Swarm Removal

Jump to Section: Location -- Contact -- Cost -- Swarm Characteristics -- Hive Characteristics

Please note: I am not an exterminator. I will attempt to remove the bees safely. I will not purposely kill a hive of bees. If you want them killed call an exterminator, not me.

Why would you want to kill bees anyway? At least see if I can remove them safely first.

Location

Caleb's Honey Farm is willing to capture swarms of bees in the Burlington, Mediapolis, and the surrounding areas in southeast Iowa. If you are unsure if you would be considered in this area, feel free to contact me. Even if it doesn't work out, I may know someone else who can help.

Contact

If you would like to see if I could remove your bees please call me at (319)-985 -2111. You can also use other contact methods on the contact page. The phone is the best way to contact me about swarms. Swarms can decide to move quickly, therefore I need to get to them as soon as possible.

Cost

I do not charge for capturing swarms. However, I may charge for hives as they require more time and sometimes do not survive the tricky removal process. Please contact me as I will not try to capture hives under certain circumstances. For example, I will not usually capture honeybees inside a wall of a house. I am not good at carpentry. Your house will be left a complete mess. I outline what a swarm is and what a hive is directly below.

Swarm Characteristics

A swarm is a group of bees that have split off from an established colony. This is the bees method of making more beehives in the world. The group of bees that split from the established hive will often fly to a location where they will land briefly. This would be something like a tree branch or a fence post. They will stay there any where from under an hour to a few days. Then they will fly off to their new home and establish a hive in someone's wall or a hollow tree (Beehive characteristics below). When a swarm of bees are flying, some people describe them as a cloud of bees. Once they have landed on a branch or a fence post they will clump up and form many different shapes.

While bees are still in the swarm stage they are usually very docile. They will not sting unless provoked. However, a bee can be accidentally provoked if it lands on you and it gets pinched in your shirt collar or something of that nature. So, even though they are really calm, it is best to keep your distance if your highly allergic or just don't want to get stung.

Hive Characteristics

A hive is an established group of bees. They will often bee inside something like a tree or someones wall where they will exit by a small hole somewhere. Hives will have comb, honey, and pollen stored up. Once a hive establishes a home they may or may not be aggressive. Each hive seems to have its own personality. This is based upon things like genetics, environment, health, and other factors.

On warm days you will see the honey bees bringing in pollen (yellow balls on their back legs) and nectar. If it is to warm in their hive you may see some of them clumped up around the entrance of their hive. This is simply a way to keep the hive cool.