetles while in a semi-weak stage. The honey isn't worth that much and has to be processed.

Today I told this lady I was coming back in the morning to get the SECOND colony under her mobile home that I am doing for $150.00. She had already twisted my arm to do it for that cheap when the original agreement was just for one colony (which I've already done and haven't gotten paid). So when I reminded her today that she'll be owing a measly $150.00, she chimes in with some sort of SCHPIEL about how bees and honey are "worth something", and that she had "thought about it" because she's had time to (she's retired). I was about to tell her to keep the money AND the 2nd set of bees under her home when she reluctantly agreed to pay me when I'm done with the 2nd colony tomorrow.

But often times I'll warn people up front that it could be upwards of 2-to-3-to-4-to-5 hundred dollars - DEPENDING on the circumstances. Most people, when you tell them that, do not want to use your services, and that's fine by me. This is only a hobby for me right now.


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## Tim KS

PatBeek said:


> .
> 
> So APPARENTLY, multitudes of people have gotten some sort of memo that these bees are "worth something", and that honey is "worth something".
> 
> They somehow think they are doing you a favor by GIVING you these bees - that they somehow don't need to pay anything for you to suit-up (and sweat butt off), spend gas money, tear down walls and repair them, the time spent, the angry bees coming at you while laying on your back under a mobile home, etc, and so-forth. And - oh yes - often times I have to go back to these places to retrieve the hive at night to make sure all the bees follow the queen inside. The gas and time start racking up !!!!!
> 
> For one thing, those bees have to be taken somewhere and given time to repair their own colony before you can ever think about selling them to someone, and that's IF they don't get stricken by small hive beetles while in a semi-weak stage. The honey isn't worth that much and has to be processed.
> 
> Today I told this lady I was coming back in the morning to get the SECOND colony under her mobile home that I am doing for $150.00. She had already twisted my arm to do it for that cheap when the original agreement was just for one colony (which I've already done and haven't gotten paid). So when I reminded her today that she'll be owing a measly $150.00, she chimes in with some sort of SCHPIEL about how bees and honey are "worth something", and that she had "thought about it" because she's had time to (she's retired). I was about to tell her to keep the money AND the 2nd set of bees under her home when she reluctantly *agreed to pay me when I'm done with the 2nd colony tomorrow.*
> 
> But often times I'll warn people up front that it could be upwards of 2-to-3-to-4-to-5 hundred dollars - DEPENDING on the circumstances. Most people, when you tell them that, do not want to use your services, and that's fine by me. This is only a hobby for me right now.


Good luck with that......shoulda went with half now...half when finished.


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## Slow Drone

Careful if she didn't honor your original agreement! She should be tickled pink to get the second done for free. Rare that it's easy, rare that it's not hot and uncomfortable, rare the people that understand what difficult dangerous work you do for them, rare they have the guts to do it themselves. It is very rewarding when you do a removal for someone that understands what it takes to do this kind of work! You're a good man for not bailing on her:applause:


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## PatBeek

Tim KS said:


> Good luck with that......shoulda went with half now...half when finished.


Well, she's 97 (yeah, so sue me....hey, I gave her a discount - two-for-one). I figure she's good on her word. But she (as most other people) have no clue what's involved with what we all do here.

I think I'm going to write up some sort of "Pricing Justification" notice at top of my web page.....but I'll make it somewhat nice.


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## PatBeek

Slow Drone said:


> Careful if she didn't honor your original agreement! She should be tickled pink to get the second done for free. Rare that it's easy, rare that it's not hot and uncomfortable, rare the people that understand what difficult dangerous work you do for them, rare they have the guts to do it themselves. It is very rewarding when you do a removal for someone that understands what it takes to do this kind of work! You're a good man for not bailing on her:applause:


Thanks for the kind words. I'm glad you feel my (our) pain.

.


