Still getting wrong bee calls

It is not unusual for me to get bee calls this time of year. They slack off in late June through mid August and then pick up until mid-late October...believe it or not. Problem is, in the fall, about one in fifty is an actual honey bee call. The rest are wasps and hornets. Last batch of calls were; one Paper Wasp, one Yellow Jacket, three Red Wasps and one Yellow Wasp. I had to debate with two of the callers explaining the difference in bees vs wasp/hornets and they didn't back down. All wanted me to exterminate them and I informed them that I am not geared that way and they need to call an exterminator. Only one person was not upset by me informing them of this. Just needed to vent...Thanks

i explained to two callers that their problems were yellow jackets and that they could exterminate them themselves. Both repeated several times that they didn't want to kill the bees, they wanted me to "save" them. Maybe I should get a PCO license and start saving "bees". Probably could not even earn back the insurance costs.

I have had the same thing happen to me several times. One lady argued so strongly I finally told her. "No disrespect but I have been a beekeeper for 40 years, I think I know a Bee from a hornet or yellow jacket. Then I left here a $20.00 bill, she never did pay up.

In this day and age with smart phones and technology. Get them to text or E-mail you a picture. It would cut down on a lot of mistaken Id or B.S.
Mike

I'm prepared for the "wrong" bees as well.

just go out and take whatever it is out. if you are equipped for bees it will work for whatever you find then charge them and make some money!

Illegal to charge in Arkansas for that or bee removal until you have gone through a Plant Board class. I'm also physically no longer able to climb and what is needed for this or cut-outs or trap-outs. Either way it sucks and I still can't get folks educated on what the differences are between these bugs. Maybe next years Bee Day I can run a pictoral in the local paper that week... never know it may work. lol

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Originally Posted by fishin coyote

In this day and age with smart phones and technology. Get them to text or E-mail you a picture. It would cut down on a lot of mistaken Id or B.S.
Mike

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I am interesting in getting back into beekeeping, which I did until 1984, when daughter #2 arrived. I too got many calls, and it took some amount of explaining and discussion to qualify the "bees." Invariably they were yellow jackets. However, one afternoon--late--I DID get a bona fide call. It was the swimming pool in the city park. The staff had just cleared the pool and closed up the facility because of a swarm of bees that alighted in a red pine about 20 feet from the pool fence. With just a stepladder, smoker, and hand pruning shears all the girls were happy in their new home. The joy of a new hive was mitigated by the larger number of calls--the word got around; the fire station was right next to the pool....

How different things are today. Smart phones used to take pictures would really be more efficient than long telephone conversations with questions like, "Are they more like black and yellow or more like orange and brown?"

Best to all beeks; may patience abound!
Peter