Cutout call for a guy who sprayed the bees

**Riverratbees** · 05-03-2011, 05:41 PM

If you go and get those bees and get in a strainer and saturate them with waterand let the water runoff of them before you put them in a hive so you don't contaminate your comb, and yes charge him 50 a hr cause all that work could be in vain in the end. Oh use warm water for breaking down the spray. I have seen the girls shakeing their little butts and enjoy the water as it run off. Then put a feeder on them to give them a jump.Good Luck

**Erichtexan** · 05-03-2011, 08:05 PM

I always ask, in an encouraging way, if they have tryed spraying the bees. I think this gives the most honest answer. When they say they have, I tell them nicely I am not interested and why. Now that I have read all of these replies, I agree with the ones who say to charge extra and remove the bees. On a side note, I used to do cutouts for free - but not any more - I drove all the way to Plum, TX to do a cutout for a realy nice lady only to find her renters doused the bees in poisons...it was sad, but a good lesson. Depending where you are and how far you have to go - I'd charge, and if they spayed, I agree with the others on this thread - CHARGE MORE!

**Bsweet** · 05-03-2011, 08:14 PM

I have found that more than half the time that if you ask "did you spray the bees they say no, I now ask "what have you done to try to get them to leave? its not fool proof but seems to get more "I tried poison/spray. Jim

**Erichtexan** · 05-03-2011, 08:19 PM

that's a good idea - I'll try that - thanks : )

**Bsweet** · 05-03-2011, 08:35 PM

I had my own service company for 17 years and the DIY people where great for business, theyed screw it up and then call to have it fixed.I found that if you asked a question that laid blame (like did you break this?) the answer was oh no not me but if you asked "oh wow what happened to this" they would give a straigh answer before thinking. So ask questions in a way that lays no blame. People will often give long answers to a short/mild question "kinda like this post.

**dixiebeeco** · 05-04-2011, 11:29 AM

I dealt with this same event 7 out of my 10 cutout removals last year. I had my best luck with the hive surviving if the homeowner would discontinue the spray, and give me 7 or more days before doing the removal. Allowing the extra time allowed more bees to hatch out and re-engerize the colony a bit, and allow me to examine the comb to see if the queen was still alive by looking for eggs. If no queen, I would go in a do a fast removal with the beevac and use the bees to increase any weak hives in my yard. If the queen was present, the removal would be much slower to try to preserve her since she was more than likely from "survivor" stock and work keeping.

Make sure to work out any payment details in advance of doing any work and make sure they don't expect you to fix the repairs.

**HiveMind** · 05-04-2011, 12:35 PM

Lots of wisdom here. Thanks to all. From what I'm reading so far if insecticide is involved you would always discard the comb. Any live bees would be collected and added to a weak hive. Except if you detect the queen is alive. Then you'd try to get the queen too and add the, now homeless, colony to a new hive. In all cases, however, you would want to have the property owner stop spraying and give the bees 4-7 additional days before you perform the cutout. Is that generally the idea?

Oh, last but not least, Charge them more. Basically, because you're not getting all the comb (and bees) that you normally would out of the deal.

**Apiator** · 05-04-2011, 02:36 PM

Originally Posted by Bsweet

I had my own service company for 17 years and the DIY people where great for business, theyed screw it up and then call to have it fixed.I found that if you asked a question that laid blame (like did you break this?) the answer was oh no not me but if you asked "oh wow what happened to this" they would give a straigh answer before thinking.

Reminds me of a tile job I got called out for... the job was half done, and really terribly. I told the homeowner I'd have to rip out the whole train wreck and start over. He told me a contractor did it... but I found a Home Depot "Tile 1-2-3" book laying around and a tile saw in the back yard...

Originally Posted by HiveMind

Oh, last but not least, Charge them more. Basically, because you're not getting all the comb (and bees) that you normally would out of the deal.

Just don't let on that getting a good colony is part of your payment. It's none of their business what you do with them afterwards... they called you out for a removal; charge them for it either way. That's my perspective as a contractor, anyway. It'd be like me discounting a remodel if I'm going to recycle old wire and copper pipe... nope... that's a bonus. The extra charge for poisoned bees is like a pain-in-the-ass (PITA) surcharge for difficult customers.