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Author Topic: interesting call  (Read 6621 times)

Offline Kathyp

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interesting call
« on: October 20, 2010, 08:05:22 pm »
just got a call from a lady wanting bees removed from her front porch before Halloween.  on questioning her, i found out that the bees had been there "for a while" and that she had called some pest control companies.  they had refused to do the job and told her that killing honey bees was illegal.  of course, she had already sprayed and it hadn't worked.

i know it's not illegal.  don't know why the companies turned her down.  one was a large company that is nationally known.  i do know that i am getting calls from pest control companies and i wonder if there is some reason they are passing on the jobs? 

i wouldn't do a removal at this time of the year and i wouldn't do a hive that had been sprayed, but the call was kind of different.  and....the annual fall yellowjacket calls are coming in!
Someone really ought to tell them that the world of Ayn Rand?s novel was not meant to be aspirational.

Offline AllenF

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Re: interesting call
« Reply #1 on: October 20, 2010, 08:11:26 pm »
Maybe it is just bad PR for the big companies to kill honey bees and they just say it is illegal.

Offline BjornBee

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Re: interesting call
« Reply #2 on: October 20, 2010, 08:26:50 pm »
No.....the truth is, the truth is out!

Pest control companies in the past routinely spray the entry point, plugged up the whole, and then collected a couple hundred dollar check. Leaving the homeowner with 100 pounds of honey in the wall that will be a food source for ants, roaches, and insects for years to come. Or a situation where they could not possible kill all the bees and they eat through the caulking and the nest just continues on. Or the job really is a harder than just walking around with a can of spray.

To do the job properly, it may require opening up a wall or spending more than twenty minutes prancing around with a backpack sprayer. And this is just too hard for some pest companies.

Truth is, they put themselves in a position of being called back since all the bees have not been killed, or a situation where they leave behind a bigger liability to the homeowner and the company. And they would rather just not deal with this type situation any longer.

BTW...I never will go do a job after the homeowner has sprayed the bees. And I make that very clear on my website. I love the people who want me to "come out and save the bees since they have heard they are in danger", and then in the conversation, it is disclosed that the real reason they want me to come out is because the three cans of spray they already used didn't do the job.
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Offline hardwood

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Re: interesting call
« Reply #3 on: October 20, 2010, 08:33:13 pm »
I agree with Bjorn 100%. I've been getting calls where they owners had the bees killed by an exterminator. It seems that after a month or so in the Florida heat/humidity the honey left in the walls starts to ferment. Not only does it smell bad, but it boils out of the comb and runs down the wall ruining both the drywall and the carpet.

These folks want me to come out and do a removal sans bees. I pass them on to some out of work carpenters I know.

Scott
"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag...We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...And we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

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Offline AllenF

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Re: interesting call
« Reply #4 on: October 20, 2010, 08:40:37 pm »
I see ya'lls point on that one now and it makes total sense to me.   I wonder how many companies got sued after they ruined someones home?   

Offline Kathyp

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Re: interesting call
« Reply #5 on: October 20, 2010, 08:44:41 pm »
makes sense to me also.  i doubt that exterminators want to dig into walls and in this state, they might have some trouble with the union contractors.  they are getting really nasty about stuff. 
Someone really ought to tell them that the world of Ayn Rand?s novel was not meant to be aspirational.

Offline Tommyt

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Re: interesting call
« Reply #6 on: October 20, 2010, 10:03:20 pm »
 This company tell folks you have to eradicate the bees then spray so they won't return
I can understand spray to NOT return go down and watch the Video that says
TampaBay.com reports: "The Art of Tampa Bee Removal"
Now if any of you are Allflorida oh well I just don't think you should tell people you have to
kill them ALL

I think its the 3rd advertisement down
This is the header to the clip

TampaBay.com reports: "The Art of Tampa Bee Removal"

http://allfloridabeeremoval.com/
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Offline iddee

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Re: interesting call
« Reply #7 on: October 20, 2010, 11:01:57 pm »
They should change their name to Allfloridabeekillers.com. They aren't removers, they're murderers.
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Offline AllenF

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Re: interesting call
« Reply #8 on: October 20, 2010, 11:27:05 pm »
I just got through watching several of the videos there.   Just what % of the bees they see are AHB?   They are just scaring people I believe.  It is easier to put a dead hive in a trash bag than to save (and maybe requeen) the hives.   "Just remember folks, stay away from illegal bee keepers."  That's what I got from the site.   

