PROMPT BEE REMOVAL, WEATHERFORD TX. NOW PLEASE

[GaryM]

Hello. I must say this is an interesting place.

I have bees in my attic. I have to get rid of them but I also hate to poison them if I can help it. Can anyone offer any suggestions?

Many thanks, in advance!

Gary in Weatherford

[Jerrymac]

If you were a little closer I'd sure come help you out.

I'm guessing you're not a bee keeper and don't have any bee equipment or personal protection. Right?

[GaryM]

Yes. I am not a bee guy and I don't have any personal protection. I know how to remain calm and slow in such situations but I doubt that is enough. I suspect that night would be the best time to do anything, but I could be all wrong about that. That's why I am asking experienced people.

Thanks for replying.

g.

[TwT]

you might can find a beekeeper in your area, check with your local extention (I might not have spelled that right) office and see if they have someone listed that does removals,,, you could also post it on this other site and see if anyone lives close enough to you to remove them http://www.beesource.com/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi hope you find someone because bee's are only human too  

[Apis629]

I find night to be an unconfortable time to work bees.  But, that's what some South American beekeepers do to work African/Africanized bees.

[Jay]

Gary, do you have any desire to keep bees, or do you just want them out of your attic? If you would like to remove them and keep them in your own equipment, you have a little more time. But if you just want them removed, you should act as quickly as you can, because it's spring build-up time and they are looking to grow their brood nest right now as fast as they can! Good luck!

[GaryM]

I am not in a position to keep the bees so I am just looking to get rid of them.

Gary, do you have any desire to keep bees, or do you just want them out of your attic? If you would like to remove them and keep them in your own equipment, you have a little more time. But if you just want them removed, you should act as quickly as you can, because it's spring build-up time and they are looking to grow their brood nest right now as fast as they can! Good luck!

[Jerrymac]

Try this page;

http://www.ebeehoney.com/zTX.html

[beemaster]

I changed the name of your post Gary - MAYBE someone LOCAL to you will spot the name of your town.

I just offer one word - and I could be wrong here, but you said you "I know how to remain calm and slow in such situations but I doubt that is enough" Even if that is so (and something tells me you you could handle this better than most - ONCE you start pulling comb out of a constructed hive, all heck breaks loose and you will be the target of many a nasty and protective worker.

You can go from zero to 5 thousand bees in 0 point 0 seconds and it's impossible to react to that in a good way.

I hope someone here can help, I strongly suggest you notify the local police and fire departments, they may have local beekeepers on file or thumb-tacked to a post-it board and you could save yourself a lot of pain, or worse case scenario - the unregrettable death of a hive.

Of course (and I'll read back) we haven't established if these are indeed honeybee. I wouldn't want to tackle ANY OTHER BEE except to destroy them, but that 's just me.

PS... whether this is a one time stop or not, welcome to the forum. If you garden, or have fruit bearing trees, etc., this still may be a good place to return to from time to time - lots of non-beekeeping topics here also.

Best wishes, and let us know what happens, no matter what. Good luck.

[Ross]

Texas has a law against removal of bees from a residence (any inhabited building) unless you are a licensed exterminator.  I suggest you start there.  Some exterminators have deals with beekeepers to help with removals.

[CraigW]

Ross, I am not aware of any Texas law that prohibits the removal of a swarm from an inhabited place unless one is licensed.
I read it different : http://honeybee.tamu.edu/safety/index.html. They mention to contact a beekeeper for help.

Craig

[Jerrymac]

I can't get the link you posted to come up, but what Ross is talking about is not found in the Agricultural codes. It is in the Structural pest control codes/rules. You can only remove swarms that are not on or touching an occupied building. They will allow a beekeeper to remove a colonie from unoccupied structures, but you can not charge a fee. If you have a solid agreement with the owner of a structure and no one files a complaint, you can get away with bee removal from anywhere, but I didn't tell you that.

And surely they can't punish a friend who helps a friend.

Contact Dr. Paul Jackson, Chief Apiary Inspector. He'll tell you the same thing.

[CraigW]

Jerrymac,

I hope this link works, if it does look under AHB on the left, at the bottom of the page.http://honeybee.tamu.edu/
Maybe one referring to what you have stated is to make sure the pest exterminator must be licensed. Can you post what you are quoting? I would like to see it.
But I can't imagine them saying what they say in this article if it were illegal.

