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As most everyone has heard at this point, bees are a very important parts of all ecosystems. They have numerous benefits and are not harmful creatures because they are not aggressive in their nature as they only ever act in self-defense. These buzzing creatures have been a pivotal part of the outdoors for a long time, but in recent years the population of bees has begun to decrease.

Thanks to harmful pesticides and other kinds of pollutants, the bee population has gone down slowly overtime which can be extremely harmful to the ecosystem. There are numerous reasons in why bees are important and should be kept safe.

Population decline

It is no secret that the bee population is going down. Checking any kind of social media will almost always have kind some of trending post or articles that shows this issue. In a study done by the University of Vermont, a 23% population decrease was seen across the entire globe between 2009 and 2013. That spans the over 20,000 different kinds of bees there are around the entire world..

There are a lot of factors that are coming into play which has led to his population decline. Deforestation and habitat loss has been a large contributor to this problem. Areas that have been known to house large number of bees in the wilderness have been destroyed which has led to a lot of relocation for these colonies. This causes the bees to build their hives in places that may cause problems such as houses and playground that have a lot of human traffic.

As mentioned before, toxins and pesticides have also been a big reason in why the population has continued to go down. Since they are such small insects, it does not take a lot of chemicals to cause problems. Once inhaled, the bees will begin to feel week and possible die because of the strong chemicals. It is important to keep this in mind when working in your garden or backyard to make sure that you are using safe substances.

Most important pollinators

While they are not the only animal that helps when it comes to pollination, bees are by far the most important. They are responsible for around 75% of all pollination around the world. This includes vegetation such as fruits and vegetables that people need in order to eat and survive. And with there being around 30,000 plants out there requiring pollination, that is a hefty task to take on.

This pollination not only helps people gain the food and nutrients that is necessary, but they also help with the economy and flow of money when it comes to crops involved. In a study done last year, it was shown that around $577 billion of global crops were thanks due in part to bees and their pollination responsibilities. This includes foods such as nuts, fruits, vegetables, berries and other kinds of crops..

And of course, they are important when it comes to simple gardening and yard work. On a much smaller scale, natural bees help when trying to have a successful garden. People can only do so much planting and watering to start the garden. The pollinators are need in order to spread the pollen in order to keep these areas healthy. Without bees, it would be almost impossible to have a successful garden year in and year out.

They help the economy

Bees are also important to the economy in other ways than just crops. Honey is the most well-known product that bees are known for and for good reason. This product is a natural substance that is very healthy while also not being man made, which avoids a lot of the chemicals done in processing and manufacturing. A lot of people work in the field of honey, whether that means being a beekeeper or working in a packaging factor for the honey, which houses thousands of jobs a year.

The honey produced can also be used as an ingredient in many other kinds of products such as hair care and other kinds of cosmetics. Bee wax is also another product that comes from honey which is another helper in the cosmetic world. Florist also benefit from the pollination of bees as many flowers such as dandelions require this pollination and are sold frequently.

What you can do

There are a lot of things that can be done by anyone that can help with the declining bee population problem. These are also not tough task that require a lot of time or energy but are rather just day-to-day things to consider which can help the cause.

For starters, avoid using any kind of strong or harmful chemicals. At this point, there are plenty of safer alternatives from trying to keep other bugs such as flies away from your yard or pool. Sound devices have become a popular choice in keeping certain kinds of unwanted bugs away and are not harmful to bees.

Planting natural flowers that are popular within the geography of where you live is also a very beneficial action. Bees are used to the flowers in whatever area they tend to be in and prefer whatever is natural for those areas. Finding out what flowers bees prefer the most depending on where they live can go a long way in helping them.

If you do notice a beehive in an area that may be dangerous for both you and the colony, such as your home, it is best to call a professional to take care of the bees. Beekeepers will safely transport bees to a farm where they can still stay within their colony and produce honey will not being harmed in the process at all.

Once the calendar hits the month of March, it is officially bee season and with that comes the necessity of bee and beehive removals. There are a number of ways in which bees and other insects can be dealt with as the weather becomes warmer and these creatures become more prevalent.