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## johnbeejohn

i tell everyone that calls for a cut out when they call "i do not do this for free if you want someone to do it for free i will try to help you find someone who will but thee only people who probly do it for free is someone who has neverdone one before" i did my first one for free and half way through i couldent stop thinking what was i thinking this is like actual work if i would put this time into my bees i could just make more from my own stock . i am a cheap as# and could not see paying someone 4 500 dollars i charge 150 for the 3 hours then if its and easy job (no ladders involved) 25 and hour after that or if its a tuffer spot 50 an hour after the first 3 hours well if she does not pay you can always return the bees by dumping them at her door haha jk


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## pndwind

Ma'am you and your pet bees have a nice day!


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## PatBeek

.

You know, I'm not even so much worried about the money in this particular situation. I'm just concerned about the expectancy of most potential customers that we somehow work for free.

.


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## TalonRedding

johnbeejohn said:


> i did my first one for free and half way through i couldent stop thinking what was i thinking this is like actual work if i would put this time into my bees i could just make more from my own stock .


Amen to that! However, I'm glad I know how to do it now. Beekeepers are needed from time to time, and when I say needed, I mean the times when folks are tickled pink to pay a few hundred dollars for you to get them out. It's a good skill to have, and if done right, you become a part of the local lore. But yeah, I'd much rather make splits from my own stock!


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## pndwind

Unfortunately we have had a rash of "free bee removal" ads in craigslist over the last year or two. This adds to the belief that they are "doing us a favor".


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## pom51

That is the very reason that I don't do cutout it is not worth all the time and trouble


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## sqkcrk

PatBeek said:


> .
> 
> You know, I'm not even so much worried about the money in this particular situation. I'm just concerned about the expectancy of most potential customers that we somehow work for free.
> 
> .


Spell your expectations out in clear and simple language, simple sentences and not very many of them. Maybe Bullet Points would be best. Then have them sign a contract and pay half up front and the rest upon completion.


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## johnbeejohn

i enjoy doing themdont get me wrong but not enough fun to do them for free have one coming up on saturday this will be the third cut out of the year and possibly will have another one coming up on the other side of the house


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## Mr.Beeman

Two things I tell a reluctant customer. 
1. The good are not cheap and the cheap are not good.
2. Would you be willing to accept working for 4-5 hours and not get paid?

Nine times out of ten they looked into paying an exterminator to do "the deed". So at one point they were willing to pay someone to rid them of their problem.


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## Michael Bush

>...thee only people who probly do it for free is someone who has neverdone one before

That is the truth. Once they have they will realize how much work it is.


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## VolunteerK9

pndwind said:


> Unfortunately we have had a rash of "free bee removal" ads in craigslist over the last year or two. This adds to the belief that they are "doing us a favor".


Same as in this area. A lot of Free Honeybee Removal and even some with "I will pay to remove unwanted honeybees" or "Will provide you a share in this years honey crop". I retrieved a lot of swarms this year but I passed on every cut out call I received.


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## Cleo C. Hogan Jr

johnbeejohn said:


> people who probly do it for free is someone who has neverdone one before"


OR, SOMEONE....

1. Who just wanted to help a 93 year old widow, who has no money, and needs the bees gone... OR

2. Someone who does the job to learn how to do it... OR

3. Someone who does the job to mentor a newbee, or a group to show them how to do cutouts.. OR

4..Someone who just wants to help a friend, who may, someday, help him shoe his horses... OR

5. A retiree, who enjoys working with bees, doesn't even want the bees, so, he gives the cutout bees to someone just starting in beekeeping.. OR

6. On and on and on. Life is not all about money. If cutouts are your business, it is about money. If bees are your passion, it is not.

cchoganjr


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## pndwind

Life is not all about money but unfortunately the power company will not accept payment in bees.:scratch:


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## CajunBee

She's 97 and ain't afraid of you young whippersnappers ! :lpf:


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## Santa Caras

johnbeejohn said:


> if she does not pay you can always return the bees by dumping them at her door haha jk


Or go down to the courthouse and put a lien on the home for services rendered but not paid. At the age of 97, probably dont have too long to wait for payment.


