Legal to remove honeybees?

[BeeLady]

In our bee club (Alamo Area Bee Keepers Assoc., in San Antonio, Texas) we hear constantly how it is illegal for anyone but licensed pesticide professionals to remove bees.  Every time I think I have found this is not true one of our members shoots it down.

I can see why charging for the service might be illegal, or why using chemicals to kill bees may be infringing on the pesticide industry's toes, but removing bees to help a neighbor or troubled homeowner resulting in a $10,000 fine?  Seems incredible but maybe that's why it might be true.

Any comments or anyone with actual knowledge of the laws in Texas?

[Jerrymac]

By law you can not remove bees from an occupied structure.
You can not use anything chemical are any electronics. That includes Bee-Vacs.
And the fastest way to get into trouble with the Pest control board is to charge for your service.

Yes the whole non-sense is political. The Pest control people don't want the competition. Hince the no charging thing.

Now there is this other little loop hole. You pay the people a dollar for the bees and they are your bees. You can then remove them from any where on that person's property.

The best thing to do is to do it quietly.

[Ross]

http://tlo2.tlc.state.tx.us/statutes/docs/OC/content/pdf/oc.012.00.001951.00.pdf

[patook]

I know this is a bump from the past, but as I read the code, bee-vacs are ok since 131.001 reads "or other devices for the handling and manipulation of bees"

Also, charging would be ok.

[ktadema]

It sounds to me that under Subchapter B "Exemptions", Sec. A1951.056 that this whole chapter does not apply to beekeepers.  I believe that beekeepers are defined in Texas as have 6 or more colonies.