On average, a standard bee treatment will cost $354 based on a study around the country with full removals costing north of $2,000 on the high end depending on the hive’s location or other extenuating factors. However, the typical range for a standard beehive removal will be between $315-$587 depending on the size of both the swarm and the hive.

There are a number of factors that can go into the pricing of each service from identifying what type of bee or insect it is, how long the hive has been there, and what construction, if any, will be necessary.

These estimated ranges give a general idea of how much each method of removal may cost, but it is still best to talk to a bee specialist about your specific situation.

With Home & Hive, prices will vary depending on the circumstances and the service needed, but a free bee removal estimate will always be offered prior to starting any work.

BEE REPELLENT

The most cost-efficient and quickest way to rid a hive of bees is by using Home & Hive’s proprietary bee repellent. With this method, the hive will not have to be exterminated nor will there have to be drastic construction done to the surrounding area.

The repellent will simply be applied at the entrance to the beehive and is guaranteed to force the bees to swarm away within 48-hours. This method is ideal for areas that either cannot be easily opened, or for homeowners who would prefer to not have any construction involved in the removal process.

This method of bee removal will on average cost between $300-600.

SWARM REMOVAL

Once the spring season comes around, the queen of a hive will decide it is time to relocate and take a portion of the current colony to find a new home. The bees will cluster in a new area to rest as they try to locate a permanent place for a new home.

The swarms can be found in places such as benches, light poles, sides of houses, fire hydrants, park swings, tree branches and any other outdoor solid structure they can find to rest.

It will be easy to spot these swarms as it will be a large mass of bees clustered around the queen. Swarms are often hanging in a ball shape from a tree or other structure. The key differentiator between a swarm and a hive is that there is no honeycomb involved with a swarm. It is simply thousands of bees clinging onto each other as they rest.

When the swarm is removed, the bees will never be exterminated. We always relocate them to one of our permanent hives on our bee farm.

When it comes to the average cost of swarm removal, it will usually cost between $150-300. Since the bees have not yet colonized, swarms are typically easier to remove than an already established hive, hence the lower price for removal.

FULL HIVE REMOVAL

When it comes to a full hive removal, the process is a bit more complicated than just repelling bees or collecting a swarm.

In order to remove the full hive, the structure in which the hive is located must be carefully disassembled. The entire beehive is then removed and relocated to a safer location at a bee farm. A primer is then used to mask the scent of the original hive so as to not attract any more bees who might try to repopulate the area. If possible the area is also filled with insulation so as to not leave a cavity that would potentially be a new home for another swarm.

Once the hive is removed and relocated properly, the structure will then be put back together to leave little to no visible changes from the initial structure. Any openings the bees were using as entrances must also be well sealed. If this is not done properly a new hive could move into the area shortly after the initial removal.

Honeybees, are not your typical pest to remove simply because of the type of hive they create, the honey they store, and the amount of bees that live in a typical hive. Some colonies can house up to 50,000 bees. Bees also make their hives in many different structures, but the most common is the soffit, wall, or joist space of a house. In most cases this type of removal will cost between $1,000-2,000.

OTHER STINGING INSECT REMOVAL

Not only does the turn of the weather introduce bee season, but also the resurgence of other stinging insects such as Yellow Jackets, Ground Hornets, Paper Wasp, Mud Dauber and other wasp-like insects.

There are also other kinds of bees that can require removal such as Carpenter Bees, Bumblebees and even Africanized “Killer” Honeybees.

Carpenter bees can create issues with buildings and especially houses because of their nature to burrow into wood. These bees are rarer than most but must be treated as soon as possible due their destructive tendencies to wood.

Just as Carpenter bees, the “Killer” bees can be extremely dangerous but in a different way. These bees are naturally aggressive and can be provoked very easily if disturbed. They have been known to chase people and animals for up to a quarter mile if provoked.

For each of these removals, some of the starting prices can start as low as $200 depending on the location and size of the hives but can have costs go up into the thousands as each hive and species of bee has to be handled differently from situation to situation.

For example, Yellowjacket removal will cost more because they tend to nest in harder to reach places than an average hornet. Yellowjacket removal will on average cost around $500-$750 depending on the location and size of the nest.