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## Cleo C. Hogan Jr

pndwind said:


> Life is not all about money but unfortunately the power company will not accept payment in bees.:scratch:


Very true, however, I don't know anyone who relies on bee removals to pay their power bills. You would be watching television in the dark, if you relied on bee removals in this area. I dare say, to most, it is a way to augment their other revenue producing endeavors. (Their day job).

I am not against payment for removals. Have charged for lots of them. I just wanted to let people know, there are also a lot of "good" reasons not to charge for a removal.

To charge, or not to charge, is a personal decision.

cchoganjr


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## WBVC

I wonder how impressed folks would be if you charged "x" for "removal". You remove the bees into a cardboard box, charge for the "removal" and leave them the bees to deal with...explaining if they don't deal with them quickly they return to the original space. Then offer to take off the premise at no fee


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## Cleo C. Hogan Jr

wvbc.. Good one... I like that approach. Charge for the cutout, remove from the premise for free. 

Only problem might be, they take the bees, then call someone and sell them the bees. HA!!!

cchoganjr


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## WBVC

Cleo C. Hogan Jr said:


> wvbc.. Good one... I like that approach. Charge for the cutout, remove from the premise for free.
> 
> Only problem might be, they take the bees, then call someone and sell them the bees. HA!!!
> 
> cchoganjr


That would be their option...you got the money for the cut out. If bummed because they took the bees perhaps they are right in putting value on those bees and honey


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## Northwest PA Beekeeper

There is a beekeeper in our club who does cutouts for free. From my understanding, he gets quite a few calls and I've even given him two different "jobs" I wanted to pass up - both involving trees that were down on the ground from storms. I think he is retired, and I guess just likes to work with bees for something to do.

There are also beekeepers in our club who won't even capture a swarm. They will if it's on their property or their neighbor's property - because they think it is their bees - but otherwise they don't bother to collect them for fear of disease or problems. They would rather do a split if they need more bees.

One guy where I picked up a swarm had said about a beekeeper charging the neighbor for taking bees out of the wall of a camp. I tried to tell him that with the price of gas, wear and tear on your vehicle, spending hours on doing a cutout - and there is still no guarantee you get a liveable hive - or one who won't abscond. He still seemed to think with all the "free" bees plus all the "free" honey, the beekeeper should be happy to do it free. 

And Cleo does have a point - helping out the low income who can't afford a removal or some of the other examples he gave, it does get your name out there in the public which could result in a lot more swarm calls.


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## D Semple

I've found it works best to always quote the total job so there are no surprises when finished. I know I lose a job now and then upfront to somebody cheaper, but I hardly ever have any issues getting paid. 

Don


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## Cleo C. Hogan Jr

D Semple is right. A good understanding, on the part of the beekeeper and home owner, will help prevent problems. I never had a problem with collecting for a job I did.

I did feel badly a couple of times, when I had to remove more structure than I thought I would have to remove, to get to them, but, bees are not always where you think they will be. Best example of this was the Willie Page Estate house. New owners thought the bees had just moved in recently. I though, easy job. In reality, the colony had obviously been there for years. The comb was over 9 feet long, and completely filled the 2 foot void between studs in the wall. (The old Colonial House had 10 ft. ceilings.) I made 6 colonies from the bees.

The bee vac has been a real boom to cutouts. I bought my first one in 2001, and it worked great. Prior to that it was cut comb and shake bees into a box, or, tie comb and bees into a frame. 

Many years ago, I loved doing cut outs. Actually I still do, but, now days, I just don't have the time to fool with them, and will only do one under one of the situations I outlined in post above. I don't do any where I would charge for doing it. It is a great way for a new beekeeper to learn a lot about bees. 

cchoganjr


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## xroads

like this guy?

http://dubuque.craigslist.org/wan/4565261542.html


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## TalonRedding

People wanting Beekeepers to pay for doing cut outs or doing them for free really isn't that surprising. It is a side effect that comes with all the media publicity about the "demise" of the honey bee and how high of a demand there is for pollinators.
My opinion is if someone calls about a honeybee "problem", but they want you, the service provider, to pay for fixing their "problem" or fixing it for free, then it really ain't a PROBLEM.


