posible hedgerow pete on watch dog??

[madasafish]

I have just started swarm collection.

I have a simple solution which I am using 100%. Pictures of said swarm to me by email. No pictures.. no action..
So far leaf cutter bees.. left in loft till autumn.

I will not leave the house without a picture...unless caller has a very accurate description of a swarm.

Makes life easier and cuts out muppets..

 

[Poly Hive]

Provided of course they are part of the WWW.

Not every one is by a long chalk.

PH

 

[drstitson]

whatever happened to Gordon Brown's plan for everyone to have broadband (even if they didn't want it) to ensure that they were all too busy w*****g to internet muck whilst watching jeremy kyle to bother to vote against nu-lab.

 

[Ellem]

I think everyone voted against nu-Lab before he could get it sorted

 

[Russel]

Provided of course they are part of the WWW.

Not every one is by a long chalk.

PH

Tis true but most people have a mobile capable of taking and sending pics whether they're capable of using it is another thing.

HP ask for their full details over phone so you can:
a: find them via sat nav quicker.
b: provide them with a receipt/invoice which they have they settle in cash on your arrival, no pay no takey "bees" or if they get the hump just say "Ta VM" and walk away.
c: they get someone to text you a pic, so you know what equipment you will need ?

I know it's easier said than done but a lot of folk will send you on a fool's errand and you're the one out of pocket.

.... and as to poor benefit claimants how come they can still buy tinnies, ciggies and takerways when you in a full time job can't? Check their recycle bin and see how many wine bottles etc are in there?

 

[madasafish]

Thanks Russel: some good ideas.

I can't be bothered to assist people who are incapable of helping themselves. (OAPs excepted - oops I nearly am an OAP. Sod OAPs then...

 

[PaleoPerson]

I Are you asking your 'swarm callers' the right questions before you set out? Time on the phone is time well spent.

I find that even the average Mr & Mrs Joe Public (and its usually Mrs) can tell the difference between a lump of bees that have recently arrived and 'a one every thirty seconds' dribble of bees going in and out of a hole somewhere. I can't remember the last time I went out to a 'bumble swarm'. I occasionally go out to visit bumble callers if there is a special reason, but when and if I choose. Reassuring advice is usually enough.

I have never yet needed (& wouldn't) destroy a bumble nest, although I have moved a few to new locations after dark.

I don't charge for swarm collections. Swarms have a monetary value in honey potential, and a large goodwill value if given to help out other keepers. Am I wrong?

You obviously have not seen the Tree Bumble bees nest at gutter height. They have quite a few bees flying around the entrance, not at all like the other Bumbles we have on the UK. Then to get the person to accurately tell you the size of the bees is a waste of time. I find it is better to call around and advise, then the information will be accurate.

As regards charging. Four call outs last Friday. Three were Bumbles, one was a swarm that had absconded. 45 miles in fuel plus two and a half hours in time. Charged £30 in total ( swarm had buggered off by the time I got there). I am not making any money. If you get a number of days like this and do not charge, then it will soon mount up.

 

[ladyrose1956]

Killing Bumble Bees

What gives you the right to kill the Bumble they are very important to the echology of our plant life not to mention they are animals you wouldnt kill your own honey bees this is against the law and you should be reported for this

 

[Rosti]

This is my first year on a published swarm list, some observations.

1. If your surname begins with A then despite giving a clear geographical call out area it is ignored and you get called first. My new name is Zebadee Zachahria.
2. Many people have already decided what they expect to happen and can kick off when it does not happen as they planned or to their timescale.
2. I don't charge a call out fee because I have restricted the area I am prepared to cover so costs dont get talked about on the phone. When (based on a discussion/description) I decline to come out immediately I have recieved phone abuse (twice) which seem to start with "I pay may rates what sort of a service is this...." When I explain I am not affiliated to the council refuse & pest department that seems inconsequential.