Offline Tommyt

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Re: interesting call
« Reply #9 on: October 21, 2010, 08:02:06 am »
Its a Pest control I believe and as most in Tampabay area its too scare into African
I called a few a while back and a couple told over the phone
Most found in the wild are African and they by Law Have to kill them
They get 300  and up
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Offline greenbtree

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Re: interesting call
« Reply #10 on: October 21, 2010, 11:44:03 am »
I just tangled with some yellowjackets.  Went out on a "bee" removal call, they were yellowjackets of course.  The lady was young, and seemed sincere (as in, not trying to get something for nothing) so I offered to dump some gas on them for her gratis (She had a baby and little kids, and the jackets were right by her front door.)  My mistake.  Did get it done, but paid the price.  Didn't realize before how yellowjackets will go for the legs instead of the face.  My bluejeans were no deterrent what so ever.  None even tried my veil or upper body which was well protected.  I guess she did pay me something - I swigged down a third of a bottle of her kids Benedryl before I left. :-D
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Offline Kathyp

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Re: interesting call
« Reply #11 on: October 21, 2010, 11:56:24 am »
gotta love yellowjacket season  :evil:

most of the time i can tell from talking to someone whether it's yellowjackts or honeybees.  if i have any doubts, i ask them to email me a picture.  only once has that failed.  the lady went out and took a picture of a honey bee in her yard, but when i got there, her real problem was a yellowjacket nest at the base of her tree.  :-D  she felt bad and gave me 20 bucks for gas.  it was a nice day for a drive.....

they really need to be killed at night.  messing with them during the day can be a disaster.
Someone really ought to tell them that the world of Ayn Rand?s novel was not meant to be aspirational.

Offline AllenF

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Re: interesting call
« Reply #12 on: October 21, 2010, 05:38:37 pm »
Worst I have ever bee stung was by yellow jackets.   Cleaning up limbs in a grown up field with high broom sage.   I never saw them.   Ended up with 10 or better stuck in my socks.   Stinks all over my ankles. 

Offline lenape13

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Re: interesting call
« Reply #13 on: October 22, 2010, 12:33:36 am »
Personally, I love yellow jackets.  They make a delightful popping sound when I nail them with my weed burner.   :evil:

Offline AllenF

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Re: interesting call
« Reply #14 on: October 22, 2010, 10:14:02 am »
Show us some video of that sometime.   Sounds like something I would like.

Offline edward

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Re: interesting call
« Reply #15 on: October 22, 2010, 10:28:07 am »
Worst I have ever bee stung was by yellow jackets.   Cleaning up limbs in a grown up field with high broom sage.   I never saw them.   Ended up with 10 or better stuck in my socks.   Stinks all over my ankles. 
I had the same problem with an aggressive bee hive , they loved to attack my boots , the boots were old and had a smell of there own .
Solution new queen and new boots  :-D                           
                       edward  :-P

Offline AllenF

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Re: interesting call
« Reply #16 on: October 22, 2010, 10:36:04 am »
Summer time in the heat, unless I am really tearing hives apart, I work them in shorts.   If I get stung, it is the back of the knee where the bottom of the shorts rub the back of my leg.   They get caught up in there and sting.   But it ain't so bad there as long as they don't walk up the shorts.  I also get stung on the top of my foot a lot when one gets caught between the top of my foot and my crocs.   But I may have only been stung less than 10 times this summer.  Just not worth keeping up with.  I still wear a veil, not crazy.

Offline JP

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Re: interesting call
« Reply #17 on: October 22, 2010, 11:17:24 am »
We have a lot of exterminators down here by me. As most of y'all know by now, I am a licensed pest control operator. I just happen to be someone who cares more more about bees and people than making a quick buck.

The thing that gets me is that the void space where the bees are has to be opened up anyway to remove the honey, etc...

From an unethical standpoint or ethical approach it still has to be accessed.

When I expose the colony the bees are right there, 98-99% of the colony.

Much easier to handle then.

When they're sprayed there are bees everywhere, next door, down the street, sometimes bees stinging anyone/anything they run across.

Its not a pretty sight.

It takes time and perseverance to do live removals.

Most people aren't willing to do what it takes, because they want the quick buck.

In most all cases, when the home owner has "tried" to spray them, their attempts have been to no avail. Most people grab the can of Hot Shot thinking they can eradicate the colony.

This don't ever work and even though they may kill some bees on the exterior, the colony as a whole is generally unaffected.

IMO it is our job to educate not berate those who don't understand bees, who have tried to spray them.

Once I take a job and the customer gets an ear full of my enthusiasm for bees, most all become converts and some of those same people call me or refer me next time to save them.

Once I show them the exposed colony, they understand why they couldn't kill them.

Most all or shocked by the sheer numbers of bees in a colony and once seeing this first hand realize this is not something they should do in the future.

I use to get mad at the "sprayers" too but what does that accomplish? Nothing!

Who better to remove bees and educate people about how wonderful they are then bee keepers?

We know better.

I'm very happy to get the calls I get and I take just about all of them.


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Offline AllenF

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Re: interesting call
« Reply #18 on: October 22, 2010, 11:22:23 am »
JP, that percentage of your work is with bees and what percent is other bugs?   Have you seen the number of bees (swarms or hives) increase over the past few years in your area?

Offline iddee

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Re: interesting call
« Reply #19 on: October 22, 2010, 11:27:22 am »
JP, that is one of your better posts. Thanks for it. Wish we could send it to all homeowners, tenants and landlords.  :cheer:
"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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anything