P.S. I just looked at the Texas Administrative Code for pest Control and it did mention the various licenses one can have as a pest control but, I could not find one required to be had by beekeepers to remove bee or any law forbidding them to charge for removal.

Maybe you can help me there.

Thanks,
Craig

[Ross]

§ 1951.003. BUSINESS OF STRUCTURAL PEST CONTROL.  In this
chapter, a person is engaged in the "business of structural pest
control" if the person performs, offers to perform, or advertises
for or solicits the person's performance of any of the following
services for compensation, including services performed as a part
of the person's employment:
      (1)  identifying infestations or making inspections
for the purpose of identifying or attempting to identify
infestations of:
         (A)  arthropods, including insects, spiders,
mites, ticks, and related pests, wood-infesting organisms,
rodents, weeds, nuisance birds, and any other obnoxious or
undesirable animals that may infest households, railroad cars,
ships, docks, trucks, airplanes, or other structures or their
contents;  or
         (B)  pests or diseases of trees, shrubs, or other
plantings in a park or adjacent to a residence, business
establishment, industrial plant, institutional building, or
street;
      (2)  making oral or written inspection reports,
recommendations, estimates, or bids with respect to an infestation
described by Subdivision (1);  or
      (3)  making contracts, or submitting bids for services
or performing services designed to prevent, control, or eliminate
an infestation described by Subdivision (1) by the use of
insecticides, pesticides, rodenticides, fumigants, allied
chemicals or substances, or mechanical devices.

Added by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1421, § 4, eff. June 1, 2003.          

§ 1951.056. BEEKEEPERS.  (a) Except as provided by
Sections 1951.212 and 1951.457(c), this chapter does not apply to a
person acting as a beekeeper, as defined by Section 131.001,
Agriculture Code, who:
      (1)  is registered with the board and with the chief
apiary inspector as provided by Subchapter C, Chapter 131,
Agriculture Code;
      (2)  does not use pesticides or electrical devices
other than conventional bee[0] smokers or equipment as defined by
Section 131.001, Agriculture Code;  and
      (3)  collects, removes, or destroys honey bees[0] not
attached to a dwelling or structure occupied by the public.
   (b)  A person described by Subsection (a) is not considered
to be engaged in the business of structural pest control.

Added by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1421, § 4, eff. June 1, 2003.          

There are numerous cases, almost all brought by licensed exterminators, against beekeepers working on inhabited buildings.  Licensed exterminators protect their turf.

[Ross]

another reference from TAMU -- http://tcebookstore.org/tmppdfs/10980932-484.pdf

The job of collecting a swarm or managing a colony
in a building should be left to skilled, professional
pest control companies. Professionals have the tools
and equipment to do a proper job. Texas Cooperative
Extension offi ces, fi re departments and other government
offi ces generally do not engage in bee control or
collect bees to determine if the bees are Africanized.
However, your county Extension offi ce may be able
to give you a list of local professionals. Make sure
the person or company you hire has a valid license
through the Texas Structural Pest Control Board.
Without this license, professionals cannot legally
charge for bee control.

[CraigW]

Thats good thanks.

Craig

[Jerrymac]

Try this PDF file;

http://tais.tamu.edu/newsletter/pdf/bee_aware3_jun05.pdf

[CraigW]

At least we beekeepers in Texas know we can do extractions of swarms, but not doing what most do, but we can do some that most exterminators would not have us believe.

I saw on TBA web page that they are working with this structural pest control outfit to get the laws changed in favor of bee keepers. I guess it will come down to who is more powerful, I place my bet with bee keepers.

Another thing to keep in mind about this. A swarm is not an infestation, its temporary, a nest with comb etc. would be an infestation.

Thanks,
Craig

[Ross]

Businesses usually win over individuals.  Better start writing your representatives if you want it changed.

[CraigW]

I think there is enough of the public and private sector that call on bee keepers to remove swarms, that if a big issue was ever made of it the bee keepers would triumph.

The only thing a Judge would do is tell the bee keeper not to do it again.
Plus a bee keeper could have the occupants leave, thus the structure is not "occupied."


Craig