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## pndwind

TalonRedding said:


> if someone calls about a honeybee "problem", but they want you, the service provider, to pay for fixing their "problem" or fixing it for free, then it really ain't a PROBLEM.


Well said.


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## Cleo C. Hogan Jr

TalonRedding.. Agree..

xroads... He never does say if it is free, or, if he charges for his services. I could not tell, but, I would bet he gets some takers.

cchoganjr


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## Harley Craig

I have only done 2 both were free both had survived over winter and easy to get too. I don't deal with ladders and if it involved one I would probably pass. I also let them know up front I am not a carpenter so it would be up to them to put it back together, both took less than 2 hrs and less than 10 miles away , I don't feel slighted in the least bit for the ammount of bees I got for the minimal work and both homeowners were very pleased. In my opinion I'd rather spend 2 hrs that probably would have been spent in front of the boob tube and a few bucks in gas for8 to 10 lbs of bees that might abscond as apposed to $130 package that might do the same.


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## jbeshearse

I do cut outs for a fee. I quote a minimum price that I charge no matter the complexity of the job. The minimum covers the first 4 hours involved (which includes travel time). If it is less than 4 hours then they pay the minimum, if it goes over 4 hours then I charge an hourly fee. As I discuss this with them I do tell them there are others that may do it for free, but that I do a professional service and charge for it. If they want to use someone that is free I will refer them to some other keepers that may do it or not. One thing I always am sure to mention is that a lot of times the bees are not where someone may think they are. I remove just a little of the structure as possible and damage the structure as little as possible and in a way that is easiest to repair. I can't say that others are as knowledgeable or skilled at demolition and that I will never attempt a removal that involves disturbing structural elements of the structure. (any jackleg can cut em out with a chainsaw... I usually spend as much time determining where the bees are and removing non-structural items as I do removing the bees. Then I put something in the cavity to discourage the return of other bees.

There is a lot more to good bee removals than just getting the bees. And in this as everything else, you sometimes get what you pay for. A free removal that costs an additional $500.00 or so in structure repairs, was it really free? 

This is discussed up front and if they want to use someone else then I will refer them. If they start to negotiate or talk about free bees, I reiterate my pricing and let them decide.

I will do special cases for free. Normally for those that are repeat honey customers or simply really economically unable to pay. This is done case by case at my discretion. Free simple removals done for repeat customers I feel are a good public relations decision.

Funniest call I had was a guy that had caught a swarm in a bucket. They had flown out once and he re-caught them. They were building comb in the bucket and he wanted to know if I wanted them. It was a 30 mile round trip, then he mentions that he heard bees are worth something and wants me to pay $50.00 for them. I passed on that one....

Then there is the guy that wanted me to remove the bees since he did not want to kill them.... I talked on and on, only to say, well, he had sprayed them with a can of wasp&hornet killer, poured kerosene in the entrance and was currently trying to freeze them out by piping his air conditioning into the cavity...so much for not wanting to kill them. The liability of doing that job seemed way to high. No way would I do that one.


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## jimsteelejr

About half the calls I get are people who think that I will come spend two or three hours sweating my tail off for free. I explain to them that I can make another hive for a lot less effort and not get dirty, that the honey I get from their bees I would not feel comfortable selling. I also tell them that there is a extra charge if there is evidence the bees have been sprayed.. I usually get more paying jobs than I can easily do so the cheap skates keep looking. When we first started out we did several free to get experience and because it was fun. It is still fun but it also takes time away from other things plus it helps pay for things like going to bee college and EAS.


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## Motj3

I do them for free for friends, family or under special circumstance. If someone starts talking about the value of the bees, I explain I can buy the same quantity of bees for fifty dollars locally and can't/won't sell the honey. They get the idea pretty quick. 

I have had one experience where a person watched me do a cut out and asked me to do one for her but then told me she wanted to keep the bees. I explained how to do a trap out and wished her luck.