However, an average hornet removal will only cost $300-$400 because of their location being easier to reach as well as their less aggressive nature.

Paper Wasp as well will be less expensive around $100-300 since they are generally not as aggressive. The can, for all intents and purposes, usually be left alone unless they are in a highly trafficked area or very numerous.

It can happen any day of the week. You step outside and hear the innocent buzzing of a bee and the next thing you know there is a swarm creating a hive in the backyard. While bees are extremely essential to the ecosystem with their pollen spreading abilities, they can also cause disruption in homes and potential safety issues.

The best thing to do if you are not comfortable in dealing with this problem is to of course contact an expert that is trained in this field to safely remove the bees and relocate them to a farm where they will be taken care of.

Understandably, sometimes this may not an option so here are some steps to take if you do decide to take on this task yourself.

STEP 1: PLAY THE WAITING GAME

If you notice a swarm, it is best to wait a day or two. Bee’s generally will take up to three days to decide if an environment is good enough for them to stay in. They will swarm and stay on any solid surface from cars to benches to walls to really anything they can house themselves on. After the third day if the swarm has not dissipated, then it is time to take action.

STEP 2: TAKE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

If you notice a swarm, it is best to wait a day or two. Bee’s generally will take up to three days to decide if an environment is good enough for them to stay in. They will swarm and stay on any solid surface from cars to benches to walls to really anything they can house themselves on. After the third day if the swarm has not dissipated, then it is time to take action.

Once those precautions have been taken, the proper attire is needed. Generally, bees do not like dark colors or rough clothing so brighter, smooth-textured clothing is best for this job. A bee-keeper mask and gloves are necessary for the full protection of whoever decides to deal with the bees.

Not only this, make sure not to wear any kind of strong scent like deodorant or perfume as the scent may come across as

STEP 3: LOCATE THE BEES

Now that the precautions and attire has been provided in this task, it is time to locate the actual hive. Do not try and take the hive down all at once. This could cause the bees to either become aggressive as mentioned before or even relocate to another place in the same proximity.

The last thing someone taking on this job wants is to have to start the process all over again in a different part of the house or backyard.

Just like the swarms, beehives can be located anywhere from walls and chimneys to trash cans and or even outdoor pots. Any solid surface with space for the bees to create their honeycombs could be a place that they will make their new home.

STEP 4: CALM THE HIVE

There are numerous resources that can be used when calming the hive or removing the bees from their home with scents.

Do not use traps or insecticides when trying to calm the bees or trying to rid them from the hive. If a trap is unsuccessful, the bees could relocate as mentioned before or become aggravated which then becomes a bigger issue. When it comes to the insecticides, many of them are banned by the EPA when dealing with bees because of their important ecosystem benefits.

Bee smokers are one of the most common and easiest ways to calm bees is with the use of smoke. The smoke does not harm the bees at all and will just interfere with their sense of smell. In doing so, the bees are unable to smell their “attack” pheromones which are activated if the insects are in danger. It will hinder their ability to react and cause the bees to not attack.

STEP 5: RELOCATING THE ACTUAL HIVE

This step is one of the easiest yet most crucial parts of the whole process. After the bees and comb are completely removed it is best to contact a beekeeper or bee removal expert to relocate the hive that you have just removed.

 

Bees will automatically want to come back to their previous home and will often travel several miles to get there. For this reason it is best to relocate them several miles from their original nesting spot so that the bees don’t return and create the same problem all over again.

Generally, this part of the process is not expensive at all as the majority of the work has already been done, depending on the location of the hive of course.

STEP 6: FINAL REPAIRS

Whatever structure the bees had chosen to make their hive in, it is best to repair anything done back to normal. As said before, the last thing that anyone wants once the bees are removed is for them to come back or for a new swarm to move in.

Make sure all walls or entities have been put together properly and back to normal, and that any openings ¼ inch or larger are sealed to prevent future bees from entering.

Bees are an extremely important part of our ecosystem, but of course can be scary to deal with depending on the circumstances. Be sure to stay informed about the current trend of bees in your area and keep in mind that it is usually best to contact a professional to help with this problem to ensure that it is done both safely and correctly.

