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Author Topic: Do you charge for  (Read 6879 times)

Offline D Semple

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Do you charge for
« on: June 11, 2012, 12:28:54 pm »
Do you charge for a removal when the bees may have originated from your hives?

I'm going to look at a 2 story removal tonight for a swarm that just moved in about 1/2 - 3/4 mile from one of my beeyards.

I don't thing the swarm originated from one of my hives, as all my hives in that particular yard are new this year hives, having orginating from caught swarms and removals in the last 2 months. BUT, it's not impossible that one of them may have swarmed, we have a great flo going and the bees are really packing in the nectar hard and fast, and I'm not able to check for swarms on a daily basis.

Thanks.    ...Don

Offline yockey5

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Re: Do you charge for
« Reply #1 on: June 11, 2012, 12:59:31 pm »
If the bees do not have your brand on them you should charge!

Offline David McLeod

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Re: Do you charge for
« Reply #2 on: June 13, 2012, 07:11:20 pm »
Yes, because once they cross the fence I don't know them from adam's housecat. BUT, at that distance I'm dealing with neighbors so big price breaks are given. Depending on just how good a neighbor "at cost" may be an option.
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Offline Danpunch

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Re: Do you charge for
« Reply #3 on: June 13, 2012, 10:10:12 pm »
I'd be neighborly and do it for free as I would want them to always call me first.

Offline JP

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Re: Do you charge for
« Reply #4 on: June 13, 2012, 10:20:54 pm »
I agree with David to give a very nice discount. If they even have the slightest notion that their resident hive came from your stock the discount goes a long way at keeping the peace. Its always in your best interest to keep your neighbors happy when it comes to keeping bees in your neighborhood.


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Offline D Semple

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Re: Do you charge for
« Reply #5 on: June 14, 2012, 03:37:45 pm »
I did the removal last night and knocked 1/3rd off my normal pricing per David & JP suggestions.

Still don't think they came from my bee yard, but I did have a dozy of a swarm escape earlier in the year that I could not catch and is bound to have become a headache for somebody, so I'm paying somebody back, figure it's good policy like they recommended.

Thanks.   ....Don

 

Offline SkepWrangler

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Re: Do you charge for
« Reply #6 on: June 27, 2012, 03:35:41 pm »
I would like to hear what folks recommend should be charged for various types of removal services.  Here is the list of types I see in this area. If there are other typical places hives are found, I'd like to hear what is reasonable to charge for those too.

1. Swarm in an accessible area (like 6 foot branch of tree.)
2. Swarm in difficult to access area (like 20 foot branch.)
3. Hive in a cavity not related to a building (like doghouse, barbecue, compost bin)
4. Hive in a house whose outside must not be affected (so that interior sheetrock must be removed to take comb out inside masked-off tent.)
5. Trap-out of hive in "untouchable" cavity (such as in an historic tree or building)
6. Cut-out from a shed/barn/house (where the outside may be cut away at the beekeeper's convenience.)
7. Cut-out from underneath a shed/barn (where digging underneath is required to gain access from below.)
8. Take away a hive that is in a portable cavity (such as in a crate or couch)

I look forward to hearing what others think, thanks.

Offline AllenF

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Re: Do you charge for
« Reply #7 on: June 27, 2012, 05:13:19 pm »
How much time, equipment/tools, and fuel for travel are required for each job.   Then how valuable is your time?   Each job is different.   

Offline danno

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Re: Do you charge for
« Reply #8 on: June 27, 2012, 06:31:32 pm »
for the last 3 years I have set up a new yard every year with 20 new colonies using 3 or 4 frame splits and new queens always 5 plus miles from existing yards.   Every year I catch swarms in these yards. This year the first came within a week.    The second at about 2 weeks.   They are NOT from my colonies!!!   Give a discount if you feel you should but dont for a minute think this is your fault and you owe them.   