I have only had 6 call-outs that I could support directly with a visit. 5 of 6 were indeed honey bees (3 captured, 2 dispersed). My most interesting call out was to a lady in a neighbouring village. I was home and free so it took me all of 15 mins to get to her (I reckon the ambulance service couldn't have beaten that). When I got there I was informed that I had taken too long and that the bees were no longer a problem - she had sprayed them with fly killer. Nuff said!

 

[hedgerow pete]

What gives you the right to kill the Bumble they are very important to the echology of our plant life not to mention they are animals you wouldnt kill your own honey bees this is against the law and you should be reported for this

whos laws?
what protected laws/ animals?

yes they are very use full and needed, but try explaining that to a person who does not want them inside there loft/house/shed/wall.

as for asking questions i have a printed out list of 30 of them to get me out you have to do all thirty, with sensible answers. the biggest give away has to be the numbers

" how many do you see, 10, 20, 50, " i never mention hundreds or thousands and they have to say unpropted the thousands word to pass the test.

I think its just me attracting the loons, they seam to follow me where ever i go,
hedgerow the loon lure

 

[TOBY-3652]

It is not against the law to kill any bees no bees are protected not any. I agree with h p iff the householder is frightend to death of bees that are near door {and some are} then the only thing to do is destroy them if they can be removed then do so. As i would.. Must be 2 to the loon club now

 

[Foxylad]

I can understand charging for call out that are not honey bees.

But is it not the point, that the bees you are collecting have a high value. Not only in the ability to draw comb but also for bees on frames when they have built up.

If for instance the call out rate is 4 out of 5 call out are honey bees. Is in still not worth the chance of a prime swarm?

 

[psafloyd]

What gives you the right to kill the Bumble they are very important to the echology of our plant life not to mention they are animals you wouldnt kill your own honey bees this is against the law and you should be reported for this

And breathe.

Seriously, ladyrose, you should try some punctuation. You nearly did me a mischief.

 

[psafloyd]

I can understand charging for call out that are not honey bees.

But is it not the point, that the bees you are collecting have a high value. Not only in the ability to draw comb but also for bees on frames when they have built up.

If for instance the call out rate is 4 out of 5 call out are honey bees. Is in still not worth the chance of a prime swarm?

Yes, they are worth something IF you can get them. I think it advisable to charge a small fee to cover costs.

I updated my BBKA details with the new site and suddenly started geting calls for swarms.

Gutted I couldn't get to two, as they were not too far away, definitely honey bees by the description and (this was why I was gutted) easy to get to. One was about 10 feet off the ground, if that and the other was hanging off the underside of a garden trampoline.

The third may or may not have been honey bees, but the woman wasn't sure, wouldn't answer my questions and didn't know where they were coming from.

Eventually got out of her she had seen a few going in through a broken air brick at the first floor level but they were not visible from there.

I went online and gave her a few local numbers, as she was a bit further away.

 

[viridens]

You obviously have not seen the Tree Bumble bees nest at gutter height. They have quite a few bees flying around the entrance, not at all like the other Bumbles we have on the UK. Then to get the person to accurately tell you the size of the bees is a waste of time. I find it is better to call around and advise, then the information will be accurate.

As regards charging. Four call outs last Friday. Three were Bumbles, one was a swarm that had absconded. 45 miles in fuel plus two and a half hours in time. Charged £30 in total ( swarm had buggered off by the time I got there). I am not making any money. If you get a number of days like this and do not charge, then it will soon mount up.

On the contrary, I have been lucky enough to see this type of Bumble in an old bird nest behind the gutter of my own roof. (They were quite aggressive, and didn't like me looking). Like most (all?) types of Bumble we are talking about a tiny nest with a few dozen/hundred bees, and they died out at the end of the season. I have also seen plenty of wasp nests in the same place and inside under the eaves. But I have yet to see a nest of honey bees 'at gutter height'. -In chimneys, yes.

Even if an actual swarm had established itself in that location, how would you collect it? Do you like wrestling with fibreglass insulation? Are you insured if you put your foot through a ceiling? etc. Why go out to it? Unless you also offer pest control services to boost income.