A sting from a bee can happen out of nowhere. If you are outside during the spring, there is a high chance bees could be flying around whether they are looking for pollen or heading back to their colony. Either way, it is always good to be prepared and ready just in case you or someone you know is stung by a bee.

HERE ARE THE STEPS TO TAKE JUST IN CASE YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW ARE IN FACT STUNG BY A BEE:

1.Remove yourself from the area: depending on the kind of bee or if it is another insect with a stinger, they could be an aggressive species. Going to a safe location like indoors is ideal to begin treating the wound.

2. Remove the stinger from the skin: Gently scrape the area where the sting occurred. Do not try and squeeze the stinger with your fingers or tweezers as the stinger could still have venom in it. Putting pressure on the stinger could release more venom into the skin causing more pain. Using a flat object such as a credit card to scrape the skin will remove the stinger without putting undue pressure on it.

3. Wash the area: Using soap and water to clean the area is highly advised to wash out any other excess bacteria.

4.Use a cold pack: Anything cold, whether that is a true cold pack or even a frozen bag of peas and carrots, will help the swelling go down.

5.Take medication: The sting most likely will leave the person stung with a bit of pain, using some kind of over-the-counter medication may help in reducing both the pain and the swelling.

BE AWARE

First off, if bees are spotted in the proximity of your home or an outdoor space that has a high volume of people, it is best to call an expert in beehive and swarm removal. This is the safest route for a number of reasons. An expert will know how to safely remove the hive or swarm in a timely manner so that the bees do not cause a problem for a long time. Along with this, the experts will be able to safely transport the bees to a farm where they will be kept in good health to keep them benefiting the ecosystem.

BE CONSCIOUS OF SCENTS AND SMELLS

Numerous repellants that are safe for both the environment and bees that come into contact with it are also good ways to make sure that the flying insects do not come into a specific vicinity.

Avoiding any kind of flowering scent is a good place to start as to not attract the bees in the first place. Bees can smell scents 50 times better than an average dog so they are able to pick up on even the smallest of smells.

This talent of the bees can be used to the advantage of keeping them away as well. Many oils such as vegetable, lavender or citronella oil are all good deterrents to keep bees away. The scent of lemons and lime are also a good way to make sure the flying insects do not come by.

Some plants can also help in this case. Rather than having to remove all kinds of flowers and uprooting full gardens, the scent of lemongrass or mint plants can be a strong enough scent to keep the bees away.

The scent of people alone will not be enough to intrigue the bees as they naturally are not attracted to this smell.

HATS, HAIR AND CLOTHING

However, one thing they are attracted to is hair. Keeping a hat on as well as making sure your furry friends are not near bees as they have a heightened sense of awareness around hair. The hat will deter the bees from being curious and will keep them on their way.

Along with this, light colored clothes are good to keep on outside. This is already a big thing to consider as the weather becomes warmer, because darker clothes attract more heat, but also the dark colors attract bees. Rough and dark clothing has been known to aggravate some species of bees and will send them into attack mode because of this.

FOOD AND BEVERAGES

Bees are curious by nature and are attracted to a lot of food and drinks. Especially sugary drinks like soda because of the sweetness. Sodas along with fruits can attract the bees and they can mistake the sweet scent for nectar and go towards the smell to try and feed off of it. Once a bee catches wind of one of these scents, they will track it down causing for a tough time to enjoy a nice cold soda on a hot summer day. It is best to use covered cups rather than cans when drinking soda as well as wrapping foods in either plastic bags or foil to block off as much scent as possible.

A sting from a bee can happen out of nowhere. If you are outside during the spring, there is a high chance bees could be flying around whether they are looking for pollen or heading back to their colony. Either way, it is always good to be prepared and ready just in case you or someone you know is stung by a bee.

With the importance of bees in the natural ecosystem, it is a standard practice to make sure they have a safe home while keeping everyone around them safe as well. Whether bees are in a natural beehive or a man-made one, there are numerous variations of hives that each serve a specific purpose in housing colonies both big and small

NATURAL HIVES

When it comes to naturally made beehives, these are the stereotypical hives seen outdoors. While these hives take on many different sizes and shapes, they all share specific structural details.