Offline iddee

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Re: Do you charge for
« Reply #9 on: June 27, 2012, 07:01:28 pm »
Skep, 1,2,and 8..... Free

3,4,6,7...Base price plus hour rate over 4 hours

5...base price includes setup and take down, plus travel for each visit.
"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me . . . Anything can happen, child. Anything can be"

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Offline beek1951

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Re: Do you charge for
« Reply #10 on: June 27, 2012, 11:51:57 pm »
I charge for removals. For too long we have done it just for the bees and honey and have screwed ourselves by this practice.
I just finished a job that took 30 hours, 8x10 cutout of shiplap on grarage apartment. Had to buy scaffolding. Got 100# of
honey and about 10# of bees, but spotty and very little brood comb. The guy (who I have known for 35 years) gave me a trailer
load of complete boxes, about 800 frames, bottom boards, top covers, inner covers, so we traded out, but on a usual basis, I charge
by distance, dificulty, and location. My rates with mileage run from $200-$500 depending on special equipment and how much climbing.
I'm 61 and don't like to climb, though my last two jobs were this garage apt and a dormer soffet on a 7:12 roof. Most jobs take over 4 hours
from setup to loadup, so I think I cahrge a fair price. I let a lot go by, but if they can get somebody else, good for them. I have 40 hives of my
own to care for, so I take maybe one of the five calls I average per week.

Offline beek1951

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Re: Do you charge for
« Reply #11 on: June 27, 2012, 11:57:54 pm »
Sorry, I didn't completely understand the post. If its a swarm from one of my yards, I get it free. (In fact I rarely charge for swarms)
If it is a cutout close to my yards, I give a discount. I just did a cutout and took the bees home and came back the next day and the
honey that was everywhere had attracted a huge swarm to a tree in the same yard. It came from somewhere else. Just because ther is
a swarm near one of your yards, doesn't mean it is your bees.

Offline Jim134

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Re: Do you charge for
« Reply #12 on: June 28, 2012, 05:54:53 am »
Skep, 1,2,and 8..... Free plus travel after 30 miles
3,4,6,7 not for my
5...base price ( is 3 hours ) includes setup and take down, plus travel for each visit. (I'm 64 and will not climb)
       

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Offline David McLeod

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Re: Do you charge for
« Reply #13 on: June 28, 2012, 01:48:54 pm »
Swarms, I always charge. Anywhere from my minimum of $89 (to cover gas and travel time) and up depending upon distance and the conditions as best described to me by the client. The only exception is a call coming in from public safety officers, if it is IMO a legitimate public safety issue.
Since I always have a swarm bucket, vac, ladders up to 36' and extension poles up to 24' I very rarely differentiate my pricing strictly according to height but more on difficulty of access and whether I detect a PIA factor in the initial call. I also absolutely insist upon payment of a trip charge if the bees fly the coop and warn the client to keep them in sight and wave me off if that happens. Gas ain't cheap.

All others are taken on a case by case basis. I qualify the customer by quoting a base fee of $650 with an explanation of the methods and labor involved in a typical residential cutout. I qualify this by saying I reserve the right to lower the fee if the job is simple or if not before I obligate the customer to a higher fee I will stop and explain the cause for higher fees.

Honeybee removals are the one item that I regularly break my hard and fast NO FREE INSPECTIONS rule. I have found that if I have gotten past the quoted 650 minimum barrier and get an invite to come on out the job is usually sold and almost always goes through. If in doubt I do charge an inspection fee of 89 (core counties) and up depending on distance. All inspections outside of my normal radius that can not be done in the course of other normal activities get a trip charge. Some of this can be alleviated by having the customer forward me pictures of the site to help me better quote them a fee.
Georgia Wildlife Services,Inc
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Atlanta (678) 572-8269 Macon (478) 227-4497
www.atlantawildliferemoval.net
georgiawildlifeservices@gmail.com