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## xroads

The heading says Free Experienced Bee Rescue

There were several others too




Cleo C. Hogan Jr said:


> TalonRedding.. Agree..
> 
> xroads... He never does say if it is free, or, if he charges for his services. I could not tell, but, I would bet he gets some takers.
> 
> cchoganjr


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## Cleo C. Hogan Jr

Thanks, xroads , Overlooked it. I see it now.

cchoganjr


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## Texas Bee Wrangler

We have been going through the same here in Texas. My partner and i started telling them than we would do the cut out for $50......but they would have to get their "own" repair person to repair what we had to damage, we tell them that we would 'try" and keep the damage to a minimum but sometimes we have to really take a halve a wall down. We let them make the decision, when they do we have a little contract we got off Google docs and have them sign it once we fill in the blanks. If they say they want us to repair it we tell them that the cost of removal will be "higher" to off set the repairs because we will have to hire someone to do it also. Every time so far they have gone for the $50 to $100 and get their own repair person.

Good Luck
Frank


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## Sharpbees

I run a bee and wildlife removal business so I don't do free removals. I remove any stinging insects without chemicals. I do all repairs and exclusion once I have the bees out. Most people don't realize that removals have more to do with being a carpenter than being a beekeeper and I let my customers know this. I also talk to them and help them understand that I don't get any honey from the removal since it gets fed back to the bees and that the bees may not live to make a honey crop or will have to be fed to keep them alive, this helps people understand why I charge. I do about 12 to 20 cutouts per year. I also remove hornets and yellow jackets without chemicals which helps keep business coming in until late fall/early winter. I'm not getting rich but I do make a living at it. I lose a few each year to the "free bee guys" but not often. I only keep a few hives from cutouts each year for my own apiary the rest are given to our local club for new beekeepers or if it is a beekeeper referral the person that referred me gets the bees, this gets me referrals from other beekeepers. I have a minimum fee and go up from there according to the complexity of the job. I can usually weed out anyone wanting free removal on the phone before I spend the gas and time to look at the job. Most people also find out that many of those offering free removals only do swarms and even then only if it isn't up high or they don't do repairs or exclusion. If a customer wants the bees I do the cutout for a fee and sell them the equipment to put them in, then make sure they know they can call me for advice on keeping them alive. If they need "in person" help they will usually pay for my time and gas even though I don't ask or expect it. I also guarantee my carpentry work for 5 years and that bees won't return within 5 ft. of the removal for 12 months. I generally get paid as soon as I'm done and have never had problems. I generally refer swarms to other beeks but If I do a swarm I charge a nominal service run fee, If a customer has a problem with being charged for my services I explain that unlike the free removals guys I am fully insured, that they found me through paid advertising, and that I have to pay the business licensing for each city I do business in. Most people understand that there is a cost in doing business and have no problem paying for good quality service. It also helps that I can usually get to them within a day or two and not just on weekends or evenings after work.


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## Texas Bee Wrangler

Truer words never spoken......


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## PatBeek

FWIW, I didn't charge the 97 year-old lady. The reason? I was talking to the head maintenance guy of the mobile home park when I picked up the bees at dusk from her home. I told him about the situation. He told me that if I cut her slack, he will - in turn - recommend me for multiple mobile home parks in that area. They are high-end homes for the most part. Retirees from up north. 

Anyhow, my wife wasn't amused. But I took it as a loss-leader. It will pay off in the long run.
Ah, women.

He probably would have recommended me anyhow, but I think my kindness made the deal sweeter in his mind.


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## Texas Bee Wrangler

Karma, PatBeek .
I did a swarm removal from inside a tree of an older woman that kept kids for income. She was afraid that they would sting the kids and she would lose business. She said the same thing to me about referencing me. I didn't think anything about it at the time. One week later i got three calls and they all told me that that lady told them about me and wanted to pay me for their removals and needed to know the price. made $375 and 40 thousand bees that week.