The main detail is the hexagonal shape used in storing the honey. The honeycombs are always formed in this six-sided shape because of the ability to hold honey better than other shapes. The bees will use heat in order to melt the sides of their honeycombs to form this shape for each hive. This shape is also used so no space is wasted when creating the hive.

Propolis, which is a substance from tree buds that bees collect, is then used to fill crevices in the honeycomb to make the hive structurally sound. 

LANGSTROTH HIVES

Developed in the mid 1800’s by Reverend Lorenzo Langstroth, this hive is one of the most common hives used in North America.

The Langstroth Hive’s simple design helps to make keeping bees in this contraption very simple. The structure is made with box-shaped hives that are stacked on top of one another and each has moveable frames to access each individual row of comb.

The hive is very adaptable as there are many variations to it. The boxes have numerous variations as it has three different depths and two different widths. When it comes to depths, the hives range from deep, medium and shallow depths. For widths, the hives can have either eight or ten frames.  

The only disadvantage to having the Langstroth is the weight. These boxes can range from a weight of 30 pounds all the way to 100 pounds so heavy lifting will be necessary if they are to be transported.

TOP BAR HIVE

While the Langstroth is one of the most common hives used in North America, The Top Bar Hive is the most commonly used hive around the world.

The hive gets its namesake because instead of using frames, bars are used on top of the hive body so that the colony of bees can use them to form living space. It gives enough space for the bees to build what they need. This also gives beekeepers easy access to remove the combs if and when necessary.

The design of the hive gives easy access for the bees to come and go while being able to adjust size as the hive and colonies grow. A roof is also used to keep the colonies warm in the winter time as well as reflecting sun during the summer so as to not overheat the bees.

The only real downside to this kind of hive is its delicate nature because there is no true foundation to the hive which can require constant care and maintenance.

WARRE HIVE

The Warre Hive is very similar to the Top Bar Hive with one major difference. The difference between the two is that the Warre hive is vertical from top to bottom compared to the horizontal design of the Top Bar Hive.

The hive works in a similar way as the Top Bar Hive as well as there is no true foundation, but instead there are bars placed inside the boxes where bees will create and house their colonies. A roof is put on top of the boxes and followed by a quilt cover for insulation purposes. Under the hive-body boxes, there is an entrance for the bees to come and go at the bottom of the hive. 

These kinds of hives make for easy access to the honeycombs and are a cheaper alternative to the traditional Langstroth hive as they are not hard to put together with your own supplies.

With there being no foundation like the Top Bar Hive, these can also need more maintenance and care compared to other hives.

WBC HIVE

Known as the classic beehive, the WBC is one of the most common used hives in the United Kingdom. It is still used in North America as well but not as much as the UK.

These hives are the only current day ones to still use a double-walled design for insulation purposes.

Other features of the hive include narrow inner boxes, short legs and a pitched roof. The inner boxes are similar to most other hives as this is where the colonies will create their home. The short legs are used to create a gap at the bottom of the hive similar to how the Warre Hive is designed. The pitched roof is used as the exit for the bees and is generally covered in metal.

While the design is very attractive and easy to disassemble, the disadvantages that come along with are hard to overlook. If the walls inside the hive become damp, it can cause numerous problems for the bees inside, especially during the winter months.

HORIZONTAL LAYENS HIVE

This kind of Hive, which was developed in the 19th century by Georges de Layens, is used in climates with drastic weather as they do an excellent job in insulating bees from harsh warm and cold weather.

There are currently more than one million of these hives in circulation being used today.

A thick wall is created that is the placement for where the honeycombs are built and each Layens frame can hold up to 12 lbs of honey. These hives are also built horizontally so they are easy to access for beekeepers while not disrupting the colonies.

Taking the good with the bad, these kinds of hives cannot add more supers if the colony begins to grow larger. However, they are very inexpensive to create and make on your own.

Taking the good with the bad, these kinds of hives cannot add more supers if the colony begins to grow larger. However, they are very inexpensive to create and make on your own.