It seems that you are not happy with your £30. I repeat, ask the right questions and give the right reassurance before going out, and you won't waste time and money.

 

[merylvingien]

Welcome to my world

In the spring, i get somewhere close to a hundred plus calls for beeswarms which turn out to be bumbles. Also LOTS of dimwits phone and say i have a wasp nest, BUMBLE BEES!!!!

I have a fairly comprehensive website which explains in detail with photos the different species, wasps, hornets, honey and bumble bees! BUT STILL THEY COME.

No bees are protected in the UK, so you are not breaking the law by treating bumble bees, its more of an ethical thing i suppose. As a pest controller and a business owner i have chosen to take the desicion to not treat bumble, mining or masonary bees.
I collect honey bees for 20 quid a pop (deisel money) and then ask nicely for payment in alcohol from whoever recieves them. If they are in somwhere where they cannot be extracted then generally they have to be destroyed (and the entrances must be blocked after treatment, by law), i charge 80 quid for that as its a double visit.
I do sometimes get extraction jobs for honey bees which i charge a higher price for due to the amount of time it takes.

But if your swarm collecting, and your travelling any distance then why shouldnt you charge? You have to pay to put the fuel in your car and if someone is THAT STUPID that they cannot tell the difference tween honey bees, wasps or bumble bees and they call you out, let them pay for the privilage of being educated in such matters...

 

[Poly Hive]

I agree completely, this is the real world where time and fuel and knowledge have a price.

PH

 

[iamduvern]

Unbelievable !! That people charge I have done Fell rescue and 2 years on life boats NO pay and No expenses I put it down to GREED on most peoples part but thats the society that we live in people are not prepared to help others its "whats in it for me" mentality that has ruined this country

 

[goodbobby]

as ever, the council i am under sends over loads of bee swarm callers each year, so far i have had 40+ calls ending up with bumble bees.

it still amazes me how stupid people are in brum and i am sure its the same every where , if it flys it must be a bee

but any way .

where does everyone else stand with this ethical problem

I charge £25 to collect and remove a honey bee swarm, more for cut outs and the more hard to get ones, but since i have no use for or need for bumble bees i dont, i just turn up look , laugh and sod off again.

the latest one last night ticked all the honey bee swarm questions so when i went out it was a bumble bee nest in the loft and and a mad women. now i dont charge i just leave. but if i start to charge a call out fee to cover the petrol i am now wasting but do no work to earn it as it were, where do i stand?

i can see a story line on watch dog about rip off bee keepers and i realy could do with out matt chasing me down the road on his motor bike!!

I must admit i have charge a couple of old dears a pound so i can buy a new can of fly spray, as one of my bumble bee removel tricks is to selotape down the spray button and to throw it across the loft to where they are building there nests to kill them off.

I have been pretty successful in identifying bumbles, masonry bees and miner bees in phone calls about "swarms". Basically, if the caller can send a photo, that knocks out probably 90%. If they ask for any of the former to be eliminated, I tell them how lucky they are to have such great squatters, that their bees are pretty harmless( if they dont mess with them) and I stress the wonderful ecological kudos attaches to anyone who 'befriends' them. Callers, if given a bit of helpful background information, generally respond that "of course they wouldn't dream of killing such friends of mankind as they are very environmentally aware"....panic over! Perhaps, its about the powers of persuasion?

Re charging , I don't think its unreasonable to ask for a contribution towards your petrol and any other genuine costs.......But what do they say..."A swarm in May is worth a load of hay, in June a silver spoon"...its a bit of dubious practice to charge someone to remove what to you is potentially a valuable asset!

As for bumbles generally, I found this article summed up whether they are under threat or not, and why in my opinion they should be, as far as physically possible, left alone: http://www.redbubble.com/people/pijinlane/journal/1609991-bumble-bee-conservation

 

[Poly Hive]

Well done you but it is our decision whether to charge or not. I am not slagging you for doing charity work of which I have done a fair bit myself but dinna yell about it, so please don't take a poke at those of us who decide our time is worth money.

PH