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## bevy's honeybees

pndwind said:


> Unfortunately we have had a rash of "free bee removal" ads in craigslist over the last year or two. This adds to the belief that they are "doing us a favor".


There's a craigslist ad right now in my area of someone doing it for free. Gave the ad number to a fellow who has repeatedly asked me to remove bees free from a bunker behind his house. I did them free only my first year of removals, or in certain circumstances I do for free. But I totally agree, lost count of people who talk like they are doing me a favor to offer me their free bees and I find it irritating. I get the same thing about honey--at work, certain people seem to think I should just give it away.


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## Sharpbees

We have a lot of free swarm removal ads on craigslist here too, there is even one offering to pay for swarms. There is an upswing in these ads due to many new beekeepers starting in the hobby in our area. When I first started beekeeping I did my first one for free with the thought of getting "free bees" in the forefront of my mind, being a carpenter I should have known better. It was 25 feet up and had been there for years. that was all it took for me to know I would not do them for free anymore.


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## bevy's honeybees

I do swarms for free--it's cut outs that I usually charge for.


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## shannonswyatt

You should do one a year, free or otherwise. That way you remember how hard they are.


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## Cleo C. Hogan Jr

shannonswyatt.... I can live with that. One per year.

I don't have any problem remembering why I quit doing them. But, I did do 2 this year. (Bye the way, both free).

cchoganjr


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## PatBeek

.

So here's a conversation with someone today via email who needed a bee removal.

*Them: *


> Hello, I live in ______. I have a honeybee nest on a branch in my backyard. It is about as big as a basketball and i don't want to kill them. Can you help? Thanks. Steve


*Me:*


> How long have they been there?


*Them: *


> Patrick, they have been there about 3 months.


*Me:*


> How high up?


*Them:*


> Not high, i can cut the branch by standing on the ground although i am 6'5. I have a ladder and the branch is thin. I can cut it with my pruner.


*Me:*


> Ok, sounds good. If you can wait til later in the week or the weekend, I can do it. But I have to charge since it's an established colony. Would you accept the charge of $150?


*Them:*


> _ .................silence....................................no response.........................probably thinking I'm nuts....................................................desperately trying to find someone to do it for free.................................not understanding too well that a bee suit is about 30 degrees hotter than with normal clothes on......................................thinking I would make bank on all that honey and bees............................could have negotiated the price down to as low as $75-$100.......................................................................................STILL HAS A BEE PROBLEM !!!!!!!!_


.


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## Michael Bush

An awful lot of "swarms and cutouts" is communication and clarification. "A swarm in a tree" often turns out to be an well established colony in the hollow of the tree. A colony of bees often turns out to be a colony of yellow jackets. A swarm 10 feet up a tree often turns out to be 20 feet up the tree. A basketball size swarm is often a baseball sized swarm...

If it's an actual swarm hanging in a tree, and I don't have to drive out of my way much to get there, I'll do that for free. If I have to drive very far, I would charge. It's likely to be gone when I get there anyway...


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## Daniel Y

I once had a person tell me that everyone else they called said they where filled up. They did not understand what that meant. I told them it meant all their equipment was full of bees already. I then explained to her that the equipment I was using to put the swarm in cost me $75. She turned a little white. Then I told her that by adding another $50 or so in equipment and supplies I would hopefully make something out of them. Her mouth fell open. I then mentioned it is almost impossible to keep bees long enough for them to make a profit. She handed me a $20 bill. It was sweet of her to try.


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## Andrew Dewey

Swarms and cut outs can be complicated - add to that a state where if you are compensated for removing a pest you're supposed to have a license. So what do I do? I collect swarms and refer cutouts to people who know what they are doing, have the license, insurance, etc. I'm not so good a carpenter that you want me taking apart your house anyways. This is an area where there is a great deal of commercial pollination in May/June and some years there are many swarms. Dealing with swarms is part of a good neighbor policy. And where I was working at starting a bee club in this area - collecting swarms for free is good PR.

