Swarm collection rant

[HM Honey]

To comply with BBKA insurance, you need to reword that as both a Fixed Charge and time Charge would invalidate the insurance

so a Donation is recomended of £50 to cover initial costs incurred and a further donation to cover loss of earnings over collection period...might just get passed Towergate Insurers and Jane Moseley

I dont think it would "invalidate" your insurance Muswell, it would just mean that particular transaction wouldnt be covered.

Semantics I know but a possibly important difference.

 

[Outlander]

Seems to be a common problem.
Hope you do not get asked for your phone number from some sarckie forumite that takes an exception to your rant.

Perhaps a fair warning to those who would fancy themselves as a swarm collector.

And I'm still waiting for it Ican

 

[Tom Bick]

I don’t put my name forward to collect swarms apart from the one at the weekend as the people at my club who collect swarms were not contactable and it turned out to be a four hour marathon and one I finally won but it did make me think I have better things to do with my time.

I see no problem with people making a charge for this service as plenty of threads cover money making angles to beekeeping so why not this one.

 

[For want of a better word]

And I'm still waiting for it Ican

Re swarm collecting.........
I would imagine that there would be very little that I could add to your expertise.
But there will be some budding swarm collectors out there in Forum Land who will benefit from the experience of others, and may glean some pointers from this and other discussions.

Kick the ball... not the man ( or woman!)

 

[HM Honey]

Kick the ball... not the man ( or woman!)

Love that....

 

[For want of a better word]

Lady last week said that the pest control company ( off the internet A Digdong Pest control services or something like that... ) wanted £130 to remove wasps and more if it was bees + VAT
Card payment up front for an operative to call and destroy that day.

Did hear tell of one case where the Household insurance policy paid up for bees to be removed from an AGA cooker flue !
how much was the charge for that?

 

[SixFooter]

Personally, I think it is dishonest to charge for removing a swarm. Unless in your phone discussion, you tell the householder that the bees will move on within a short while - a couple of days or less most probably, but you will come and move them now for a fee.

There is no need to stay for 3 hours. If I go out early in the day, I get most of the bees in the box, then go home and come back after dark.

A cut out is different

 

[HM Honey]

Personally, I think it is dishonest to charge for removing a swarm. Unless in your phone discussion, you tell the householder that the bees will move on within a short while - a couple of days or less most probably, but you will come and move them now for a fee.

There is no need to stay for 3 hours. If I go out early in the day, I get most of the bees in the box, then go home and come back after dark.

A cut out is different

There is nothing dishonest about it. As long as they know about the fee upfront then they make the decision. As it goes, I do tell them the swarm may move on because I work full time and tell them I'll ring them before setting off to make sure they are still there. I choose NOT to put pressure on them by telling them that the "moving on" could very easily be into their wall cavity or loft resulting in either resident bees or a VERY expensive removal scenario.

 

[Outlander]

Why shouldnt they charge?
I dont when I pick up swarms but see no reason why people shouldnt if they want to.

When I first started never charged but now I do. Time spent on site, Fuel, two visits. Then trying to find someone who wants them and normally running them over to them. I don’t need any more so have been collecting them and giving them away. I did keep one recently as it was such a large swarm but then that left a few days later apparently because I botched the collection so I was told.

Anyway has anyone ever been able to sell a swarm to a beekeeper. Tight lot.

And why when you ring around to try and find someone to collect they never pick up their phone.

So yes charge and don't be afraid to say no to the people who ring and feel that you should do it for free.

I had an email this afternoon from some dick that expected me to go over and dig out a bumble nest that he had blocked the entrances up on. I told him his options one of which was call pest control which he was unhappy about then ranted how he was going to report me to the council as on their web site it stated that I will collect them and take them away. I pointed out that no where on the web sit does it say that. It says for advice please contact me. What he had done was then clicked the link for the association and also saw me as swarm coordinator so made the rest up himself. I really should have chanced my arm and charged him £150 and gone and done it.

So yes my vote is charge.

 

[susbees]

Personally, I think it is dishonest to charge for removing a swarm. Unless in your phone discussion, you tell the householder that the bees will move on within a short while - a couple of days or less most probably, but you will come and move them now for a fee.

There is no need to stay for 3 hours. If I go out early in the day, I get most of the bees in the box, then go home and come back after dark.

A cut out is different

I expect you live local to your swarms...an extra thirty-fifty mile round trip takes up most of the extra time I find, so I too go once and leave at dusk.

 

[HM Honey]

an extra thirty-fifty mile round trip takes up most of the extra time I find

And lets face it susbees, fuel is not free either.....

 

[For want of a better word]

And lets face it susbees, fuel is not free either.....

Would seem that some of the BBKA swarm co-ordinators are not selecting the most local collector to the swarm on the list and putting themselves to a lot of expense and time to help the community.... heroic or what !

