# Trap-out and agreements



## NCbeek (Mar 23, 2011)

Got a call from a lady across town and out a few miles(aren't they always). Anyway, if you don't have to drive 30 min it's not worth it right? The hive is in a tree, entrance at the bottom, 20ft from the house. Save the tree take the bees. This was the oral agreement on day one. Since then things have changed just a bit. Been over about four times and each time something new gets added to the oral agreement. Last time I was asked if I was going to take all the bees with me when I was done?? Wasn't that the reason you called me? I am not charging for the removal since I'm such a nice guy(I'm really just a big sucker). I also was told that they wanted some honey off of it, and maybe to keep the bees elsewhere on the property. To paraphrase my lengthly response to them..."no". So now I'm supposed to, in effect, *pay them* for the honor of removing their bees. I'm debating on just pulling out of the job. Do I cut my losses, which would be the easiest thing, or honor my agreement and finish what I started? I should have laid everything out in writing from the beginning. I didn't and I feel I am going to pay for it. Actually I already have. Not at all angry, just feel I have wasted a lot of time.

Moral to the story... *An oral agreement is worth the paper it's written on.*


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## Mr.Beeman (May 19, 2012)

Pull out now, or have them honor YOUR orginal agreement..... in writing.
If red flags are a flyin now, it's time to get it in writing. TRUST ME.


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## Cleo C. Hogan Jr (Feb 27, 2010)

Agreed. Mr. Beeman has it right. If the goal posts keep moving, walk off the field.

cchoganjr


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## Stingboy (Feb 6, 2010)

Refer them to someone that can take care of their concerns, perhaps a professional?
Would love to see there faces when confronted with the bill.
Christens call it divine intervention, Buddhist call it karma…
BTW, it was not a waste of time, it was a learning experience.


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## jdawdy (May 22, 2012)

I find that people are far more likely to abuse you if you offer to do something for free, than if you demand payment.


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## Sharpbees (Jun 26, 2012)

I do cut outs all the time and there is no way I would do it for free much less pay for the bees. Cut your losses and move on, let them call around they'll find that most bee removal companies are going to charge at least $350.00 for an easy cut out and it goes up from there.


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## Northwest PA Beekeeper (Mar 28, 2012)

At this point, it doesn't matter what you do- honor your initial agreement or cut your losses - your name is "mud" with these people.

At first you wanted to help these people, and they wanted to save the bees too. Somewhere along the line, they have heard that you are getting a deal - you are getting "free" bees and they are getting "nothing" for it.

I heard the one time a guy saying about bees being in a wall of a camp and it was an easy cutout for the beekeeper. He came and cut them out, took all the honey and charged the people $100.00. They just couldn't believe it because the beekeeper was getting free bees that were going to make him a ton of money. 

When I tried to interject and remind the guy that he had gas costs to drive there, a cutout taking several hours of work, with no guarantee he would get the queen, or that the bees would stay in the hive he put them in, and that's if they didn't have disease or anything wrong with them, even with that, they probably wouldn't make any extra honey that year for the beekeeper. It didn't matter, because he got "free bees" and "free honey".


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## NCbeek (Mar 23, 2011)

I guessed they got to thinking I am going to make money off of them. I told them I have already spent more time and money than if I drove the hour to the nearest guy who would shake me some bees in a hive for $75. I told them there is no gaurantee they will live after being moved. No honey will be made this year from them if they do live and it's really not that easy to extract it. Everyone seems to think you go out to the tree grab a handful of comb, put it in a jar and there's a jar full of honey like on TV. If I had not agreed to get them, they were going to be sprayed. I've taken time with them, explained how a hive works, shown them the differences in males and females, how the trap was supposed to work. etc,etc. 

Guess I just needed to vent. Going over there tomorrow. One more "I want" and I'm out. The queen cell should be hatching any day and I can take my start and leave.


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## beesintrees (Jan 25, 2013)

Hi,
Just my opinion. You already spent more money than *t*he *b*ees *w*ould *c*ost.
You already spent more time and labor than *t b w c*
You helped the people already. They aren't helping you, the bees, themselves or farmer's crops
Not only are they not helping - they are giving you personal stress, financial stress and stress about the bees.
I'd have been gone from there a few trips sooner than you .
just my opinion
bnt


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## Daniel Y (Sep 12, 2011)

I no longer even offer to do cut outs. I simply tell people that my charges for a cut out start at $500 and I have never had anyone take me up on it. I will still do swarm removal for free if in fact they are honey bees and easy to get to, the bees are mine. For now I will do trap outs for free also with the understanding the bees are my payment and that a trap out can take months. Does nothing to remove the comb from the hive and that they are not going to have a complete solution to the problem.

As of yesterday I looked at yet another trap out, cut out situation. I got the typical they expect to pay nothing for my work attitude. I have now decided that any call that says they have bees in their house will get told right then and their. cut outs start at $500 and trap outs start at $100 and that is if there is nothing to complicate the removals. I suspect that will eliminate most useless trips across town right then and their.


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