A very good year

[Ross]

For the bees that is. I'm still averaging 10 calls a week about swarms or bees where they aren't wanted. 4 calls today alone.

[jeff123fish]

Every call I've had for the last two monthes has been yellow jackets

[Ravenseye]

I'm actually worried about one hive. It's top to bottom filled with bees. If I felt more confident, I'd split now into a nuc, throw a queen in and put the nuc on top of the hive it was split from, hoping to winter over. I just added a medium over this hive thinking that the bees might like the space. It's late here in MA to do much but honestly, this hive looks like it might pop anytime. No swarm cells though but if it winters over like it looks now, I'll be doing a real early spring split for sure.

[Hambone]

For the bees that is. I'm still averaging 10 calls a week about swarms or bees where they aren't wanted. 4 calls today alone.

Are most for cut outs or new swarms in trees? Do you get most your calls though your club or are you getting them though the county ect. office?

[Jeffrey Todd]

I agree, Ross. It has been the busiest year in recent memory for me, as well.
Derek, try a couple of local pest control people. They often don't like dealing with bees.

[Ross]

Almost all of mine come from the county agent, but a few find me on-line either here or at ebeehoney.com. I'm getting a ton of calls for bees in houses, some for bees in trees, and 1 or 2 a week for swarms.

[BULLSEYE BILL]

I'm glad the bee removal season is over! I'm still getting calls but I'm scheduling for next year.

[Swobee]

An older bee keeper I know told me he got a swarm call last weekend in north-central Ks. He said he's never had swarms later than early August before. The last swarm call we got was in mid-July.

We have some removals to do, but like Bill- they're going to wait for next year to give them a chance to make it.

[Gene Weitzel]

Post Ike, I have been getting 4-5 calls a day from folks who need bees removed from downed trees. Since I have no power, no fuel and 100+ downed trees on my place, its been tough to respond, but we are doing what we can.

It seems that none of the tree removal services want to approach a tree with thousands of angry bees flying about. Go figure.

[Ross]

Gene, did your house survive ok? When do you expect power?

[Gene Weitzel]

Gene, did your house survive ok? When do you expect power?

Ross,

My place looks like a war zone, all that is missing is a charred crater. Fortunately, my house came through with very minimal damage. My son's car got crushed and so did my 1977 Mercedes 240D (rats!) and I lost two out of 24 hives at my home yard. I must have nearly 100 trees down. I was really lucky with the hives as the trees fell all around them and only had two knocked over. It will probably take me a year to clean up all the trees. Good thing is that I will have plenty of stock to mill into lumber. Power company's best estimate of restoring power is sometime between Sept. 25th and Oct. 5th. I sure don't relish the thought of feeding this dang generator 10 gals of $4.00 gas per day till then.

[Ross]

Sorry to hear that. You may have to burn fire wood this winter to come out. Our relatives in Kemah had 7 feet of water in their house.

[Gene Weitzel]

I will certianlly have plenty of firewood. I am even being extremely selective of what I keep. If its the slightest bit knarley and looks like it won't split nicely, it gets tossed into the burn pile. The main shafts of the large trees will be milled into lumber. You folks may see a good bit of hardwood woodenware for sale in the coming months! (quartersawn oak makes a very durable super).

[James Henderson]

Still getting many removal calls here in Baton Rouge after Gustav said hello to us. I can't belive the number of people that call me and really expect me to cut the bees out of downed trees for free so their arborist company can cut the tree off their house or property!!!

Maybe all the arborists are not charging for their tree cutting services so people figure beekeepers must be doing free bee removals.

[Gene Weitzel]

Still getting many removal calls here in Baton Rouge after Gustav said hello to us. I can't belive the number of people that call me and really expect me to cut the bees out of downed trees for free so their arborist company can cut the tree off their house or property!!!

Maybe all the arborists are not charging for their tree cutting services so people figure beekeepers must be doing free bee removals.

If its any consolation, I am getting the same sort of thing here after Ike. So far out of about 50 calls, I have had two paying customers. Since I have the ability to do the tree cutting as well, I thought maybe that would be a plus, but many still seem to be indignant that I won't do it for free. They try to guilt me into it by saying they will just have the bees killed if I don't want them. I tell them, "Good luck finding an exterminator who will do it for free." That usually ends the conversation.