Offline David McLeod

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Re: Do you charge for
« Reply #14 on: June 28, 2012, 01:52:27 pm »
BTW, trapouts are treated the same as a cutout with the same base pricing structure due to the requirement for similar initial labor to install and regular repeat visits plus the removal of the hive. On time alone I am making less per hour but overall the hard labor is usually less.
Georgia Wildlife Services,Inc
Georgia's Full Service Wildlife Solution
Atlanta (678) 572-8269 Macon (478) 227-4497
www.atlantawildliferemoval.net
georgiawildlifeservices@gmail.com

Offline duck

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Re: Do you charge for
« Reply #15 on: June 28, 2012, 09:47:41 pm »
btw two story houses suck.  :-D

Offline beek1951

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Re: Do you charge for
« Reply #16 on: June 29, 2012, 09:13:19 am »
I've had two two story houses in a row. Pain in the butt.I'm 61 and don't climb too good. But I got
120# of honey out of the last one, Comb was 2 ply, 7ft x 2 ft. Very little brood and the bees absconded.
The customer gave a trailer full of beekeeping equipment. About 50 boxes, 800 frames, lids, bottom boards
and some stuff I can't identify, so I came out ok. I just bid two jobs that are under 10 ft off the ground and
am going to enjoy the break and climbing.
Emil in Texas


Offline D Semple

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Re: Do you charge for
« Reply #17 on: June 29, 2012, 09:59:32 am »
I love the money with the high ones and the fact that they haven't been sprayed.

Last weekends 30 footer. Bees were under the dormer tile roof valley which all had to be torn out and put back. 2 meduim boxes of brood and about 60 lbs. of honey.





Offline SkepWrangler

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Re: Do you charge for
« Reply #18 on: July 01, 2012, 06:06:22 am »
Hey D Semple,

Good point about "haven't been sprayed"

Please tell me what you do differently with bees that have been sprayed, vs. those that haven't.

Thanks,

SkepWrangler

Offline D Semple

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Re: Do you charge for
« Reply #19 on: July 02, 2012, 11:34:30 am »

Good point about "haven't been sprayed"

Please tell me what you do differently with bees that have been sprayed, vs. those that haven't.Thanks,

SkepWrangler

Skep, good question.

First, let me say that I think probably 3/4 of the colonies that take up residence in buildings have been sprayed at least once, some time or another. Most of the time in my experience though the spraying has been done very in affectively by a scared homeowner who does little or no damage to the whole colony and only manages to kill a few bees on the outside of the building.

So, for me it all comes down to comb management and what I see during the removal and how I manage their cutout comb during future inspections long after the removal:

If the colony is thriving; lots of bees, brood, food stores, bees acting very normal and content, I assume no long term damage and save all the active brood comb and try to put up at least half to a full medium box with capped honey and pollen stores that’s been stored in newer comb.

If the colony is doing only fair, but not thriving, all I’m going to save is the brood comb. I will give them a box with new foundation over the top of the box with cutout comb right away and feed them heavy. Typically the queen will move up to lay in the new boxes that are added as the colony grows and I can discard the original cutout comb frame by frame after the brood has all emerged.

If the colony is under full distress (i.e. queenless, listless, no open brood, chalk brood, moldy comb) I will shake out the remaining healthy bees near another weak hive in my isolation yard for them to join and discard all their original nest and food stores.
 
I haven’t run in to it yet, but any case of foul brood everything will get tossed, bees included.

About follow up cutout comb management, during future hive inspections. As a general practice I want to discard all cutout comb so by next spring it’s all 100% gone out of the hive for next year’s production.  Because I’m for the most part only saving brood comb, I keep it all down in the bottom box or two of the hive and just swap it out for new foundation anytime I find it empty of brood during inspections. I just keep inserting new frames into the center of the boxes and rotate the old comb out to the sides till they come up empty of brood. Generally I’m left with only one box left come fall with old cutout comb, which I make sure stays on the bottom of the hive and can be discarded next spring after the bees have moved up into higher boxes.

It's all about next year, regards

Don