pesticides sprayed before cutout

[riverrat]

I did another cut out last night the owner had sprayed the bees with pesticide. I took them out thru the inside ceiling. Once I got it opened up dead and dying bees fell out of the opening it was a sad site to see. This appeared to be a strong hive before it was sprayed. Out of ignorance the owner had sprayed the bees thinking this would get rid of the problem. He said he sprayed it a week or 2 earlier with wasp and hornet spray. I am guessing he had sprayed it again within 24 hours of when I opened it up. When I walked in the stench of dead bees and larva would knock your socks off. I Had warned them of this when they called the first time a week ago. All I can say from now on out I will be charging a surcharge for sprayed bees. Just for the fact that it subjects myself and equipment to pesticides. Is there anyone else out there that charges a surcharge for hive removals that have been sprayed with pesticides.

[iddee]

I tell them that since they started the job, they can finish it, and I go home. I don't do sprayed jobs.

So far, I have been lucky enough to not have found that one was sprayed after being told it had not. I don't know how I would react to that. Not in a friendly way, for sure.

[Zane]

I had a swarm call the other day. The guy had some bee's clustered on the inside of his house. I told him I wanted to come later in the day and get all the straglers too, He had no problem w/ that. I called just before I was heading out and he said the landlord had come and sprayed the bee's. I seem to get the feeling that every call I've got in the past couple weeks the person has called one or more "others" also! That same day a guy called on a swarm real close to my job, he needed it out within a month, so I went by and checked it out. Gave him a $200 quote and he said never mind another guy would do it for $125. Which means I gave a fair quote since I had an hour drive and gas included in my quote! Do anyone else get that happen? 5 of the last 6 call's had more than one other personshow up or they had others coming too! I gues I need to ask how many I am competing for!!!

[Gene Weitzel]

I pretty much take idee's stance if they tell me up front. I always give a range of what I think the job will be, and if everything is on the up and up and they treat me well I will always bill them at least $50.00 lower than the upper amount even if the time would justify the full amount. I have had a few folks lie to me about it up front and then admit to "forgetting" they sprayed them when I offer them some of the honey during the cutout. I don't really get visibly upset about it, but I do make sure that the final bill ends up being at least $50.00 higher than the upper amount of my quote. If they complain about it being on the high end, I admit that when I gave them the quote, I "forgot" to tell them that my rates increase when there is the risk of pesticide exposure.

[Chef Isaac]

Gene: That is funny! I see to forget a lot

[riverrat]

That same day a guy called on a swarm real close to my job, he needed it out within a month, so I went by and checked it out. Gave him a $200 quote and he said never mind another guy would do it for $125!

When people get into pricing wars everyone will eventually lose. even the guy getting the cutout done. The ones that are usually charging less are ones who will usually do a poor or incomplete job. Cheaper is not always better. You both are 2 cheap. When I get a call I tell them up front cutouts start at $100. hr 3 hr min. and go up from there. If they are uninterested at that price oh well i dont have no shortage of work doing cuttouts. When people do cutouts and compete with each other by cutting prices some will call it free enterprise I call it cutting your own throat.

[BULLSEYE BILL]

A few weeks ago a lady needed a bird house removed, I quoted her $75. She said 'well I'll have to check that out'. A few days later she called for me to come over and get the house. I went by and checked it out to see how tall a ladder I would need or special tools, they looked fine and she told me about the large bearding on the front earlier that day.

I went back at about dark and taped the entrance shut and pried the house off the mount breaking the bottom board. Stinking dead bees and the stench of pesticide poured out the bottom.

While collecting the check I told her that if I had known she sprayed them I would have not taken the job. Then I went soft when she said 'What else could I do? Who else could I call?' Yeah, I felt sorry for her, people, especially old folks, are just trying to get by the best they can. It's just too bad that we end up with these situations.

When I find that a colony has been sprayed before I bid it I can justify charging more by explaining to them that the bees are of no value to me so I have to charge more for their mistake.

[Aram]

I charged the same in the past just to keep people honest. But offering them to taste some honey during the cut out, now that's ingenious! Maybe I'll do that and charge them more if they refuse.
Zane, gas must still be under $2 in Mo. I give free quotes. First part of that is on the phone, to make sure that they are serious. I can't imagine doing it for under $300 if it involved more than just removing a bird house.

[Michael Bush]

When I smell pesticide, I just walk away.

[BULLSEYE BILL]

When I smell pesticide, I just walk away.

So what is the real risk? There are bees in there that have not been sprayed and will live, why not shake them out in the yard and throw the contaminated material away? Is there enough contamination on them that will not kill them but will damage whatever hive they take into?

[Gene Weitzel]

When I smell pesticide, I just walk away.

If I can smell it, I do the same. In the situations I described in my previous post, it had been several months since they had tried the spray so I did not detect any odor and had already gotten started on the cutout when they came clean about it (after I offered them a taste of the honey). The "taste of honey" test is now standard practice when I do a cutout. The thought of tasting pesticide laced honey seems to bring out a pretty quick and strong rejection, so its not too difficult to spot it over a genuine reluctance to taste unprocessed honey.