The last swarm I collected I was on site for less than 10 minutes - most of that spent talking with the home owner. It was a foggy morning and the bees were clustered on a branch maybe four feet off the ground. One snip and I carried the branch and cluster to a box at my truck. I could see the donor hive (belonging to a commercial pollinator) in the blueberry field next door.


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## jredburn

I have had a couple of similar experiences with people that do not want to pay when the bill is presented. I merely tell that I cannot take their bees away if they do not want to pay. I then tell them that I have to return their bees and that their kitchen will be a good place to dump them out of my box. 
Once I actually got in the door with a box of bees in my hands before they started screaming at me. I made them go to the bank and get cash with an extra $25 added to the bill for"collection services". They did call me a lot of nasty things but I got my money. I probably won't get many referrals from them.


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## Nmace

Here in Arkansas, if you are going to charge to remove bees, you have to have a license. Very few beekeepers bother to get the license, so most removals are done by exterminators or wildlife removal people. 


I have done a few trapouts from trees (thank you Mr. Hogan for the advice) for some people that could not have paid for the removal and would have just poisoned them. 

I did a cutout for a guy that built his own house...let us mess stuff up and he fixed it.

For the past few years, I have been cyphering on a very strong colony with an entrance between siding and brick in the house of my boss. With my lack of siding and masonry skills, I have opted for discretion as the better part of valor. 

I have learned a lot with every removal I have done. 

If they offer to pay, I suggest they give to a local charity (if they choose to give to the charity for whom I work, all the better).

I think if I could charge, I would probably still do it for free and only for those who I determined were in need. If I did remodeling, it would be a different story.

Heck, if I started making money on bees, I would not know how to act.


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## Northwest PA Beekeeper

I just recently had a good "cutout" over the weekend.

The local pest control company called me Friday morning to tell me there was a swarm on the window of a house in a town a 1/2 hour away. I asked the usual questions in verifying it was a swarm and not bees living IN the house. The guy from the pest control company said "It's a swarm on their cellar window." I asked how high and he told me I would have to be on my knees to get it.

I made a quick dash from work, went home to get equipment (a swarm in late August who would have thought?) and headed to the house. It's a good thing for GPS!!!

I get there and sure enough the bees are clustered in a cellar window area (well, the window was covered with plywood), but a window area none the less. I scooped up what I could of the cluster and dumped them into my hive. They seemed very happy to spread out on the drawn comb and stayed in the box so assumed I got the queen. I tried to get more of the cluster that remained on the window sill and finally decided I would just have to leave the hive there and pick it up the following evening.

I return the following evening to open up my hive to find - NO BEES. There was still a cluster at the top of the window sill, but I noticed some around the edges of the plywood. The cluster wasn't as big as it had been so I figured part of the swarm was now behind the plywood. The homeowner wasn't home, so I took my hive and left and would call the following day.

I called the homeowner the following day and told him that apparently the swarm had moved behind the plywood, and in order for me to get them, I needed his permission to remove the plywood. "Do what you need to do."

I returned the following day (third trip now) along with my bee vac. I remove the plywood and find some of the swarm on the window but the majority of it on the other side of the glass. The window had two panes and the left pane had been broken (hence the plywood) and the bees had used the break in the glass to get to the other side of the glass and near the plastic insulation. I got permission from the homeowner to break the remaining pane to guarantee I got all of them and sucked up all the bees (other than a few which were hiding in the cracks (maybe 20 or so).

When they asked how much I charged, I told them I didn't normally charge for swarms, but with making 3 trips, I would be happy to be reimbursed for gas. The guy handed me $160.00 of which I kept $40, and handed the remaining $120.00 back to him. (I was happy with the gas reimbursement, plus the guy was on disability.) Besides, he might need some of that $120.00 for a call out charge from the pest company - I would assume they charge some kind of call out charge.

But I thought it was nice for someone to try to pay me more than I what I wanted. So there are SOME people that understand that we are providing a service.


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## Oldtimer

Sharpbees said:


> I remove any stinging insects without chemicals.


How do you do that Sharpbees?


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