craigslist post

[shannonswyatt]

My guess is that if someone does something for free the Florida law wouldn't apply to them. If I mow my neighbors lawn I'm not a lawn care company, fix is sink I'm not a plumber. You can require a lot of someone when they are getting paid as that becomes a contract, but when it is free it is harder. My guess is that if there was a problem it would end up being a civil issue, not a criminal one. Not that it wouldn't suck in either case.

The absolute reality is you have a zillion laws on the books, more everyday. Most are not enforced. Not saying anyone should break any laws, you shouldn't.

[Lburou]

It sounds like the exterminators have a strong lobby in Florida.

[bevy's honeybees]

Toker: Just wondering (and I realize you likely are not the individual who wrote the law) why a beek would need an exterminators license to remove bees alive. Exterminators KILL the pests they are after. No killing, no exterminating. Just me, but I think if I lived in FL I would happily violate that one and not lose a moment of sleep. -js

I hoped Americasbeekeeper might chime in on this one. He recently posted that Fla might be planning on going after the non licenced who do removals and charge. I looked into it at that time and it involves a test and $300, plus extra insurance, if I was going to go that far. I like doing removals but not that much. I wouldn not pay for the bees, as some others are posting.

In the past month I've done one tree trapout and am going to do a wall trapout. Both planned to do it themselves by extermination if I didn't want the bees. To me, that's like killing any livestock just because they are a nusance, and the bees equal honey sales for me. Plus I love bees.
I can't charge, I don't know if I can legally take gratuity as the tree bees man has offered. He has become a honey customer. So if he wants to give a gratuity, legal or illegal? I think I need to look into that.

[bevy's honeybees]

But this isn't about if there should be a charge, this has to do with the content of an ad that a professional exterminator put up to malign beekeepers by not explaining that the law does not ALLOW for beekeepers to charge, the author is implying that free bee removal implies "neophyte." You could have been a licensed contractor for 30 years and a beekeeper for 20, but according to this schmuck, you're a neophyte. It's unethical, but ethics isn't a matter of law, hence my suggestion to post a counter-ad.

Yes, that's what first annoyed me about the ad--the untruth as there are experienced beekeepers who do it for free. I read about them here all the time, and the man who taught me how to do removals is retired and well off, he does them for free. I would charge if legal and at a much more reasonable price than what local people are telling me they are quoted.

[Lburou]

If the laws around the country are rewritten to support exterminators, will use of Cleo Hogan's style traps be a beekeeper's best option?

We need to lobby to have bees named as livestock, and avoid the rules governing "pests".

[Mr.Beeman]

It may be against the law to remove bees in fla. and get paid for it, but it's not against the law to get re imbursed for mileage.

[shannonswyatt]

I would think it donations to a person would be totally legal as well!

[Northwest PA Beekeeper]

Interesting thread. If I lived in Florida and would do cut-outs - I wonder what the law says about "donations". The people are not paying you a fee, they are paying you (or more matter of factly) making a donation to you. (You know, to help "defray" your expenses.)

It's always interesting on how people look at cutouts. Some people that have bees in their houses, just want them gone. They consider the bees a pest and are happy to pay you to get rid of them.

Then on the flip side, you have people that have bees in their house, and think you should jump at the chance to get "free bees". Instead of having to pay $80.00 for a package of bees, you are getting these for "free". You are also harvesting all that honey the bees have stored, so with "free" bees and "free" honey they shouldn't have to pay you. In fact, some would think you should pay them - after all, you are getting "free" bees and "free" honey.

[Mr.Beeman]

lol northwest!
I think we are getting taken advantage of here with our package bees. Ours here go for $110.00.
Where EXACTLY did you say you get yours from?

[jbeshearse]

It may be against the law to remove bees in fla. and get paid for it, but it's not against the law to get re imbursed for mileage.

482.165 Unlicensed practice of pest control; cease and desist order; injunction; civil suit and penalty.—(1) It is unlawful for a person, partnership, firm, corporation, or other business entity not licensed by the department to practice pest control.

Nowhere does this Florida Law mention payment as a prerequisite to practice Pest Control.

There are exceptions and limited certifications. But a registered beekeeper is not in any of them, except under the agricultural and individual exemption where we can manage our own pests and properties.

[Mbeck]

I have to jump in,I as a rule always look at government programs with suspicion.
Consider this.

The Florida Department of Ag division of Plants apiary department is in charge one of the largest states that produces apiary products. The mission is to protect the industry from unwanted pest and diseases. They also promote and support the industry. It is their responsibility to demonstrate they have guidelines and practices in place to protect the general population and the beekeeping industry nation wide. I think they are doing that.The media loves a AHB story. It is their job to set up the guidelines but more importantly it is our job to practice beekeeping in a way that supports those goals. Do it how you will.

[tsmullins]

There was a multiple year study done by Uconn and Al Avitabile that showed that over 90% of Natural swarms fail to survive their first winter.

Beekeeping is regional, there is no way that 90% of swarms we hive fail to survive their first winter. We live in a zone 6 climate zone, so our winters are no cake walk.

Shane

[Cleo C. Hogan Jr]

tsmullins.....I am with you. In fact I believe the study reversed the findings. I only hive about 20 swarms each year, and I could go back and check the records, but, I think my survival rate would be closer to 90%.

If the swarm queen is failing, you requeen in the fall, then you get survivability. The afterswarms have new queens, rarely need requeening. Swarms have the right mix of bees and build up fast and produce lots of honey the first year.

cchoganjr

[Happy Honey Farm]

We are providing a service his post is spot on. Your time is worth money and not charging hurts all of us beekeepers.

[franktrujillo]

i have experance removing hives from walls have done many removals "caution""danger" the things they dont tell you most of the time is that they have sprayed the bees by the home owner or pestcontrol.so you go for free bees invest time money two days sometimes new frames new boxes or old bring to your bee yard week or two goes buy then that hive you removed dies.other hives you have in bee yard rob out that hive you just thought you had free bees kills a coulple more of your hives now you have a problem contamination of all your hive or hives yep free....that's why alwasy charge isolate bee removals in another bee yard for at least for a year.seen a known sprayed hive die slowly took over 12 months slowly weakening over that time tried many things to try to save it even removing all comb starting fresh nothing drawn once spayed there doomed.so you dont charge if you like spending your own money foolishly......