 

[Browntea]

I don't charge, not for swarms, only for bumble bee removals, and that's only to cover my fuel costs, but I won't travel over 15 miles, I re homed some bumbles the night, 30 mile round trip and the lady told me pest control wanted £75! She was happy to give me £30 and a nice cold beer!

 

[SixFooter]

I could rant about some of the people who make the Bumble bee calls. Some tell lies just to get me to come out and quite a few overdramatise the situation because their son/grandson/mother/uncle etc.. is allergic to bee stings.
Quite a lot of callers get upset when I tell them I only come out for honey bees and the bees they have do not seem to be honey bees. I do however, take the time to explain that bumble bees will not do any damage to the fabric of the building, are not usually aggressive and will die out in Winter. It's then that I often get the allergic relative sob story and a something must be done. I just recommend they watch the bees for a few days and if they still think they must go, call a pest controller.

I went to see one lady who had bees under her shed. I told her they were probably not honey bees as they tend not to build hives under sheds and suggested she look on the bumblebee conservation trust web site to identify them. She said they were very aggressive and chased her around the garden. She also said a local beekeeper had told her they were honey bees. I went out and of course they were not honey bees and did not chase me even after I poked a stick into the entrance of the nest.

 

[Outlander]

Personally, I think it is dishonest to charge for removing a swarm. Unless in your phone discussion, you tell the householder that the bees will move on within a short while - a couple of days or less most probably, but you will come and move them now for a fee.

There is no need to stay for 3 hours. If I go out early in the day, I get most of the bees in the box, then go home and come back after dark.

A cut out is different

Agreed a stright forward drop into box make sure they start going in then leave and pick up in the evening.

 

[Heather]

Have to say I never charge for removing a swarm.. but never go more than 10 miles either. Always wait till practically all in the box- spend that time supping tea and talking bees to anyone who wants to learn.

But I would LOVE to charge call outs to the pillocks who tell me ' a huge swarm...' for me to find Bumbles. I always try to get it accurately described, but some cannot even tell a...s from elbow so no chance with bees!

 

[crazy_bull]

Personally, I think it is dishonest to charge for removing a swarm. Unless in your phone discussion, you tell the householder that the bees will move on within a short while - a couple of days or less most probably, but you will come and move them now for a fee.

There is no need to stay for 3 hours. If I go out early in the day, I get most of the bees in the box, then go home and come back after dark.

A cut out is different

In what sense is it dishonest? (what an odd statement) Yes they will often move on..... Into chimneys, facia boards, etc etc.

A very well off family rang a couple of years ago asking me to clear a swarm, I was very busy and it was about 20miles round trip so said sure I'll come this evening but would want £20 for my time, they said no, two days later they rang again and said would I come and collect them for £20, I asked were they still in the bush? Nope in a wall cavity and between the floor boards, so declined, they never did anything till the next year they noticed the wall was getting damp, the colony had died and the honey was sweating and causing a damp patch down the wall, they had one of my mates, a general builder come out to sort it, I bet that cost a sight more than £20.

I am not a charity, nor should anyone else be, if you have spare time and are in need of bees then crack on, each to their own, but no way is it dishonest, be up front about your charges before you go out, they then have a choice.

 

[HM Honey]

Agreed a stright forward drop into box make sure they start going in then leave and pick up in the evening.

So, to use one I did in June as an example:

phone call on a wednesday with a swarm to collect nearley 20 miles from where I live. I finish work at 5 pm, go home, get my stuff, drive the 20 miles, drop the bees into the box. What then? Drive 20 miles home, have a cuppa, drive another 20 miles back at 9pm not knowing whether or not the bees are still in the box or not, drive another 20 miles home either with a swarm that could abscond tomorrow or an empty box.

So I've driven 80 miles, spent 1.5 hours in the car, potentially saved the caller hundreds of pounds and sorted a problem for them, and I'm expected to do all that for free?

Next time someone rings me with one to collect, I'll give them your email address....

 

[HM Honey]

In what sense is it dishonest? (what an odd statement) Yes they will often move on..... Into chimneys, facia boards, etc etc.

A very well off family rang a couple of years ago asking me to clear a swarm, I was very busy and it was about 20miles round trip so said sure I'll come this evening but would want £20 for my time, they said no, two days later they rang again and said would I come and collect them for £20, I asked were they still in the bush? Nope in a wall cavity and between the floor boards, so declined, they never did anything till the next year they noticed the wall was getting damp, the colony had died and the honey was sweating and causing a damp patch down the wall, they had one of my mates, a general builder come out to sort it, I bet that cost a sight more than £20.

I am not a charity, nor should anyone else be, if you have spare time and are in need of bees then crack on, each to their own, but no way is it dishonest, be up front about your charges before you go out, they then have a choice.

Spot on....

 

[crazy_bull]

One thing that has been helpful is asking the callers to take and send me a photo on their phone, has saved half a dozen bumble bee trips.

C B