# How much do you charge for swarm removal if you do and what about the one's left over



## Tenbears (May 15, 2012)

be carefull charging for removing swarms. you MUST have insurance. because you are charging you are representing yourself as a professional. and could be held liable for any damage including stings to bystanders, or other misshaps associated with the bee removal.


----------



## dixiebooks (Jun 21, 2010)

Be careful about blanket statements. I know of NO such insurance requirements in either state I've done removals/cutouts in (TN and AL).

OP: For swarms, I generally do not charge IF it is very local. If in another county, I'll likely ask for some donation to help pay for gas, etc. - maybe $20. For cutouts, I always charge. Cutouts are a lot of work and you need to know what you are doing, so there is a certain skill level.

-js


----------



## Mr.Beeman (May 19, 2012)

Ramdino,
There has been many discussions recently about this very subject. Try a search. I remember there was A LOT of info in those threads.


----------



## Sharpbees (Jun 26, 2012)

minimum of $250.00 for a cut out, that's if it's close to home and a really simple cutout with no repairs.


----------



## westernbeekeeper (May 2, 2012)

I charge $50/hr for cutout, and swarms are free.


----------



## Tenbears (May 15, 2012)

dixiebooks said:


> Be careful about blanket statements. I know of NO such insurance requirements in either state I've done removals/cutouts in (TN and AL).
> 
> 
> -js


Dixiebooks, I never said it was a requirement. in fact I do not know any state that requires it. It is a simple mater of common sense. We live in an extremely litigious society. Just listen to the television. HAVE YOU BEEN INJURED IN AN ACCIDENT???
When you have to give an attorney tens of thousands of dollars to defend against a law suit. Or your life’s savings, home, and retirement are gone because some liberal based jury awards the victim of a bee sting $500,000.00. Because Tom Slick lawyer convinced them you were being paid for your services and as a 
Paid professional you should have foreseen the possible problems and safeguarded against it.
They wont even have my blanked common sense to cover up with.


----------



## Bee Whisperer (Mar 24, 2013)

Tenbears is right.

Anyone who works on someone else's property should have some kind of liability coverage. It just makes sense. A lot of things can happen that would leave a person owing for repairs, Dr. bills, or litigation, etc. It is simply a wise and prudent thing to do. Talk to an insurance rep and see what coverage they have. It is probably very affordable.


----------



## robherc (Mar 17, 2012)

Well, have insurance, OR have a release of liability form that EVERY customer (and any curious bystanders who don't want to keep a safe enough distance) signs before you start any work. ...just for good measure, you might want to consult with a lawyer who's licensed in your state to make sure your release paper covers you well...better to pay a lawyer $75 to check your contract, than $7,500 to defend you after it's too late.


P.S. As of this swarm season, I've raised my minimum charge for a cut-out to $250; swarms I still only charge gas money for, though.


----------



## mrqb (Jul 17, 2011)

the ones that are lost are lost,if u get a good size swarm or colony from the removal your getting a $100 worth of bee's. In my area if u dont want the bees the competition will take them. Are u doing the removal for the bees or as a service?


----------



## naturebee (Dec 25, 2004)

mrqb said:


> the ones that are lost are lost,if u get a good size swarm or colony from the removal your getting a $100 worth of bee's. In my area if u dont want the bees the competition will take them. Are u doing the removal for the bees or as a service?


Hello,

'Bee Careful' about placing a value to bees which are removed.
They should be assumed worthless until they are properly assessed.

* You may not be sure that they were not exposed to pesticide.
* You do not know their linage.
* You have no idea of their performance or other characteristics.
* Disease may be prevalent. 

When customers tell me I am getting a $100 value from the bees.
I tell them "Would you pay $100 for a stray dog and bring it home
to your living room with your family?" "I don't need the bees,
I'm charging for the removal."

To test a colony, 
* I need to tie up $100 worth of equipment for at least one year.
* I need to invest several hours of my time tending and assessing the colony.
* I need to tie up space in the bee yard, gas etc.

The total cost to a beekeeper to assess a stray colony would be at least $200.
The beekeeper assumes all the liability if the colony introduces disease to your 
operation, that could triple the cost for the beekeeper. 

Best Wishs
Joe Waggle
Pennsylvania
https://www.facebook.com/Historical.Honeybee.Articles


----------



## naturebee (Dec 25, 2004)

Ramdino,

For swarms that have just initiated in a structure, I charge 
at least 300.00 I can get in and out real fast with these 
small colonies. I do not accept difficult removals. 

With the stray bees, I vac up as many as possible and go.
If I live near by I will come back at night and get the swarm bucket or hive.
OR I may do removals in the evening and leave at dusk when I get most of the bees.
I tell the homeowner that the bees will disperse in a few days, or they can
come out after dark and kill the remainders with soapy water.

Best Wishes,
Joe Waggle
https://www.facebook.com/Historical.Honeybee.Articles


----------



## mrqb (Jul 17, 2011)

naturebee said:


> Hello,
> value to bees which are removed.
> They should be assumed worthless until they are properly assessed.
> 'Bee Careful' about placing a
> ...


Joe are u saying theres no value to a good swarm.Notice i ask if he wanted the bees or was doing removal as a service.When i get a call first i ask where the bees are second have they been sprayed.Theres no guarantee in anything,new pkg's die for unknown reasons.Also at $300 for a removal where i am at u wouldn't get many calls,there are to many people around here that remove bees for the bees


----------



## dixiebooks (Jun 21, 2010)

naturebee said:


> Hello,
> 
> 'Bee Careful' about placing a value to bees which are removed.
> They should be assumed worthless until they are properly assessed.
> ...



:thumbsup: Plus, they will likely die, anyway, despite your best efforts. -james


----------



## robherc (Mar 17, 2012)

mrqb said:


> Joe are u saying theres no value to a good swarm.Notice i ask if he wanted the bees or was doing removal as a service.When i get a call first i ask where the bees are second have they been sprayed.Theres no guarantee in anything,new pkg's die for unknown reasons.Also at $300 for a removal where i am at u wouldn't get many calls,there are to many people around here that remove bees for the bees


A swarm = *some* value, but around here they're about 95% likely to be *MEAN* AHB, so subtract the cost of finding & smashing their Q (while COVERED in angry bees that run all over the comb) plus the cost of buying & installing 2 new Qs (one now, one in a couple months, to replace the SS queen they raise from the first brood your first one puts out...they'll likely SS the 2nd one too, but at least the first SS queen isn't filling the area with AHB drones anymore) from the value of the bees you collected.

For cut-outs, I place exactly $0 value on the hive, as I'll end up doing more work getting them "situated" than it would take me to simply split a hive I already have; so I charge the customers for the equipment that their hive will be occupying in my yard (generally $200 for the eqpt & $50 gas for my base fee...then add for labor).


----------



## dixiebooks (Jun 21, 2010)

mrqb said:


> <snip>... at $300 for a removal where i am at u wouldn't get many calls,there are to many people around here that remove bees for the bees


Have you tried? You will likely be surprised. Some may say no. Some will sign your contract.

How many is "too many". I'm not where you are but I'd still bet there aren't many that will do it "just for the bees" more than once or twice. How much experience do they have doing cutouts versus how much experience you have? Market your experience and ability and don't worry about trying to compete with lowballers. It's just like selling honey. I'm nowhere near the bottom with my honey prices, either. If a customer would rather go for low price, I gladly let them go whether it is for honey or removal services.

-js


----------



## dixiebooks (Jun 21, 2010)

Moderator, pls delete.


----------

